Researchers say Christmas often brings false reports of fireflies in New Mexico. (Hongjie Han/Getty Images)
This time of year is when Anna Walker, who directs the Western Firefly Project in New Mexico, gets a few false reports in her inbox.
Well-meaning people, mostly in Albuquerque and other urban areas, see flashes of yellow light dancing through trees and become convinced they’ve seen a firefly. What they actually see is a laser beam that’s part of a high-tech Christmas display…