BROOKINGS, S.D. – SDSU Extension and McCrory Gardens in Brookings are joining moth enthusiasts around the world in celebrating National Moth Week with its annual Moth Walk.
The Moth Walk is from 9 to 11 p.m. CDT on July 19, 2024. It is free to attend, and all ages are welcome. Registration is not required. Flashlights and bug spray will be available for attendees, or they are welcome to bring their own.
Stephen Robertson, SDSU Extension Pesticide Education Field Specialist, will give a presentation at 9 p.m. on “mothing”, which uses light or bait to attract the insects to a location. At 9:30 p.m., he will lead a tour around the gardens.
Glow lights will illuminate a path to several stations using black lights and white sheets to attract the moths. As the moths land on the sheets, attendees can get close enough for observation.
“Seeing is believing,” Robertson said. “When you can get close enough to see them and appreciate their beauty, the impact and connections are so much stronger than just listening to me give a talk.”
Unlike butterflies, moths are nocturnal, which Robertson said contributes to them being under-studied. As both a scientist and a hobbyist, Robertson finds moths fascinating and hopes the Moth Walk encourages more mothing in the area.
Held annually during the last full week of July, National Moth Week was created by the nonprofit Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission to celebrate “the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths around the world.”
Moths are in the Lepidoptera order of insects, which also includes butterflies. Robertson said South Dakota has an abundance of moths, which can act as both pollinators and pests.
Sydney Trio, McCrory Gardens Education Coordinator and SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant, said the event has given her a new appreciation for moths.
“There are so many amazing things that moths can do, and this is a great opportunity to learn about them and see them at night,” Trio said.
For more information, contact Sydney Trio, McCrory Gardens Education Coordinator and SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant, or Stephen Robertson, SDSU Extension Pesticide Education Field Specialist.
