Catching moths is a very easy and fun thing to do. I got the idea from a work trip my mum [Auckland Museum Collection Manager (Land Fauna) Ruby Moore] took me to, they had a big sheet and a torch and you could get a container to get anything you wanted. It was like a supermarket full of wonderful moths.
At home it is easy to set up your own light trap. All you need is a clear outside space (decks are perfect for it), a strong torch, a white sheet, and the ability to stay up late. I set up my own moth trapping during lockdown, and when I first laid out the sheet and turned the light on it was only a few minutes before a moth landed on the sheet. We saw Scopula rubraria, and Capua intractana moths as well as lots of other night-time insects. Luckily my mum had lots of containers to put them in for taking photos.
Moths in the city must be very confused because of the artificial lights which they think are moons: “How many moons are there in this city?”
By Bernice Moore, Citizen Scientist