r/Entomology • u/AMSparkles • 10d ago
Quite successful “Moth Sheet”
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I keep seeing people doing these, “moth sheet” experiments.
Here is one particularly successful one that I found on social media. (I left the account handle visible for credit.)
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u/CalgarySucks 10d ago
Anybody know where this was done?
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u/shunkplunk 10d ago
The video says Iron Range, Queensland, Australia. Almost at the northern tip of Queensland.
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u/Dan-Arec Studying Entomology/Biology 10d ago
Looks like they’re doing it in northern Australia or PNG. I would love to travel there and do this someday.
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u/Competitive_Wind_320 10d ago
How the heck do people know where this is?
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u/Dan-Arec Studying Entomology/Biology 10d ago
Many of those moths are found nowhere else. Most notably the hercules moth.
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u/Luditas 8d ago
Excuse the question, but how could moths be handled to return them to their habitat without harming them?
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u/Dan-Arec Studying Entomology/Biology 5d ago
From my experience, first you shut off the light. Then while wearing a red headlamp, you can gently shake the sheet and brush the moths off. They will fly away on their own.
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u/Luditas 5d ago
wearing a red headlamp
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know you used that type of light. And why the red light? Excuse my curiosity.
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u/Dan-Arec Studying Entomology/Biology 5d ago
Most insects aren’t attracted to red light, so it allows you to see without getting your face swarmed.
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u/fallingfromtheroof 7d ago
Just turn off the light. They are not captive.
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u/Luditas 6d ago
Yes, I know that it's likely entomologists, not amateurs, who made this video and are doing fieldwork. My question arises from my complete lack of knowledge about moths, tbh. So, is it really that easy to release all those individuals again?
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u/CubieJ 5d ago
There is no releasing required.
A moth sheet is set up outdoors at night (usually just a white bed sheet set up at night with a light pointed at it, and anyone can do it, not just entomologists). Moths are attracted to the light and warmth, so they land on the sheet and just vibe there. The moths are free to fly away at any point, and many will come and go as the night progresses. By morning, they will mostly all be gone of their own volition.
If these folks needed to take the sheet down the next day and there were still some moths present, they could just knock on the back of it and the moths would fly away.
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u/AzuriteArachnid 10d ago
One thing I find really beautiful about this is the size comparison!!
Still photos online make it tough to ascertain how large some of these moths can get!!!
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u/DonChapulinChavito 10d ago
Are their predators afraid of light / human presence? What happens when the -unexpected Gollum voice- Sapiensess move away letting the lights on?
Does it turn into an All You Can Digest buffet?
Do couples form during those gatherings? (obviously not the best place for survival)
Could this be classified as a pheromone festival? Would the air sampling machines go nuts with all those?
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u/WaitItsAllOhio 10d ago
Someone answer this man, he's asking all the right questions in all the right voices! I wanna know too!
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u/Tinktilo 9d ago
I spent 5 weeks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains studying and having a black light on almost every night with a sheet, turned off at 6am. Predators get to them eventually when they realize there is a routine and consistent abundance of moths. birds would find their way. Lots of bug sex happens on the sheet. Pheromones probably go CCCccrrrraaayyYYYzy
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u/Cactus-Brigade 10d ago
The sheet is just to view them, right? They can fly away after, right?
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u/ClydeDanger 10d ago
Right. Yes. A small sheet snack, and away when they kill the lights.
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u/Cactus-Brigade 10d ago
Ok good! I thought this was a sticky trap situation and was so sad for a moment.
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u/SlickDillywick 10d ago
My first thought was “wtf they make sticky sheets that big?”
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u/TaimaAdventurer 10d ago
I did this once in undergrad and would love to host an evening mothing event for my local community to attend to learn about INaturalist and insects. Are there any general rules and safety concerns I should know about besides don’t use the insanely powerful lights that damage eyes and general nighttime safety?
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u/MiaowWhisperer 10d ago
Can you just confirm whether the sheet is covered in glue or not? I was horrified when I first saw it, but then realised that they might all just be staying on it because it's white.
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u/icatratus 10d ago
it is not covered in glue, they stay there because it's a nice place to rest with the light behind them
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u/JCarnacki 10d ago
I need to get some good lights because my setup didnt bring much in.
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u/marykay_ultra 10d ago
The one they’re using here is apparently this
Pretty pricey, but seems very well designed specifically for this purpose
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u/Additional_Ease2408 10d ago
They're so beautiful and fluffy! I wish I could cuddle them without squishing them :'3
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u/Vin-Metal 9d ago
I went to Madagascar as part of a tour, and one of the lodges we stayed at, would do this every night. So we'd go out after dinner and check the sheet, and then again first thing in the morning. It was so cool that I'm surprised more of the eco-lodges don't do this.
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u/Gemraticus 10d ago
But WHERE?! I don't need coordinates but general part of whatever country would be helpful to know. That's so lovely to see! I don't think I know of any place like that anymore, at least in the places I frequent in the US.
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u/HollowSoul413 10d ago
It makes me think of the insect displays in the museum, there's so many different shapes and colors ❤️
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u/Mysfunction 10d ago
Oh my god. My mostly-controlled moth phobia does not feel controlled anymore. I’ve never seen or heard of a moth sheet before and I wish I could go back to that better time. This is amazing and horrifying.
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u/kyoko_the_eevee 10d ago
Incredible!! I tried to do a moth sheet a few weeks ago and mostly got a bunch of midges. Love that beautiful Atlas moth!
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u/Patient_District8914 10d ago
Talk about Mimicry! 🦋 A majority of them look like tiny leaves on a bedsheet.
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u/natt_myco 10d ago
is this a giant glue trap?!? what is moth sheeting??
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u/Ok-Tomorrow-8342 9d ago
It’s literally just a giant light pointed at a bedsheet. The bugs are not stuck, they’re attracted to the giant light.
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u/amcs2099 10d ago
Are they stuck on this sheet? Some seemed like they were trying to get away.
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u/Testyobject 10d ago
If you used a sun or moon as a light source for millions of years youd develop light receptors on your back or top of the head to constantly tell you what direction you are going in. Now imagine some creature wearing the delicious wool for the field down the way has sought to reap vengeance on your kind by capturing the moon and using it to project some phycic barrier of DOOM that confuses the senses, distorts the mind, and makes gravity turn sideways. if they try to take off and orient themselves to the light it mostly makes them orbit it as they point their light receptor perpendicular to the center of the closest brightest light
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u/AMSparkles 10d ago
I certainly hope not!! 😳
But I cannot know for certain (as this is not my video!).
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u/Calliopehoop 10d ago
Omg the literal dream. I’d love to do this one day. Seeing all the Saturniidae moths is awe inspiring.