Mapping of Moths

At the core of MUST’s entomological (insect) collection is an important historical moth collection, much of which was collected in the district of Jæren from 1950 to 1970. Moths have a great ability to colonise new areas. Furthermore, many species are quite selective in their choice of host plants. This makes them well suited to shedding light on how fauna have changed, for instance as a result of changes in habitat and climate. In the last 10 years we’ve seen the publication of many good books on the identification of butterflies and moths, both large species and so-called micro-moths. With approximately 2,400 species identified in Norway alone, there’s a lot to learn about!

Since 2007, MUST has been registering moths at Revtangen Ornithological Station. These are most easily caught using light traps. On a good night, it’s possible to capture over 100 different species in light traps, and the number of individuals can exceed 2,000. The number from each species is registered and then 98% are released. A few are kept for the scientific collection, as documentation, for exhibitions, or as research material preserved for the future.