Learning about night creatures

Mainspring Conservation Trust celebrated National Moth Week with "mothing" events where participants learned about and identified the nocturnal wildlife of Macon County. On July 21, more than a dozen visitors of all ages hiked to the cabin at the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Otto where event organizer Alina Martin and Mainspring staff and volunteers had set up blue LED lights under small plastic tents to attract moths and other nocturnal insects. Out in the woods Martin set up a sheet under a spotlight to attract more insects. Groups of three hiked through the woods to listen for owls, flying squirrels and katydids and to identify insects, arachnids, fungi and more. Several long-tailed ichneumon wasps flocked a group hiking in the bottomland. The wasps have spindly black bodies and three-inch tail-like ovipositors used to lay eggs on the larva of the parasitoid's host species. Groups noticed praying mantises, chrysalises, cicada shells, snails, slugs, spittlebugs, spiders, mole crickets and several different butterfly and moth caterpillars. Visiting a set of blue lights were pink and yellow rosy maple moths (Dryocampa rubicunda), brown and crispy azalea sphinx moths (Darapsa choerilus), and unidentified moths camouflaged as bark and leaves. A pair of "beautiful wood-nymph moths" (Eudryas grata) ironically employ a form of mimicry – disguised as bird poop – to protect themselves. Late in the evening a female luna moth (Actias luna) settled on a light, displaying damage to her wings and a missing antenna. A predatory robber fly tripped along across the top of the netting over a blue light. Visitors identified click beetles, leaf hoppers, mayflies, crane flies, mantis flies and more. "Folks come to my events hoping to see some of the beautiful moths that have taken the internet by storm, and Mainspring's Tessentee Bottomland Preserve easily provides," Martin said. "Even I couldn't believe how lucky we were to see the Luna Moth on the bug tent, and we got to see numerous silk and sphinx moths as well. I lead a lot of different types of events throughout the year and by far the nighttime mothing events result in the most follow-up emails of appreciation." Mothing event attendees said they were looking to reconnect with their natural roots, or were excited to meet with other bug enthusiasts to share an interest their more squeamish friends couldn't. Some participants said they were surprised to discover so many species of moth exist and can be seen in the southern Appalachians. Martin said a mothing participant told her their young family is less afraid of the woods and more excited about wildlife. "Our region seems to be at its most rainforest energy in the nighttime of July when everything is wet, the katydids are singing (sometimes screaming), frogs and salamanders are on the prowl, and moths large and small are on the wing looking for love," she said. "The more people who realize this, the more protected the land is for future generations." Martin shared how Mainspring works to purchase and preserve land like Tessentee Bottomland Preserve, the Cowee view site and Queen Branch to help provide a future for wildlife, buying land outright or using easement agreements with landowners to conserve. These easements "transfer with the property when it is sold or passed down through the generations," Martin said. Mainspring has purchased land along the Little Tennessee River, engaging in remediation projects to clean up contaminated soil or establish and promote the growth of native species. Mainspring also conducts public education programing to give community members chances to learn more about the natural world. Martin noted the nonprofit holds similar seasonal events to mothing to learn about salamanders and fish. It teaches about the WildSeed library, which collects and distributes native seeds in partnership with local libraries. Mainspring holds flower walks, birding events, lichen workshops and walks, and more. "We like to schedule artsy events throughout the year as well, usually with partners like Solstice Handmade, whom we host drawing and painting classes with, or The Primitive Naturalist, who teaches invasive plant basket-making. The majority of our events are donation-based with some, like the workshops, being ticketed," Martin said. The nonprofit is always looking for volunteers to help with trail building and habitat management, with the WildSeed project and aquatic biomonitoring. Additional mothing events will take place on Thursday, Aug. 6, at Tessentee and Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Jackrabbit in Hayesville. For information or to register, visit mainspringconserves.org/events.

Learning about night creatures

Contact Us