Moth Photographers Group – Guide for data collecton

Bob Patterson who developed and maintains the awesome Moth Photographers Group offers this guidance about data collection:

We are beginning a mapping project at Moth Photographers Group.  All data that we receive will be shared with BAMONA (Butterflies and Moths of North America) and any other mapping project that
wants it.

Participants should submit a single list for each period/location. Data
collected from multiple nights is most useful*, but important information
can be obtained from single evening surveys with respect to distribution.

Only a single record is really needed for any survey period.

Data Collection should include: Contributor name, State, County, Hodges
Number, Latin Name, Date, Lati-Long.  For USA locations lati-long can be
auto-filled for center of counties (if need be).

The only thing that counts is evidence and quality of data.

*If data collection is a focus of your Moth Night event, I would suggest
targeting three such 3-weekend periods per season, permitting each
participant to select a single night or even all nights during each period.
These dates can be supplemental to data collected as part of National Moth
Week. More is always going to be better in this case.  I would standardize
the three periods as:

1.  The two weeks culminating in Memorial Day weekend (Victoria Day in
Canada). Late Spring.

2.  The two weeks beginning with Canada Day, July 1 / July 4th.  Mid-summer
period.

3.  The two weeks ending with Labor Day weekend (both countries).  Late
summer period.