<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Butterflies-a.jpg" alt="" />
A mention of the word 'moth' is likely to conjure a picture of drab looking insects that make an unwelcome entry into your house and flutter around incessantly till they find a bright lamp to settle on. But moths are misunderstood, and you can see some of these nocturnal beauties and learn all about them at Munch with Moths, a night programme being held at Ovalekar Wadi, Thane.
<img title="Dr V Shubhalaxmi looks at a mercury lamp placed in front of a sheet of white cloth. Drawn to the bright light, the moths settle on the cloth, making it easy to observe them from up close" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Dr-V-Shubhalaxmi.jpg" alt="Dr V Shubhalaxmi looks at a mercury lamp placed in front of a sheet of white cloth. Drawn to the bright light, the moths settle on the cloth, making it easy to observe them from up close" /> Dr V Shubhalaxmi looks at a mercury lamp placed in front of a sheet of white cloth. Drawn to the bright light, the moths settle on the cloth, making it easy to observe them from up close
The event is organised by iNatureWatch Foundation in celebration of National Moth Week (July 22 to 30), and will be led by entomologist Dr V Shubhalaxmi and lepidopterist Isaac Kehimkar, respectively referred to as the Moth Lady and Butterfly Man owing to their expertise on the subjects.
Mighty small Dispelling notions about the creatures she has been passionately studying for the last 23 years, Shubhalaxmi says, "Moths are not just brown or black. They can be as attractive as butterflies, and come in a variety of colours and sizes." Moreover, they serve a huge purpose in pollinating plants and acting as food for birds and bats.
Shubhalaxmi says moths have not been as well researched in India as butterflies. "Most studies done on Indian moths date back to the 18th century, and were conducted by the British. In recent times, I found that no one really wants to get out in the night to look for moths. And those who had knowledge on the subject were unwilling to share it with others," she says.
This is what prompted her to conduct a citizen science initiative of this kind. Participants will be encouraged to document the moths they spot over the course of the night, and feed the information to a master database (nationalmothweek.org).
Setting up "We will use the light sheet method to attract night insects - this includes a mercury lamp and a sheet of white cloth. The light will attract insects from surrounding forest areas, which will come and settle on the cloth, allowing us to photograph and observe them," explains Shubhalaxmi.
She adds that moths use atmospheric light to navigate - this light source usually being the moon - and are thus easily drawn to any strong source. "They tend to settle down after they find light. But this also interferes with their routine of feeding and moving around at night. So, we won't be keeping the lamp on all night; maybe for a few hours."
Shubhalaxmi reveals that the longer you wait, the sweeter the reward. "The smaller ones start arriving first. It's only by 12 am that the bigger ones approach. In the past, we have even spotted the Atlas Moth, which is the largest one," she says.
The larger goal of the programme, she reveals, is to get people to start taking an interest in moths. "We tend to judge them based on the ones we find in our homes. They're 'unexciting', but there is so much about them to understand and appreciate. Moths deserve recognition."
On: Today, 6.30 pm onwards At:&acirc;u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Garden, Ghodbunder Road, Thane West Log on to: inaturewatch.org Call: 9987013144 Cost: Rs 750 (adult); Rs 650 (children above 10 years)

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