Lepidoptera
Index
Capturing Moths
Collectors use a number of different methods for capturing moths, according to their individual needs and interests. For capturing quantities of specimens, light traps are a commonly used method, combining a battery-operated light source to attract moths with a mechanism to steer them into a container from which they cannot escape, often including a killing agent in the container. Light traps for moths can be purchased, but there are also many sources of information on constructing your own moth traps.
Light-trapping of moths is a more-or-less indiscriminate method of capturing moths, and many specimens may be of no particular interest for either collector or photographer unless the objective was mainly a determination of quantity or diversity. Other insects may also be trapped with the moths, and specimens often become worn or damaged when the trap is crowded with fluttering insects, especially if some of those are comparatively large active beetles.
The likelihood of damage to specimens minimizes the usefulness of light traps for those interested in photographing good examples of different species of living moth. A few moth photographers, however, do rely on light traps, set on top of screened enclosures large enough that the photographer can go in and photograph specimens trapped within the enclosure, later releasing the moths.
Both collectors and photographers in search of particular species or specimens often collect moths individually. Moths attracted to a light set-up can be caught in the hand to transfer into a killing jar. Some prefer to rely on the moth's instinct to escape by dropping back and down from its perch when disturbed, scooping the moth into a jar or other small container and quickly applying a lid. Moths flying around lights or flowers can be netted in the same way as butterflies and other insects, and then transferred to a container.
Virtually all of the specimens I see are first photographed in situ, wherever they have come to rest by our lights. The majority of photos on this website illustrate moths exactly as they chose to sit, as opposed to captured and posed specimens. If a specimen is new or unusual, if it is a species that would be impossible to identify without closer examination, or if it is something of potential interest to my professional lepidopterist contacts, I will capture it alive and usually take additional photographs indoors.
The best containers I have found are clear plastic snap-cap pharmaceutical vials that come in assorted sizes. I keep a selection in my pockets as I do my moth rounds, so that I can do immediate captures at will, without risking the moth's departure during the interval it would take to fetch a container from somewhere else.
Placing the open vial over the moth and sliding it gently to nudge the moth to fly into the vial is generally sufficient, and once the moth is in the vial, it is easy to ease the lid onto the container. Some moths are reluctant to leave their perches on the wall, and others sometimes continue to fly vigorously inside the vial, in which case I slide a small piece of thin cardboard between the vial and the surface of the wall to trap the moth inside and keep it there while I'm putting the lid on.
To have any scientific value, specimens need to be labeled with relevant information. A piece of transparent tape on the lid of the vial provides a writing surface to record the date and order of capture on that date. Tentative identification and photo number are added later. If the specimen is intended for a collection, the tape can be peeled off as a temporary label to accompany the specimen until a permanent label can be prepared.
Captured specimens are refrigerated and re-photographed the next day if possible. The moth will usually survive for a number of days in a small container in the refrigerator. Once I have completed my photographic retakes, I generally allow the moth to warm up again and then release it where it was captured, unless it is destined for a collection.
