Science for just $15 USD. Summary Each summer, on bridges across the world, mayfly massacres occur. Warm weather prompts these aquatic insects to emerge as short-lived adults that are lured to early deaths by artificial lighting on bridges. Mayflies aren't alone in their fatal attraction to what researchers refer to as ALAN: artificial light at night. Studies from around the globe are finding worrisome impacts on insect mating and abundance, according to a recent special issue of Insect Conservation and Diversity, and may contribute to the "insect apocalypse." Even as they begin to raise the alarm, some scientists are pointing to simple solutions. Dimming or changing the color of the lights can help, but solutions different depending on the species.View Full Text