Float like a butterfly, sting like a moth

October 14, 2017 4:29 AM

Mothing is generally a fairly low-key hobby. But even in the UK, it can get a bit lively; and in some parts of the world, it can be really quite intense.

I mainly wanted to post those last few videos, but in honour of Moth Night 2017 (#mothnight on Twitter), here are some UK-centric moth links:

Find out what’s flying at this time of year in Hampshire or Norfolk (macros/micros).

Looking for ID resources? Try UK Moths, Norfolk Moths, British Lepidoptera, or Lepiforum. Or @MothIDUK on Twitter. And don’t forget to submit your records to the National Moth Recording Scheme.

Moth traps also attract things like caddisflies and leafhoppers. Don’t want to run a trap? You can also identify moths from their caterpillars or leafmines.

Or just enjoy the names: Merveille du Jour. Beautiful Gothic. The Concolorous. The Anomolous. Dark Dagger. Mother Shipton. Scarlet Tiger. Coxcomb Prominent. Canary-shouldered Thorn. Satin Lutestring. Rannoch Brindled Beauty.

posted by Bloxworth Snout (14 comments total)

I did not know this was a thing.

Probably because I associate moths and junebugs in the summer, and junebugs creep me out.
posted by AlexiaSky at 4:48 AM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

Moths! I love that this is a thing!
posted by A hidden well at 5:07 AM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I too used to go moth trapping near a wood in Bedfordshire, by the means of forgetting a window was open and and leaving a bathroom light on.
posted by Artw at 6:41 AM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

Paging Norm MacDonald.
posted by lagomorphius at 7:26 AM on October 14, 2017 [2 favorites]

**Nabokov smiles from above as he gazes upon this lovely post**
posted by Fizz at 8:10 AM on October 14, 2017

I love mothing! A few years back I volunteered as part of the raptor count in Batumi, Georgia, alongside two dozen other nature-loving volunteers from across the world. They said they could always tell who the Brits were, because each evening at the bar they were examining all the moths under the lamp on the verandah.

Once you have the basic kit, it's such a wonderful, simple hobby, put out a moth trap in the evening, then get up next morning with a cup of tea and the Concise Guide To Moths of Britain And Ireland, and go through it all. I even once got a first for the county whilst still in my dressing gown. Any that you can't identify are easily photographed and put on twitter, tagged #TeamMoth, and you usually get an id very quickly.
posted by sarahdal at 11:25 AM on October 14, 2017 [5 favorites]

I am delighted to discover that this is a thing. We found an excitingly coloured caterpillar on a walk recently that we later discovered was a Pale Tussock, which has adorably furry legs.
posted by parm at 12:50 PM on October 14, 2017 [2 favorites]

Oh my god. I found my next job. This is amazing!
posted by lemonade at 1:21 PM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

it's such a wonderful, simple hobby

Also there are so many species  — I’ve been birding (fairly casually) for decades, and it took about four months of running a moth trap for my garden moth list to outstrip my European bird list.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:31 PM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I love Metafilter for introducing me to this hobby. Sometimes I'd leave the light on a night near my chicken coop here in northern Arizona so the chickens could jump up and catch moths as a supplement to their diet. I have not seen the numbers and variety of species that I saw in these videos, but I still loved checking out what came to the lights on monsoon season nights especially. I certainly feel jealous of these lucky moth trappers, but I guess Arizona is too dry for moths to multiply in species like is seen in these videos.
posted by RuvaBlue at 4:06 PM on October 14, 2017

I lived in the UK for 7 years and yes I did this once in our garden. The results were really impressive. I had no idea all those moths were out there. I also did bird counts and snail counts. I am a dork and I watched countryfile.
posted by srboisvert at 5:36 PM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I guess Arizona is too dry for moths to multiply in species like is seen in these videos

Maybe not…
It’s not a very good quality video, but it gives you some sense of the numbers. There’s another one from Arizona here, as well.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 8:52 AM on October 15, 2017

When I lived in Tanzania there were these Hummingbird Moths you could find them in the dark by shining a flashlight over the garden, their eyes would glow.
posted by boilermonster at 11:48 PM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

The proboscis on that thing is remarkable!
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:57 AM on October 16, 2017