Moths are awesome and to my knowledge underrepresented in their appreciation. It seems when it comes to talking about Lepidoptera, most folks think of the bright colored butterfly joyfully bumbling around a sunny garden sampling flowers at its leisure. When it comes to moths, the attitude turns to pity for a dull-colored insect that flutters around chasing the light life. Or that moths are arcane, eerie creatures inspiring mystical beasts like Moth Man in the hills of West Virginia. While moths have a spooky atmosphere, their importance and magnificence are worth beholding.
Moths serve their ecosystem as both life generator and indicator. They are an important source of food for a wide variety of wildlife including insects, birds, bats, lizards, and frogs.1 As larvae, moths act as primary producers feeding on autotrophs for energy and in turn breaking down plant life to contribute to humus in soil. As adults, most moths act as pollinators seeking out nectar, like their daytime counterpart, while some do not eat at all in adult life. There are 160,000 species of moth in the world, 11,000 in the United States alone, while butterflies number just 17,500 species.2 Constituents of this group run the gamut of diversity from the vibrant colors of the Rosy Maple (shown below in pink and yellow)3 to the discrete Dingy Cutworm moth. Moths as well as butterflies are indicative of the number of invertebrates in an area. More moths indicate more invertebrates and a larger biodiversity for an ecosystem to thrive.4 Moths have a lot to offer and are willing to share it. If you set the stage, a diversity of beautiful light lustful moths will gather to impress.
An easy way to attract and view moths is by making the light they are already attracted to irresistible. This can be achieved by hanging a light colored sheet that will nicely reflect light, like a white bed sheet, and shining a light that covers as much of the sheet as possible. Having a bright variety of lights will grant you a wider variety of moths that prefer specific wavelengths of light. Different types of light bulbs like incandescent, LED’s, halogen, ultraviolet/black light, and “neon” lights can produce a variety of wavelengths that attract different moths. I have been using a halogen construction site style lamp that is about as bright as the sun and puts off a comparable amount of heat. All that’s left to do is wait for those light craving moths to land on the illuminated sheet. You can see a sheet covered with a plethora of moths displaying different sizes, colors, wing patterns, antennae, and textures. To achieve this, its best to be mothing in the summer months on a clear night with a new moon and as far from light pollution as possible (other than the lights you are using).5 ID guidebooks can be helpful in identifying the potentially hundreds of species. In lieu of an ID book, photos can be uploaded to iNaturalist where the app’s algorithm can give you a list of possible suggestions that can be confirmed by other users. It is also important to note that moths are quite fragile, especially their wings, so it is best to admire from a distance and be very careful when examining. Additionally, it is important to note that bright, high energy lights can become quite hot. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your light sources because moths gravitate towards them and can be sautéed. As stated previously moths are an important nutrient in the ecosystem, those higher up in food chain will be interested in the mothing buffet. In my experience, bats congregate to take advantage of localized food and canine companions can become snacky.
Mothing is a fun and easy way to learn about the health of your ecosystem while ogling at the diversity and beauty of the local light enthusiasts. Taking time to understand the importance and to become enchanted by their displays can change your perspective on moths.
Works Cited
Why moths? Wildlife Preserves. (n.d.). https://www.wildlifepreserves.org/species-guide/why-moths.
Department of Systematic Biology, Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with Public Inquiry Services, Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). Bug Info Moths. Smithsonian. https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/moths.
Rosy maple moth Dryocampa Rubicunda (fabricius, 1793). Rosy maple moth Dryocampa rubicunda (Fabricius, 1793) | Butterflies and Moths of North America. (2020, August 10). https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Dryocampa-rubicunda.
Why moths matter. Home page. (n.d.). https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/why-moths-matter.
Zych, A. (2016, August 1). Go mothing! Science Friday. https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/observe-moths/.
Spencer is a half-year member serving at Green Mountain Conservation Group. In addition to being a fan of all things Lepidoptera, he also likes to make pickles. Learn more about Spencer here!