It turns out that zebra stripes serve not only as camouflage from predators but also as a deterrent to blood-sucking insects. The stripes don't prevent flies and horseflies from finding their prey, and they succeed, but problems arise when landing: the insect's optics are "disturbed." The fly estimates the speed at which the visual contours of an object expand in its field of view and automatically adjusts its speed based on this to brake in time. The high-contrast black and white pattern disrupts this visual system.
When the fly approaches the striped surface, its brain receives distorted data about the object's direction and speed. The insect's navigation system is overloaded, the fly is unable to apply the brakes and changes its flight path, flying away. All of this was filmed and is known for certain.
Using this knowledge, horse blankets began to be made and sold. The number of insect bites decreased by 80%. Cows are cheaper to paint, they are much more phlegmatic and patient.
