Collecting moths under the Alaska midnight sun

Trapping has been a useful method for sampling or assessing the biodiversity of noctuid moths. This often includes the use of blacklight traps for sampling night-flying moths and several baits and lures. However, sampling noctuids in Alaska can be difficult due to the long days and short nights that might affect noctuid activity and capture. This trial was established to study noctuid activity under the midnight sun in interior Alaska (20:02, light:dark cycle). Universal moth traps (UniTrap®, white bucket, yellow cone, green lid) were set in an agricultural area near the University of Alaska Georgeson Botanical Garden in Fairbanks Alaska. Traps were loaded with 10 ml of chemical attractant. Traps were hung at a height of 1 to 1.5 m and inspected every hour during a 24 hour sampling period. Four hundred and forty moths were captured to include ten species of Noctuidae. Additionally one Nymphalidae and one Geometridae were captured. Seventy percent of the specimens were collected between midnight and 03:00 hours. Forty four percent of the specimens were captured after sun set (02:00 hours). Adult capture after sunrise (05:00 hours) was 3.6%. This information will assist in refining sampling techniques for noctuids of economic importance in Alaska.