Nighttime Moth Watching: Tips & Stories

Posted: Jul 22, 2001

Moths on a white canvas during night hunting
My setup last weekend: white canvas, flashlight, and a bunch of moths. Luna moths are my favorite, but you never know what’ll show up!

If you wanna see moths, you gotta go out at night. Trust me, porch lights are like moth magnets. I usually grab a white sheet, hang it up, and shine a flashlight on it. It’s like instant moth party. Sometimes I get like 10 different species in one night.

My best tip: bring a camera, but don’t freak out if the pics are blurry. Moths move fast and the lighting is always weird. I’ve got a whole folder called “Night Moth Fails” and it’s mostly wings and antennae, lol.

One time I saw an Atlas moth. I thought it was a bat at first because it was HUGE. I tried to get a pic but it flew off before I could. Still counts, right?

Watch out for bats and spiders. I’ve seen a bat swoop in and grab a moth mid-air. Nature is wild at night. Also, wear long sleeves because mosquitoes are the worst.

If you have moth stories, post them in the chatroom! I wanna hear about your weirdest sightings or if you’ve ever had a moth land on your face (it’s happened to me twice).

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