Humans have used light to trap insects for at least 2,000 years (thanks, Romans). Now, a team of researchers says they know why the animals are apparently drawn to the light—and it’s not a happy tale.

It’s an observation as old as humans gathering around campfires: Light at night can draw an erratically circling crowd of insects. In art, music, and literature, this spectacle is an enduring metaphor ...

WASHINGTON -- Like a moth to flame, many scientists and poets have long assumed that flying insects were simply, inexorably drawn to bright lights. But that's not exactly what's going on, a new study ...