We're All Ears :: August Reveal :: Moths

Did you know that National Moth Week is at the end of July? Me, neither!

I have never seen moths that were so colorful until I embarked on this challenge. Since I posted this two weeks ago, I have been seeking out moths - live - but have not seen a one. I suppose just leaving my one porch light on wasn't the best option. So when I came across the National Moth Week activities I figured there would be some suggestions. Just three simple things will have you mothing, or seeking out moths, in no time.

1. Any type of light will attract moths. Just leave a porch light on and wait and see what is attracted to it. If you are in a field or forest, you can use battery-operated lights or even a flashlight. Entomologists use black lights and mercury vapor lights, which emit light in a color spectrum that moths find irresistible. These types of lights can be ordered online at relatively low cost.

1. Moths need a surface to rest on. White sheets are often used. Hang a sheet over clothes line or between two trees, and shine the light on it. An outside wall also works well if your light is set up near a house or a building.

1. Wait for the moths to come to your light so you can observe and photograph them.

You can also do a process called "sugaring" where you make an irresistible snack for the moths out of sugar, overripe fruit and beer! They love it and flock to it!

Since I didn't manage to find any moths myself, I guess it is time to conjure up my own!

I recently discovered these pretty little polymer clay wings from Gabrielle Buchanan of BStrung and thought that they needed no other embellishment than some wire wrapping and some pretty beads to bling it up.

These gorgeous faceted ruby moonstone AB nuggets are some of my favorite stones. The AB finish gives them some flash, which is hard to photograph. I love the shape of these wings and the very graphic punch that the painting has. I am smitten with all of them!

It reminds me a bit of this Cecropia Moth in pattern instead of colors. But wouldn't it be marvelous if they were in those neon colors?

Were you inspired to create some moth earrings this month? I hope so! Let's share!

We're All Ears :: August Inspiration :: Moths

When I was a kid I was not such a big fan of winged insects. I liked butterflies, and bees were cute (if not slightly terrifying), but moths were another matter. They almost seemed a bit sinister, these drab brown-spotted, ugly-duckling cousins to the more showy butterflies, hovering near the lightbulb over our front porch or found, immovable, clinging to the siding as if they would leap off on me at any moment. Of course, I still don't care for things like mosquitoes or flies or wasps, but I do have a greater appreciation for the more fuzzy, somewhat overlooked member of the Lepidoptera family: the moth.

I am struck by just how diverse moths are. I swear the only moths I saw growing up were of the drab variety, but do a little search online and you can find all manner of colors, patterns, shapes and sizes. In fact, there are more than 11,000 species of moths in the U.S. alone, vastly outnumbering butterfly species 10 to 1! Varieties of moths found around the world can be as small as the tip of a pencil or as large as a one foot wingspan.

Moths are one of the world's great mimics. Some have adapted to look like other more harmful insects, like a wasp or a bee or a tarantula. I have learned that they do a lot of really good things, too, like pollinating plants with their hairy bodies and legs. Yea, pollination!

Most importantly, since there are far more moth species in the U.S. than birds (914 bird species to be exact), they provide a very abundant food source for bats, birds and other animals, including people in some parts of the world. While my appreciation of them has evolved since I was a kid, I am not sure that I will ever get to the point where I will add them to my diet. I will just marvel at them from afar.

So let's just admire their beautiful variety and consider how we can be inspired by them...the colors, the patterns, the shapes. You can use the inspiration below, or feel free to find your own moth inspiration!

See you on August 18th!