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 July 23, 2022 08:40 PM by dirtnkids dirtnkids

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 08:30 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 08:44 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 08:44 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Stretch Spider (Tetragnatha extensa)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 08:48 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Citrus Flatid Planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 08:59 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Two-lined Burrowing Bug (Pangaeus bilineatus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:02 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Grass Tubeworm Moths (Genus Acrolophus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:03 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Hickory Shuckworm Moth (Cydia caryana)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:04 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:04 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:08 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:09 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Burgundy Stink Bug (Banasa dimidiata)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:09 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Curved-lined Homostinea Moth (Homostinea curviliniella)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:10 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Pawpaw Sphinx (Dolba hyloeus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:17 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Cutworm Moth (Anicla infecta)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:17 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Picture-winged Fly (Delphinia picta)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:25 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Marbled Fungus Weevil (Euparius marmoreus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:25 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Chafers (Subfamily Melolonthinae)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:26 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Filbertworm Moth (Cydia latiferreana)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:27 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Carpet-grass Webworm Moth (Fissicrambus haytiellus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:28 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:29 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Grass Tubeworm Moths (Genus Acrolophus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:29 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

American Idia Moth (Idia americalis)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:33 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:37 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:37 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Margined Shining Leaf Chafer (Callistethus marginatus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:40 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Four-spotted Mantidfly (Dicromantispa interrupta)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:41 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:41 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Heppner's Grass Tubeworm Moth (Acrolophus heppneri)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:42 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Grass Tubeworm Moths (Genus Acrolophus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:49 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:49 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bluegrass Webworm Moth (Parapediasia teterrellus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:50 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Heppner's Grass Tubeworm Moth (Acrolophus heppneri)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:50 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:50 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:55 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Grass Tubeworm Moths (Genus Acrolophus)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:55 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:59 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Beautiful Mantidfly (Leptomantispa pulchella)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 09:59 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 10:00 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 10:02 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Greater Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 10:09 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-eyed Button Slug Moth (Heterogenea shurtleffi)

Observer

dirtnkids

Date

July 20, 2022 10:09 PM CDT

Comments

I had such a blast!!!! :) Observations are still coming in, and ID's are too, but so far, at least 70 different kinds of critters showed up to the lights. Great fun! :)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2022-07-20&place_id=122099

Posted by sambiology over 1 year ago

Sadly @sambiology, none of my observations are showing up on that list and I'm not sure how to get them there. Thanks so much for all you do for Nature and TMN's! Hope you got some new species on your travels.

Posted by dirtnkids over 1 year ago

Ah! I looked at the other "place" that has some extended borders. On your observations, the observation circle goes past the borders of the other Russ Pitman Park. So, now here they are! :)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2022-07-20&place_id=161748

Posted by sambiology over 1 year ago

Yeah, sometimes when a specific 'place' pin can't be found, I have to locate the circle best I can. I didn't take any photos with the DSLR ... they were all using the iPhone and I snapped outside of iNaturalist (so no geotag on the photo). Next time, I'll remember to snap within the app. Thanks for the new share!

Posted by dirtnkids over 1 year ago

Add a Comment

Sign In or Sign Up to add comments