Winged Critters After Dark: Exploring Moth Diversity

Butterflies and moths are both in the Order Lepidoptera. Worldwide, there are approximately 17,500 species of butterflies and 160,000 species of moths. The vast majority of moths are nocturnal. Two moth night events in July (National Moth Week) offered a glimpse into the invisible world of these nighttime winged critters and inspired me to make my own light trap using UV party light strips and a sheet. Here are some portraits of the moth visitors, along with preliminary identifications from the iNaturalist app. Photos not to scale.

Moth Night at Courtland Creek, Oakland

Dichorda illustraria, a species of Emerald Moth

Bryolymnia viridata, a noctuid moth

Tribe Oidaematophorini, a member of plume moths

Pyrausta californicalis, California Pyrausta Moth

Drepanulatrix monicaria, a member of Geometer Moths