In NZ, as in many other countries, moths are far more numerous than butterflies and are much more varied, hence even learning about the many species in your own area can be a fascinating, enjoyable and addictive hobby for young and old alike.
Moths have been studied far less than butterflies and there is less known about them. This means that any information you record about the moths in your local area can make a real contribution to knowledge and can directly help their conservation.
Since moths are so diverse and numerous, information about them is also valuable because they can indicate how healthy our environment is. For example, a once common species may become increasingly scarce or even locally extinct due to a degraded or even complete loss of suitable habitat. That’s why we are encouraging people of all ages to become citizen scientists and take an active interest in the many types of moths around them, contributing to a better understanding of wildlife, its diversity and the ecosystems they occupy.
Where to look for moths?
Moths can be found almost anywhere, not just in the obvious places such as native forest, coastlines and alpine regions but in gardens, urban parks and patches of wasteground, even in the busiest cities. Some species are specialists and only found in certain habitats, e.g. salt marshes or near certain types of plant, but many are ubiquitous and much more widespread. More than a hundred species could be living in your own back garden or local park, so those are the best places to start looking.
When to look for moths?
Adult moths can be encountered throughout the year, though different species are found in different seasons, with the greatest variety and abundance from spring through to late summer. To increase the chances of observing every type of moth that lives in your area, you will need to look regularly throughout the year. Moths don’t like cold nights, full moons, heavy rain or strong winds so are more likely to be observed on mild, cloudy, still nights.
How to find moths?
- Flowers: Many flowers that attract butterflies during the day also attract moths, which come to feed on nectar both at night and by day. Try searching flowering plants with a torch for an hour or two after dusk and see what you find.
- Light: That moths are attracted to lights at night is common knowledge. Try leaving an outside or porch light on after dark, and look for moths on lighted windows or lit walls and fences. A white sheet hanging up with a bright torch shining on it can also be effective. Some moths will settle on window panes if curtains are left open, or will come to light through an open window. Also, you can actively 'hunt' for moths at night using a butterfly net and head torch.
- Light traps: For more serious moth-ers the best way to observe lots of moths is to use specifically designed moth traps. On an ideal night, a trap in midsummer can catch many hundreds of individuals and up to a hundred species. A moth trap is basically a box with a special lamp inside and something for the moths to settle down in such as egg cartons. Traditionally utilising ultraviolet lamps (UV) there are now many more types available, all with different advantages and disadvantages and varying prices. Of course for the more practical you can always make your own and save some money!
- Diurnal (day-flying): Not all moths fly at night or come to light, nectar or sugar so try looking for moths flying in the daytime or at dusk and catch them in a net. You may find that what you thought was a butterfly is actually a moth—see images of three day-flying moths below (cinnabar, magpie and small thistle). You can also hunt for caterpillars feeding on plants in the garden, rear them to adulthood, and then identify which particular species you've discovered!
- Sugaring: A mostly untested method in NZ, better known in the UK with variable success, some species will also come to artificial nectar called 'sugar'. For a traditional recipe heat about 500ml of brown ale in a large pan and simmer for five minutes. Then stir in and dissolve about a kilogram of dark brown sugar, followed by a tin of black treacle. Simmer the mixture for two minutes and then allow it to cool before transferring it to a suitable container for carrying outside. A drop of rum stirred in before use is recommended, but not essential. Just before dusk, use a brush to paint the mixture at eye level onto tree trunks or fence posts. Check the 'sugar' for moths with a torch during the first two hours of darkness but be prepared to be disappointed!
- Pheromone traps: These use synthetic sex attractants (pheromones) to lure male moths. Whilst this method is mainly used to control pest species and reduce their infestations, pheromones can be used as an attractant to other 'beneficial' moths genera. However, up to now this technique is somewhat untried in NZ.
Cinnabar moth
Magpie moth
Small thistle moth