National Moth Week: Blacklighting with @SamBiology and TMN's

Warm and muggy, fun and friendly, several TMN's from neighboring Houston chapters met after dark at the Discovery Nature Center in Bellaire, Texas, to attract some nighttime invertebrates. They call it 'MOTH-ing,' but really a number of creatures arrive at the mercury and UV lights, not just Lepidoptera. Many beetles, some wasps, and other amazing Earthlings came to sit for a while so that adults could oooh and aaaah over their beauty.

It is such an easy thing to do, and not much equipment is required! A twin-sized white sheet, some clothespins, and a blacklight powered with an A/C outlet nearby or a battery pack. I used a smartphone coupled with a $14 selfie ring light and a Xenvo clip-on macro magnifying lens. Portable and convenient. A headlamp helped light the way between 7 stations.

We learned about many species, like the beetle that helps carry the Oak Wilt fungus from tree to tree, the strange and effective way the mantisfly hunts at the sheet, and why moths in particular are so crucial to a functioning ecosystem; moths feed many other species!

Thanks to my friends, Mary Spolyar @rednat and Sam Kieschnick @sambiology, I learned just a bit more on how to be the best steward in my own yard and property by learning about species beyond my backyard. A special thanks to DeAndra Ramsey, the TMN's of the Gulf Coast Chapter, and the Nature Discovery Center for having us. It's one of my favorite things to do!

For more information on attracting insects at night, visit NationalMothWeek.org and get outside to log some insects for science July 23-31, 2022!: https://nationalmothweek.org

Posted on 23 de julho de 2022, 08:40 PM by dirtnkids