Jacob Gorneau was 15 when he came to a moth night in East Brunswick, NJ, in 2013. He and his dad traveled more than 150 miles from upstate New York to meet the NMW team, who’d started the observance just a year earlier. By then, however, Jacob already was a valuable contributor to NMW’s success.

“I had learned about National Moth Week through a citizen science site, Project Noah, (an NMW partner organization) and was able to work as a liaison between Project Noah and NMW for its first year in 2012,” he said.

Jacob’s fascination with moths and the natural world began early. He was hooked after seeing a Black Witch moth on a family trip to Florida. “I couldn’t believe the moth was as large as the geckos near it! I think that was the first time that I became thoroughly enamored with moths.”

To further his interest in insects, he’d challenge himself to stay outside until he found something he’d never seen before. (Sounds like a great way to interest kids in nature.)

“What became clear quickly was how easy it was to see a new moth, spider or any other kind of arthropod,” he said. “The more I learned about how diverse arthropods are, the more I got interested!”

Jacob helped spread the word about NMW to other groups and events. His valuable and growing knowledge about moths helped NMW become more widely known. In 2013, he was invited to become the youngest member of the NMW team.

“I think National Moth Week is an important cause, because looking for moths is an activity for everyone, and learning more about them invites people to have a more open mind when it comes to other organisms – like snakes and spiders – that might be surrounded by a cloud of misconceptions,” he said.

“Mothing is great because all it requires is leaving an outside light on or having an inexpensive mothing setup, and nature will come to you. A lot of common misunderstandings about moths and other arthropods come from a place of fear, and I think the best tool against this fear is education. The outdoors is a great classroom”

This spring, Jacob graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., with a degree in entomology. He will begin graduate studies this fall at San Francisco State University through the California Academy of Sciences. “I hope to pursue a career in academia that incorporates a lot of evolutionary biology and collections-based museum work.”

National Moth Week congratulates Jacob on his graduation and looks forward to many more years of collaboration. 

From Project Noah:

Fun Fact! The White Underwing is a unique member of the Catocala genus, as most moths in this genus have drably colored forewings often decorated in browns and grays. The White Underwing, however is different in that it has very boldly colored forewings that only seem to blend in with White Birch (Betula papyrifera).

You can participate in the global citizen science project National Moth Week! National Moth Week 2016 is July 23-31. Visit the website for more information and be sure to register a public or private event! An event can be as simple as observing the moths that come to a porch. During NMW, be sure to submit your photos to one of our many partners! If you submit them to Project Noah, be sure to add them to the National Moth Week mission, Moths of the World!

From Project Noah:

Fun Fact! The Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba), though named an underwing, is actually not closely related to the true underwing moths in the genus Catocala. This moth is common throughout Eurasia, and was introduced in the United States a little over 30 years ago, with the first record in Maine in 1985. The moth quickly spread across the entire North American continent, with the first records in Alaska coming in 2005.

You can participate in the global citizen science project National Moth Week! National Moth Week 2016 is July 23-31. Visit the website for more information and be sure to register a public or private event! An event can be as simple as observing the moths that come to a porch. During NMW, be sure to submit your photos to one of our many partners! If you submit them to Project Noah, be sure to add them to the National Moth Week mission, Moths of the World!

From Project Noah:

Fun Fact! The Yellow-banded Underwing (Catocala cerogama) is unique in that it has a singular yellow band against a black background on the hindwings. This is different from other Catocala with yellow on the hindwings, which have more than one black line against a yellow background.

You can participate in the global citizen science project National Moth Week! National Moth Week 2016 is July 23-31. Visit the website for more information and be sure to register a public or private event! An event can be as simple as observing the moths that come to a porch. During NMW, be sure to submit your photos to one of our many partners! If you submit them to Project Noah, be sure to add them to the National Moth Week mission, Moths of the World!

From Project Noah:

Fun Fact! Most moths in the Catocala genus have brightly colored hindwings detailed with black lines. Others, however, like this Epione Underwing (Catocala epione) have black hindwings. These black wings have the same effect as the brightly colored hindwings, creating a flash between the more drab forewings and the bold hindwings to scare or distract predators.

You can participate in the global citizen science project National Moth Week! National Moth Week 2016 is July 23-31. Visit the website for more information and be sure to register a public or private event! An event can be as simple as observing the moths that come to a porch. During NMW, be sure to submit your photos to one of our many partners! If you submit them to Project Noah, be sure to add them to the National Moth Week mission, Moths of the World!

From Project Noah:

Fun Fact! Eudocima is a genus of moths found in many tropical locations throughout the world that resemble moths in the Catocala genus. Despite this, moths in the Eudocima genus tend to have more variably colored forewings (such as this individual, which has distinct white bars), and a dot on the hindwing instead of lines.

You can participate in the global citizen science project National Moth Week! National Moth Week 2016 is July 23-31. Visit the website for more information and be sure to register a public or private event! An event can be as simple as observing the moths that come to a porch. During NMW, be sure to submit your photos to one of our many partners! If you submit them to Project Noah, be sure to add them to the National Moth Week mission, Moths of the World!

From Project Noah:

Fun Fact! While moths considered to be “true underwings” are found in the genus Catocala, there are a variety of other underwing moths that bear a striking resemblance toward those in the genus Catocala, such as this Locust Underwing, Euparthenos nubilis. This moth is best distinguished from the “true underwings” by the additional black striping on the underwing, as moths in the Catocala genus tend to have fewer black marks. While this species is not a “true underwing” it is important to understand that this moth likely uses the same scare tactics associated with the Catocala.

You can participate in the global citizen science project National Moth Week! National Moth Week 2016 is July 23-31. Visit the website for more information and be sure to register a public or private event! An event can be as simple as observing the moths that come to a porch. During NMW, be sure to submit your photos to one of our many partners! If you submit them to Project Noah, be sure to add them to the National Moth Week mission, Moths of the World!