Nectopsyche candida

At a 365nm UV light at a dense mixed forest edge.

comments (17)

Christine Young

Lion

Nice one! Your sheet has an interesting texture. Posted 5 years ago
1. Flown Kimmerling
  
  Lion
  
  I decided to test out a white/slightly translucent shower curtain. :P Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    It seems the science on which cloth to use is pretty thin, I have seen strong claims though of some materials being counter productive, in particular very reflective/synthetic materials. The fact one still might have moths on it, is despite the cloth, not thanks to the cloth. And as Christine mentioned before and surely many of us have experienced, many moths end up around the cloth, not on it.
    
    It makes you wonder what the role of the cloth is, other than convenience. Anyway, don't have clear answers at this point, just thinking out loud.
    
    Ending with a tip that is obvious but for me was a nice gotcha: a textured sheet like yours is very handy for measuring the size of the moth. I'm the type of person that won't take notes in the field, I perhaps lack this discipline or truly want to focus on the photography. Yet with at texture like this, measuring size becomes easy.
    
    Posted 5 years ago
  2. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      @Lisa, how is the shower curtain working? My sheet falls down a LOT and I may explore other options next year. But, as Ferdy said, the moths tend to prefer all areas surrounding the sheet, lol. Posted 5 years ago
    2. 1. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        I realize I may have given a completely wrong conclusion:
        
        https://www.researchgate.net/project/A-new-LED-UV-lamp-to-attract-nocturnal-Lepidoptera
        
        If you scroll down quite a bit, you can see that this guy (inventor of LepiLED) studies the effect of a cloth on the effectiveness of the light source, in this case UV. In some comparisons, you can see different materials have different absorption/reflection rates.
        
        So I should correct my statement: a material that absorbs a lot of the light of your light source is bad. A material that reflects a lot of the light is actually good.
        
        By this logic, I imagine a shower curtain to be quite reflective. Yet I guess it can also be too reflective when using flash. And to add, if it's very reflective, it lights up the surroundings strongly, hence the moths next to the cloth instead of on it. But then again, I have the same problem with traditional textile.
        
        To end with one other surprising conclusion: in controlled conditions, the strength of the light source seems to not matter. Moths do not go to the stronger light if you'd put 2 next to each other, one strong, one weak. They're attracted to the spectrum of the light, not its power.
        
        Of course, if you'd be in a huge open forest, a stronger light can reach more distant moths, yet those within reasonable direct range, do not require a very strong light, unless you're competing with other light.
        
        This ends my TED talk. Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago
      2. Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Good point about the reflectiveness of the curtain. It would have to be matte. But, perhaps that would affect the absorption of light. Perhaps a sheet with a really tight weave/high thread count would be a good, reflective surface.
        
        Considering lights...I find that I get more moths when I used an incandescent light, in addition to UV lights. I typically use 3 lights: a 395 nm UV light strip on one wall, a 395 nm light hanging in front of the sheet, and the regular incandescent light on the side of my house. All 3 lights are within 5 feet of each other. Variety is reduced without the UV lights. And, if I turn off the incandescent light, I get significantly fewer insects. I assume the incandescent light travels further, but am not sure. Posted 5 years ago
        
        Flown Kimmerling
        
        Lion
        
        Thank you for researching this Ferdy. When I get some time I will look more closely at that link. I agree with Christine that I sometimes get better results if I add in an LED or incandescent. I usually turn on our porch light for a bit and cycle it on and off to attract more moths to the area (due to the thick forest undergrowth). Posted 5 years ago
        
        Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        You may be in a place where any light will do :) Posted 5 years ago
        
        Flown Kimmerling
        
        Lion
        
        I think my lights would work better if I actually built a setup away from our porch/pole barn. Much of the light is blocked from certain directions as a result. I will require a battery setup of some sort to pull it off, however...and I just haven't had the energy or budget to do that yet. Posted 5 years ago
        
        Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Thanks for sharing, this type of data is scarce. Your findings matches with the research, the very first post in the link I shared. What in particular stands out is that UV light is a key attractor above any other light source.
        
        This should be read as that UV attracts additional species that may not come if you'd have no UV at all. This aligns with your finding on variety.
        
        I really think you have a winning strategy by using mixed lights, for as long as they don't outshine each other. They probably don't in your case. And with such a mixed light "wide net" approach, I wonder if the cloth material really makes a big difference. I think it matters but perhaps not a whole lot. Posted 5 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        I have wondered if the lights are interfering with each other. Once I move (eventually ;P), I will definitely be setting things up differently. But, my space is limited for now and there is only one good direction that is clear of forest, in which to face my lights. Posted 5 years ago
        
        Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        And yes, I think matte is not the way to go due to absorption. My very ordinary ultra cheap bed sheet seems to have the high thread count and when looking very up close, seems pretty reflective:
        
        Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        I have no idea what my sheet's thread count is. I literally just randomly bought a cheap, white sheet for the purpose. Posted 5 years ago
      3. Flown Kimmerling
        
        Lion
        
        It is working well so far. It also has the advantage of being mold-resistant/easy to clean! Also way cheaper than fabric or canvas.
        
        What I ordered:
        https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BGLRSJT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago
      4. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        That really is cheap. When it works, it works!
        
        What about weight? Heavier than a normal sheet? Posted 5 years ago
        
        Flown Kimmerling
        
        Lion
        
        Not heavy at all. Very lightweight. I didn't note much of a difference from my other sheets. Posted 5 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Interesting! How do you clean it though? My sheet gets so dirty from bug poop, guts, pollen, and farm debris. I have to wash it every week. Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago