09/03/2026
Sarett naturalists hosted a Family Night last weekend where participants learned about vocalizing insects, had a campfire with smores, called for owls and performed science experiments on a hike in the dark. A moth light sheet was also set up to attract nocturnal insects for discovery and observation!
Moths get a bad reputation as pest insects or being overly drab, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Only a small percentage of moths are considered harmful by human standards, and even the dullest moth from afar is quite beautiful when you get up close. Moths are an incredibly diverse group of insects. North America is home to more than 12,000 species—an astonishing number compared to our 800 species of butterflies!
Around dusk, a large sheet is hung vertically on a clothesline with a bright UV light shining on or near it to draw moths in from the dark. The insects are attracted to the light and land on the sheet for your observations and photographs. The use of the iNaturalist or Seek apps helps identify species in real time. That’s all you need to start “mothing.”
We documented 17 species of insects during our study including the Arched Hooktip Moth, many Fishflies and an Isabella Tiger Moth (adult form of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar).
Go outside and identify moths!
