I'm trying that right now--using banana (frozen in the fridge the night before) and a little stale beer and molasses. Butterfly Gardener, a publication by NABA, had an article on this very thing. The author found success with a homemade hanging feeder.

Some butterflies prefer rotting fruit, carcasses, and even dung over nectar in flowers, so it's a good way to get some interesting butterflies in your yard that might not otherwise visit.

I saw a Red-Spotted Purple feeding on a banana I had tossed in my compost pile, so I think they will come; it's just a matter of time before the fruit mixture gets discovered.

Haven't tried the black light, though I remember a post by Larry (Ladobe) had written something about it. You could try a search with Black Light and Ladobe, and it should come up.

Have fun!

Baiting and blacklighting are very effctive tools for the lepidopterist out to sample and catalog all of an areas species. So they are also both wonderful ways to locate and see new species for the hobbyist.

Here's a link to one of the threads about them...

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfly Baths

A link to another thread about them...

Here is a link that might be useful: Night Life

I tried this twice recently for moth walks. I think you have to experiment in your area. I had very little success with underwings. However, I think I was too early in the evening and year. Best thing to do would be to find a local moth person who has had success and find out what works for them. We have used lights both black and other with success. I read somewhere that pure cotton sheets work better and I did find this to be true. We held a moon and moth program and had over 60 people show up. I hope to plant a moth garden next year and repeat it. Any ideas anyone?
-Elisabeth

Very good information. Thank you Ladobe.

i use rotting fruit 2 attract butterflies and moths, e.g. bananas, peaches, cantaloupes, etc., and dont mix them w/anything. yesterday i had about 20 hackberry emperors, several QMs, and RAs in a frenzied feeding. my lil nessus sphinx was back 2 feed on the fruit as well. i have also attracted mourning cloaks and tawnies 2 the feeder.

i luv 2 sit on the porch and watch them play!

Wow! Susan what a festival you get to see from your porch, no less! Can you tell us about your feeder? What do you use? Where do you place it, etc?

Elizabeth, Are you trying to figure out plants that bloom at night or will attract moths?

I think heard something the other day on NPR about moths being attracted to light because they have evolved to use the moon to navigate by and lights confuse/disorient them? Is that right?

Larry linked the exact discussion I was thinking about!

BernerGrrl;
Yes, what plants bloom at night to attract moths.
-E

Elizabeth -
If your timing is right for your area, Catacola come very well to bait. Many times they were such a nuscience in my bait traps that I'd have to empty them several times a night so I could get other species not beat to death by the underwings. Thanks for clearing up the sheet thing. I couldn't remember if it was cotton or percale that was the best, and all my mothing equipment is packed away from the move. One reflects and the other absorbs the light though. You'd think it would be the other way around with the slick finish of percale.

zebra lover - you're very welcome.

Susan -
Sure glad to see you posting again. No doubt a bait station in a good location is like a three-ring circus sometimes with all the visitors jostling for position. I'm happy for you having it to enjoy. You'd have to see the numbers that come into tropics bait stations to believe it.

BG -
FWIW, for the bait "cups" that I used both in my traps and just to set out I have/had flexible plastic reel-to-reel film cans I picked up for a song (free). About 7" diameter by 2" deep, they are great as with the tight slip-fit lid they can be carried "loaded" without spilling very stinky bait on you, you house, your car, etc, stack easily in a cooler for transport and they are a breeze to clean up after. I liked to place my traps in the natural flyways, especially those that "funnel" the bugs through a smaller area, but the butterflies will home in on them from down wind eventually no matter. Moths have natural flyways also, but they are not as well defined and are often ignored completely. I'd suggest putting them in an fairly open area so you can see anything coming in to them though.

Elizabeth (again) -
Moonflowers (Datura), Evening Primrose (Oenothera), Four-o-clocks (can't remember?) and Yucca sp. are some of the best known flowers that are pollinated by moths during the night. I'd bet there are others.

L.

Hi Ladobe,
I checked into those black lights but couldnt find what I needed. I am looking for a black light with just battery clips attached to use on a battery in my backyatd. Any ideas? Thanks

Thanks Larry! I have fond memories of every museum black light and our cotton t-shirts.

I have read that Luna moths like brugmansia. Not to feed as adults obviously but to lay eggs and feed as cats. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it a good moth flower as well? It is also known as Angels Trumpet.

-Elisabeth

zebra lover,
Easy answer on the black light for a 12VDC battery... product #2805 Night Collecting Light DC 12V 15 Watt BL available from Bio Quip Products for $60.70 currently. I heavily used both this model and their dual voltage (120AC/12VDC) model for at least 20+ years, then only occasionally the last 10 years of so, but they are still as good as new. IOW they are well made and will hold up if you take care of them. I'll put the link to their catalog below for you.

Elizabeth,
Brugmansia is another Solanaceae, so it is very closely related to the Datura I mentioned above. I have no personal experience with it but I do with Datura and some of the species that use it. I would certainly like the reference to where you read Brugmansia was a larval food plant for A. luna though if you have it. No Saturniid species world wide uses Datura or Brugmansia as a LFP that I am aware of. A very few use Solanum and one Lycium, but that's it for Solanaceae used by Saturniidae. So I have a hard time believing it.

Larry

Here is a link that might be useful: Buy 12VDC Blacklight here.

Larry;
Yeah, I couldn't find it reported on HOSTS so I was doubtful. HOSTS doesn't have everything but it seemed kinda off course. It was reported by those in the brug garden area. I suspect it was a tobacco hornworm that they thought was a luna moth. Also growers report them "bringing lunas in". Again, they may be confusing sphinx moths with lunas.

Here are some pictures of "other" moth damage on brugmansia from the Missiouri botanical garden:
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/PlantFinder/IPM.asp?code=226&group=25&level=c

Thanks for your help,
Elisabeth

Elisabeth,
So it is just a rumor passed on and not fact. Thanks for clearing that up. Now that I'll believe. ;)
HOSTS is fine as one source, but as you said it's not complete or without error. Common problem with many of the sources unfortunately, especially the older ones. Why I use several sources and all my books along with personal experiences to be as accurate as possible and not confuse folks who don't know any different.
Larry

Susan,
Do you have a problem with flies on your rotting fruit?
Linda

Hi Ladobe,
Hate to bother you again. The 2805 model has a cigarette lighter attachment. I have a battery and just want to put the battery in the back yard and attach the light directly to the battery with clips. I sent Bioquip an e-mail regarding this product but received no response. Thanks

zebra lover,
Scroll down a half dozen items from the blacklights in their catalog and you'll find a DC Pigtail Adapter (#2815A) to hook this light direct to the batteries terminals. Red on positive, black on negative. Or, just pick one up at your local auto parts store. Adapter has clips on one end, what looks like a cigarette lighter recepticle on the other.

Thanks for all your help ladobe. I ordered the light and the pigtail adapter and am very excited. It feels like opening up a whole new world. Now I have a camera tripod to hang the light from. The white sheet is supposed to be a light reflector rather than absorber. Is the percale the type to get or some othe kind for optimum results? Thanks

Percale has a tight weave and polished finish. I think it would be most reflective.