Look closerInsects
Moths at street lamps and lit shop fronts on warm summer nights
When: May to September
On a warm, still night, a light that is already burning, a street lamp or a lit shop front, pulls in a small sample of the many moths already working the dark.
Why this time of year
Summer nights bring the year's greatest variety of moths to lights, and warm late-August evenings are still well inside that window.
How to notice it
- After full dark on a warm, calm night, walk to a light that is already on: a street lamp, a lit sign, a shop front.
- Check the wall and window screens near the light, not just the bulb; many moths land and sit still.
Try this with kids: How many wing shapes can visit one light in ten minutes?
Good to know: Naturalists call this mothing: watching the moths that come to a light.
Safety
- Watch without handling the visitors.
- Do not switch on a light for them: outdoor lights at night pull birds off course during migration, which is why Lights Out guidance asks people to turn non-essential outdoor lights off.
Sources
- sciencefriday.commothing setup with a light and light-colored sheet; summer months are best for the greatest diversity; moths begin arriving almost immediately; more than 10,000 moth species in North America; 'Anyone who's ever sat near a street light or porch light on a summer evening has seen the effect that light has on moths' and 'Any type of light works to attract moths'
- birdcast.orgBirdCast Lights Out: 'Turn off non-essential lights from dusk to dawn during critical migration periods' (fall August 15-November 30, spring March 1-June 15) and 'Turn off landscape and outdoor lighting.'
In the guide for May, June, July, August, September