Flying insects are known to make a beeline for lights in the dark, as the saying goes, "like moths to a flame." Now, scientists have figured out why insects are so keen on light, but it's not ...

Insects may use light to figure out where the ground is. Artificial lights send them veering off course, data from high-speed infrared cameras suggests.

The insects can be dated back to the Cretaceous period, which occurred 99 million years ago. The animals were all preserved in pieces of amber from a mine in northern Myanmar.

Sorting insects To collect the insects, Rafael set five large, tent-like netted traps off the tower at 26-foot intervals, starting at ground level and reaching up to 105 feet.

Although some insects do navigate in this way, the new findings indicate that this ability has nothing to do with the explanation of why they are attracted to artificial lights, says co-lead ...