A Mid-winters thoughts...

[trehopr1]

When one lives in temperate climes wintertime can seem
mighty long and unforgiving. For "men of the net" like
us thoughts of warmer weather, short sleeves, an open field,
the "thrill of the hunt" -- all beckon to us.

Sometimes a good photograph will have to do.

So, just imagine being in a situation like the
photograph below. Does it get any better than this ?




This photograph adorns a space in my hobby room. I glance at it quite often during these winters
fondly thinking of the wonders this hobby presents us with.

This is Dr. Edward S. Ross (circa mid-1960's) on an expedition to Madagascar.

I only enjoyed something like this once during a week spent collecting in western
Ecuador in May (during the rainy season). It was crazy busy at night !

I ended up having to "share" captures at the light however, as there just was not enough
ample energy available to power everyone's light set-ups. It was all good though.

Don't know how many of you can relate but, if you have any good tales to tell us of
your own exploits "getting among them" then please -- do tell !

[kevinkk]

That's crazy. The only time I came even close to something like that was in the Dominican Republic and one of the other collectors
had brought a mercury vapor light he let me collect from a couple nights. Covered in moths, nice.

I'll get a chance to travel eventually, now, there's no way I'd run off and leave Mom here to worry. Just keep the passport up to date.

Hey- did I see King Kong in one of your other posts of your hobby room?

[jshuey]

Yes indeed - I miss being in the field. This was in 2007, on an effort where the British military helicoptered us to the highest ridge line in Belize, and left us alone for 10 days... I tried to pack light, but the Belizeans brought everything, including a generator and lights! But not nearly as impressive as the photo above...

John

[leptraps]

I truly enjoy collecting at a sheet in the middle of nowhere on a hot sultry night. I have been to Southeast Arizona several times where I turned my sheet black, brown and every color in between.

I am planning a trip out west this summer (Actually two trips)including several nights above the tree line in Colorado and/or this year, in Montana.

[58chevy]

The closest thing I've seen to Dr. Ross's sheet in the USA is southeast Arizona during the monsoon season. Here's a typical example:
nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies/mothlist.html

[wingedwishes]

I think I'm in love.......... Hope Belize produces a similar experience in June.

[nomihoudai]

I still hope to see a sheet like this. All I can tell is that Indonesia in April is far too cold for it to happen I have seen similar pictures from friends that went to South America. I used to collect large amounts of Noctuidae moth. I like that they have approximately the same size and shape, but different patterns on their wings. Plusiinae are the best.

[bugboys3]

That picture reminds me of the first time I was in California Gulch in Arizona. It was 2014 and my son and I went out with Evan R. He had a 1000 watt MV set up that must have drawn every moth from half a mile away.
By the end of the night his sheet was full of over 1000 Hyles lineata. The air around the sheet was like dust from all the scales from the moths. That trip was my first of 3 to Arizona and was by far the most productive
and memorable.

[Deleted]

I, too, had two AZ visits to the region w the company of Evan R. He had an awesome setup and boy did he know his stuff. Had a blast both times.....I think it was mid July 2013 and late July/early Aug 2014.