Journeys of a Microlepidopterist—from South Korea to Arizona

Abstract

The sun is setting in the west, and it’s getting dark. I just finished hanging a white sheet on a rope between two trees, as well as ultraviolet (UV) and mercury vapor lights. Now, I am seated on a folding chair and sipping a can of beer, looking at the sheet to see if any insects fly to my lights. Finally, insects are slowly coming to the lights and preparing to land on or crawl around the sheet. This is their party time today. If the weather, including factors such as wind, humidity, and temperature, is perfect for insects flying, a plethora of insects will show up at different times throughout the night, all the way up to sunrise.