CANADA: Manchester Museum’s insect expert is encouraging local residents to take part in a nationwide event to monitor and record moth species.
The Curator of Arthropods Dr Dmitri Logunov, who studies spiders, insects and crustaceans, said that since scientists are not able to monitor all wildlife activities, the help of volunteers in events like the annual Moth Night is vital to scientific research.
He said: “We need to have these public events. Volunteers help with monitoring the movement and diversity of animals.
“Birdwatching is very famous, but people don’t know that you can spend time watching moths and butterflies.
“It would be impossible for professionals to do their work without the help of ordinary people.”
Moth Night is organised by Butterfly Conservation and Artropos, a journal for butterfly, moth and dragonfly enthusiasts, and runs from Thursday September 10 to Saturday September 12.
This year’s theme is Migration, with Butterfly Conservation urging participants to build a clearer picture of moth migration in the UK by keeping a special eye out for migrant species such as the palm-sized Convolvulus Hawk-moth, which likes to feast on wine using its 7.5cm tongue.
Around 40 species of migrant moths have appeared in the UK for the first time since the start of the millennium.
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