This guide can be used out in the field with any electronic device that can access the internet - a cellphone, smartphone, tablet, or notebook. It is a work in progress. We're adding new species all the time, so come back as often as you like and check out what's new in the way of nocturnal Lepidoptera out at Troy Meadows! If and when you visit Troy Meadows, please respect the land and wildlife. Troy Meadows is private property open to the public for nature observation and study, however it is illegal to collect flora and fauna, including moth species on Wildlife Preserves property. We encourage the public to participate in this inventory of moths. This can be done by taking photographs of what you see. Point and Shoot cameras have become the primary tool for moth identification amongst professional and amateur scientist alike. Having a database full of moth images is an effective and detailed approach to learning this complicated taxa.
The online guide is not meant to replace conventional field guides. We suggest you start the identification process with a quality guide - we recommend the Peterson Field Guide to the Moths (Beadle & Locke 2012) - and when you think you've made an accurate identification using the methods therein, see if your moth matches the species plate image we've provided. If it does than the real purpose of our Guide to the Moths of Troy Meadows will be revealed. As a naturalist, one of the biggest frustrations comes when you've identified a new life form and there's no further information about the moths life history. Where can one turn to ferret-out something special and important about the discovery? Inevitably you have to research a variety of resources to glean a few basic facts that might help in the task. This is especially true of moths because very little is known about the life history of such an under appreciated guild. This guide is an attempt at providing the Lepidopterist, naturalist, and especially the ecologist a way to relate the species with the environment in which it was found. We can't guarantee that every moth you find will be in our guide, but what we can promise is that if you spend anytime perusing the field notes included in the plates for the moths you find, you'll gain a profound appreciation for this special society of creatures and the intricate ecology of its surroundings!