We hope you will find & contribute some interesting species, and also join us for one or more of the events noted here:
Monday-Sunday July 22rd-28th: People in the Finger Lakes region of New York are encouraged to get out and look for moths attracted to their house lights and camouflaged in their yards – folks can contribute species lists or take pictures of moths and send them in for identification and documentation for the Finger Lakes moth week species list. Send species lists and pictures (with locations) to moths@oldbird.org. A running tally of all species documented during the week will be posted here.
Friday July 26 (8pm-midnight): Watkins Glen State Park moth night. 8:00PM-Midnight. Meet at the “Iroquois Lodge” in the six nations campground any time after 8PM. From 8:30-9:00 there will be a brief introduction to moths including tips for attracting them. From 9:00PM on there will be moth watching at four light stations and a bait line within walking distance of the lodge. Access to the park is free after 5:30PM (main entrance charges until 7:30PM). The event will be cancelled if heavy rain and/or lightning are in the vicinity.
Saturday July 27th (1pm): Natural History of the Moths of New York State. A presention by Dr. Jason Dombroskie, Collection Manager of the Cornell University Insect Collection and Coordinator of the Insect Diagnostic Lab. This intimate journey into the hidden lives of moths and their caterpillars will look at some of the amazing species in your backyard. Some of these moths take medicine and can bubble poison from their necks, produce perfume that can be smelled from over a mile away, or can jam bat echolocation. We will also examine caterpillars with gills, stinky tentacles, and horns that squirt acid, as well as ones that throw their feces, and others that live inside regurgitated owl pellets. This presentation will be held in Cornell University’s Biotech Building Room G01.
Saturday July 27th (2pm): Tour of Cornell Insect Collection. After Dr. Dombroskie’s presentation noted above, he will lead a tour of the Cornell University Insect Collection. If you are also attending his presentation, you can follow him to 2144 Comstock Hall for the tour, otherwise meet him there at 2pm. This tour is limited to 25 participants. Please reserve a place by sending an email to moths@oldbird.org. If more than 25 register, there may be the option of a second tour beginning at 12:00 (noon). Location of Comstock Hall on Cornell Campus.
Saturday July 27th (8pm-midnight): Ithaca moth night. Time and location TBA.
Sunday July 28th (7am-10am): Morning moth walk through the City of Ithaca, NY. Meet at southwest corner of the Ithaca Wegman’s parkinglot at 7AM. This field trip will focus on finding moths that have been disoriented by city lights the previous evening. The group will walk toward Home Depot and back checking the vicinity of artificial lights along the way (~2-mile roundtrip). RSVP to moths@oldbird.org