Noctuidae (Owlet Moth) Collecting

Safety - before heading out on the trail please see "For Your Safety".
Everyone collecting specimens in the Park is required to obtain a collecting permit. This can be applied for online on the National Park Service Research Permit and Reporting System.

This volunteer project guarantees participants some of the best views in the Park, with the added bonus of backpack camping in these surroundings!
Vistas during the day are to be expected; yet, the Night Sky � unimpeded by ground lighting � has to be seen to be believed.
While collecting will be conducted throughout the Park, emphasis will be on the higher elevations.
�This is the largest family of moths, represented by about 3,000 species in North America. Most are dull colored and have wingspans of 20-55mm, but some have brightly colored wings, and a few reach 150mm wingspans� - (National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders). To date 490 species have been identified in the Park.

Michael Pogue and Tremont staff sorting moths at the Lepidoptera Bio-Quest, 2004.

Collecting Instructions:

Since this is primarily a nighttime event, volunteers will be using ultraviolet (UV) light.
- Moths (and many other insects) attracted to the UV rays settle on a front-lit framed sheet.
- Captured with forceps, each moth is humanely killed, then field pinned on foam board, placed in protective plastic boxes, and transported to the designated lab site for identification and permanent mounting.
This activity requires ability to hike into the back country, carrying personal camping equipment, and sharing in the transport of collecting equipment.
- This includes the batteries (~12 pounds each), assorted cables, UV lights, collecting boxes, pins, and labels, and the collapsible frames and sheets.

Safety Considerations:

An attraction of large numbers of moths has been known to concentrate Screech Owls in the vicinity � beware, these little buggers can scratch your eyes out if confronted!