Making Bait

Tomorrow a small group of moth enthusiasts are going to descend on the cypress swamps of Wicomico and Worcester Counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore to search for moths in the genus Lithophane, especially the uncommon Lithophane abita. The larva of L. abita feed only on Bald Cypress.

Adult moths in the genus Lithophane fly in the fall and early spring. Many of the Maryland Lithophane fly in October and November, hibernate through the winter, and fly again in the spring. Thus, technically they only have one flight per year, but that flight occurs during two different seasons.

Many of the moth species in the genus Lithophane are notorious for not coming to lights, but they will come to bait.

My moth bait recipe:
1 can of high octane stout
molasses
2 bananas
1 can of peaches including the syrup
Leave bait outside in the sun until it ferments.

Baiting process:
One hour before sunset pour your bait into a bowl and with a paint brush apply bait to a large tree trunk. Trees with rough bark are better than smooth bark. Apply bait on the leeward side of the tree. Moths don't like to land on the windy/breezy side of a tree trunk. If it is windy, it's better to wait for a calm evening.

I have yet to document any Lithophane species, so I am pretty excited to see what we will document during our evening of baiting. Stay tuned for our results.

Publicado el 25 de octubre de 2024 a las 12:24 AM por jimbrighton