Monday, July 23, 2012

National Moth Week, July 23-29, 2012

National Moth Week (c) John Ashley
An artsy assortment of moths that arrived at my lighted sheet in the wee hours.
This week is the first-ever National Moth Week. But to tell the truth, it's already gone international in its first year. I'll be photographing in western (Kila) and central (Simms) Montana locations. I'll document whatever moths I can attract to a lighted sheet, adding my observations to a growing tide of moth information from across the country, sent in by a multitude of moth-ers out there. Go the the website, stay up late, join the fun. And if you learn about this after the official NMW, you can still throw a "Moth Night" party and add to our limited knowledge of these oft-ignored insects.

"Scopula siccata" moth in MT (c) John Ashley
Scopula siccata moth in MT
UPDATE. Lightning, rain and 40mph gusts blew away my Simms moth night. But in Kila I recorded 13 different moth species that were attracted to my lighted sheet. One of these species, Scopula siccata, has only been documented in the U.S. twice before, once in WY and once in NM. You never know what you might find - unless you look.