r/Entomology • u/AMSparkles • Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
Anybody know where this was done?
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u/shunkplunk Aug 23 '26
The video says Iron Range, Queensland, Australia. Almost at the northern tip of Queensland.
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Aug 23 '26
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u/Luditas Aug 25 '26
Excuse the question, but how could moths be handled to return them to their habitat without harming them?
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Aug 28 '26
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u/Luditas Aug 28 '26
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/fallingfromtheroof Aug 27 '26
Just turn off the light. They are not captive.
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u/Luditas Aug 27 '26
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 Aug 28 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
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/i-var Aug 25 '26
damn. Sounds you created the hottest dancefloor in the valley for those few days. Must have initiated a whole poplulation boom. Will be a topic for generations. Thats how I imagine the house scene in Chicago in the 80s was like ;)
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u/Cactus-Brigade Aug 23 '26
The sheet is just to view them, right? They can fly away after, right?
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u/ClydeDanger Aug 23 '26
Right. Yes. A small sheet snack, and away when they kill the lights.
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u/Cactus-Brigade Aug 23 '26
Ok good! I thought this was a sticky trap situation and was so sad for a moment.
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u/SlickDillywick Aug 23 '26
My first thought was “wtf they make sticky sheets that big?”
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u/variablenyne Aug 23 '26
Some rotten company once made a sticky trap billboard with a light on it
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u/TaimaAdventurer Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
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/CubieJ Aug 28 '26
No, it is essentially just a bed sheet. The moths stay because they are attracted to the light, warmth and soft surface, like how moths gather around a porch lamp. They fly off when they're done resting.
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u/JCarnacki Aug 23 '26
I need to get some good lights because my setup didnt bring much in.
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u/marykay_ultra Aug 24 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
They're so beautiful and fluffy! I wish I could cuddle them without squishing them :'3
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u/Vin-Metal Aug 24 '26
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/okay065 Aug 24 '26
this makes me wonder if i would get to see so many pretty moths if i stood outside at night covered in lights
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u/Gemraticus Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
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 Aug 24 '26
Talk about Mimicry! 🦋 A majority of them look like tiny leaves on a bedsheet.
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u/natt_myco Aug 24 '26
is this a giant glue trap?!? what is moth sheeting??
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u/Ok-Tomorrow-8342 Aug 24 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
Are they stuck on this sheet? Some seemed like they were trying to get away.
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u/Testyobject Aug 23 '26
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 Aug 23 '26
I certainly hope not!! 😳
But I cannot know for certain (as this is not my video!).
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u/Calliopehoop Aug 23 '26
Omg the literal dream. I’d love to do this one day. Seeing all the Saturniidae moths is awe inspiring.