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Beginners' Guide to the Macro-Moths of Otago

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Beginners' Guide to the Macro-Moths of Otago Moonlight The effect of light A suggested experiment How to set up a Beginners' guide to the Heath Moth trap The phase of the moon affects the Moths are well known for their A scientific experiment needs: 1. Slot the four sides together and macro-moths of Otago number and type of moths that are attraction to light. Lights come in slide them on to the base. flying. Moths tend to be more different colours. The different colours 1. A QUESTION (e.g, what effect does an orange street light have on the moth 2. Push the small funnel into the abundant on the new moon (when are related to the wavelength of the community?) centre hole in the base. This stops there is no moon light) and less on the light. Longer wavelengths look 2. A TREATMENT designed to test the question, e.g. a trap under a bright street water collecting in the trap Why are moths important? full moon. To fairly compare catches orange/red. Shorter wavelengths look light. 3. Fit the lid over the trap. We know relatively little about the we need to take into account the moon blue/violet. Moths can see further into 3. A CONTROL for anything that might affect the results – aside from the one 4. Carefully place six to eight egg distribution of moths across New phase. For a small experiment we can the short (Ultra-Violet) wavelengths thing we want to test. The treatment and control should be as similar as cartons in the trap. Make sure Moths play an important role in the Zealand, moth ecology or the potential set the moth traps on the same night than we can. possible in every way – EXCEPT the thing that we want to test, e.g. a moth trap they overlap but do not cover the ecosystem, as food for native birds and impacts of artificial light on moth or in the same moon phase. For a wide- under a street light and another one away from the light, but the same in every small funnel. These help the pollinators for plants. communities. There are all sorts of artificial lights ranging or long-term study we need to other way (see factors that might affect moths). moths settle calmly in the trap. around our houses, schools and record the moon phase (or work it out 4. A RESPONSE that can be COUNTED or MEASURED to quantify the difference 5. Place the large funnel in the top of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) are streets. Some give off yellow/orange What determines which later) to take it into account using between the treatment and the control, e.g. the number of moth species or the the trap. the third largest group of insects in New light like classic street lights. Newer moths are where? statistics. number of individual moths of each species. 6. Open out the fins of the vane unit Zealand with over 2000 known species. LED street lights come in a range of Moths vs Butterflies 5. REPLICATION allows you to show that the effect of the treatment is real and and slide the clip on to hold them Most New Zealand moths are found We can test the effect of the moon colours including white-blue. not down to chance differences between the treatment and the control. Small in place. nowhere else in the world (92% phase by trapping in the same place Each moth species has specific food Recent evidence from overseas differences need more replication to be detectable. 7. Place the vane unit in the top of endemic). Otago is a hotspot for moth every few days over the cycle of moon and environmental requirements that suggests that type and amount of the funnel. Moths and butterflies have three main species within New Zealand. phases. it needs to survive. Important artificial light affect the relative 8. Clip the Solar unit onto the trap. body parts: the head, thorax and environmental factors for moths are abundances of moths. 9. Attach the RED (positive) contact Their largely nocturnal behaviour abdomen. The two pairs of wings and food-plants, nectar sources to the 12V battery, followed by means moths are often overlooked, but six legs are attached to the thorax. temperature, humidity, and wind the BLACK (negative) contact. they make great subjects for speed. 10. Cover the Solar unit completely Moths and butterflies are all environmental monitoring. Their short and slowly count to 30. The Lepidoptera. Although most butterflies life-cycle and good mobility mean their We can use the information about the ACTINIC bulb should glow fly during the day so do a lot of moths. distributions often show clear environment where we find moths to white/blue. Butterflies tend to be more brightly geographic relationships with better understand the ecology of 11. Place the trap in your chosen coloured, but not always – some moths measurable environmental factors. moths. Once we understand the location. The solar cell will ensure are very brightly coloured. Butterflies relationship between the species’ the trap bulb switches on at dusk have clubbed antennae, whereas Despite the many unique and intriguing presence and the environment we can and off at dawn. moths have feathery or simple moth species in New Zealand, we have start to make predictions about how 12. Come back in the morning and antennae. only a small number of professional moths will be affected by climate check the trap. lepidopterists. change. Recording Cloud Cover: Making a collection Labelling the samples Further information What does that environmental data UNSURE |CLEAR| MOSTLY CLEAR | To make a reference collection: A word mean? reference collection makes it easier to FOG CLOUDY | MOSTLY CLOUDY | OVERCAST Once you have your moths, put them identify the different species and study Lepidoptera: Moths and butterflies Date: The label is what makes the moth a This guide contains only the most in a cool place or in the fridge. They them. Endemic: Found only in that place Precipitation on trap night: specimen. All labels need: common larger moths in the Otago will calm down so you can look at them Ecosystem: all biological and physical Location: UNSURE | NONE |DRIZZLE | LIGHT To catalogue species: It’s important to region; there are many more moths. If more easily. If you are confident that What: A unique code that refers to just processes interacting in an area RAIN | MODERATE RAIN | HEAVY RAIN ensure that when we talk to other you find a moth that is not on this Region code: DN | OL | SL this one specimen. Include the species Nocturnal: Happens at night many are the same species, you can entomologists we can check we are all guide it may be rare, sparse name if you know it and the name of Community: A group of different Air temperature (°C) count them and release most of them. calling the same species the same (widespread but never very numerous), Latitude: the person who identified it. species in an area Ave.: Min.: Max.: Keep a couple of each species and put name. Sometimes two species look a range extension (not normally in the Longitude: the rest on some vegetation close to very similar and we need a specimen to Otago region), a ‘micro-moth’ or a new Relative humidity (%) Where: The location where the Acknowledgements where you trapped them. be sure of the species identity. Other species (there are many moth species Ave.: Min.: Max.: specimen was trapped. By convention in New Zealand still to be properly We have to kill moths to make a times species are very variable and two a region code (see map), The “Shedding Light on the Night” project is a 4. Place a piece of tracing paper over described and named). partnership between Landcare Research, the Botany Wind Speed (km/h) collection so we do it as quickly and individuals of the same species may the wings and pin the paper (not and Geography Departments of the University of Ave.: Min.: Max.: look very different. Therefore we need When: The collection date, by painlessly as possible. the wings) in place. MothNet resources, guides & posters Otago, Orokonui Ecosanctuary, and a collection of a range of specimens to know the convention this is the day the trap was Otago schools. “Shedding Light on the Night” is funded on the Landcare Research website: Surrounding vegetation: Put the moths in the freezer for a variability of a species. set, not the following morning. 5. Place the moth somewhere cool, by The Curious Minds Participatory Science Platform – www.landcareresearch.co.nz/mothnet Otago Pilot. NON-IRRIGATED PASTURE | PASTURE | couple of hours; they will go to sleep dark and dry and away from live SCHOOL FIELD | NATIVE GRASSLAND | To compare variation traits: To Who: The name of collector. insects. and then die peacefully. Moths breed Take a photo and post on Facebook The “Beginners’ Guide to the Macro-Moths of Otago” COASTAL | RIVERSIDE | fast so as long as you don’t trap for understand the ecology and evolution 6. Depending on the moisture in the was produced by Landcare Research for the “Shedding MothNet group and ask for help. Light on the Night” project. The overall text, content, of species we often need to study the air, it may take 1–3 weeks for the EXOTIC GARDEN | NATIVE GARDEN | more than a few nights in a row in the and design, by Drs Barbara Anderson and Robert Pinning Facebook.com/MothNetNZ SHRUBLAND | FOREST same place you won’t impact the local variation between individuals within a wings to completely dry in place. Hoare, are part of the ongoing research into the ecology, distributions, and ecological interactions of moth population.
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