Science: Flame to the Moth

Fluttering above a crowded football stadium in Corvallis, Ore., two male tussock moths, ignoring thousands of fans, make a beeline, so to speak, toward Gary Daterman and begin circling his head. Other moths are continually drawn to the steering wheel of Daterman's auto, his clothing and almost anything he touches. In fact, Daterman has become irresistible to moths during the mating season. Their infatuation with him is a hazard of his job: to devise cunning new forms of biological warfare against insects (TIME cover, July 12).

An entomologist at the U.S. Forest Service's research labs in Corvallis, Daterman has been battling the...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!