Documentation Report 

Foraging for Moths in Shanghai

If anyone knows, finding creepy crawlies or marvelous insects in Shanghai can be quite a challenge. So, I hit the internet for any information I can find regarding moths. 



Background research

Main Research Goal: By increasing my knowledge about moths, hopefully I can increase my chances in finding a moth. Firstly, I had to familiarize myself with their behavior. 

I found out that Moths are generally more active at night, through research I uncovered a few factors that explain why and other things.

1. Predator Avoidance 

-  Diurnal bird species, insects, and predators that rely on vision to hunt are all avoided during the night. 

1. Thermoregulation 

-  Interestingly, moths require a certain body temperature to be able to fly and engage in various activities such as foraging for food or seeking a mate. 

1. Feeding Opportunities 

- Moths are primarily herbivorous or nectar-feeding insects. Many of the plants they rely on for food, such as flowers, release their scents and nectar during the evening and night. Other species including Tineola bisselliella feed on the protein in clothes. 

1. Visual Capabilities

Fun Fact: Moths use celestial navigation.

Moths have evolved to navigate themselves at night. Additionally, their compound eyes(which are sensitive to high levels of light) are more suitable for dim and low light conditions. Additionally. 
Moths are attracted to light due to a phenomenon known as positive phototaxis. 

Artificial lights can confuse their navigation systems, causing them to become disoriented and fly in erratic patterns.

This means that they can use celestial cues, such as moonlight and starlight, as a means of orientation and navigation during their nocturnal flights.

Implementation Plan:

Using my background research, I can get a better idea  where I will most likely find moths in Shanghai. In addition, I talked to people such as shopkeepers, gardeners and students to understand their experiences with moths. 


Most bug retailers in Shanghai have closed, so unfortunately I wasn’t able to get them captured. Here was the only one I could find online in Shanghai, but it just closed last year. It was called Wangshan Flower, Bird, Insect Market. 

Located on Xizang Road S., the market was perhaps most famous for “exotic” pets, like Chinese crickets, cicadas and grasshoppers. 


So I had to capture them myself the old fashion way. 

Here are the places I explored and foraged around I thought provided a good source of food, dampness and light level. 

Park:  
Good source for nectar and water, and a place to rest.



Night lights

I explored different light sources at night. I waited and watched closely to see if any moths were being attracted. 

Method of Capturing:

My method of effectively capturing them was to use a cup and paper. The cup would be used to contain the moth, while the paper would be effective in covering the cup in many instances. For example, if the moth was on the wall, I could slide the paper underneath the cup and the flexibility would allow me to get into tight spaces. 

Risks: 

Moths are extremely fast. They can change direction rapidly, which can make it challenging for me to capture them. Not only does this pose the risk of getting a sample, but also I could damage the sample by accidentally smashing them with the cup, thus destroying any detail I might see.

How I found the Moth. 

As we are approaching Winter, the shopkeeper said it was going to be very hard to find a moth due the cold. I had no idea! I decided to go back home because the living conditions were warmer and maybe I could find a house moth. 




Surprisingly, I found the moth right next to my door! Fortunately, it was dead, but I was very grateful to have seen one as I was nearing the deadline for my experiment. 

Achieving the Images

I used a flashlight from a phone, to increase the brightness of my image with the magnification highlighted in the photo. 






Results:


The results look amazing! To me, they appear to look like mini scales overlapping over another. Possibly to build strength when they fly? It looks very structured and I am amazed by the lovely brown color. 

The color is given by the scales. If you were to perhaps touch a moth’s wing, these scales would appear to be dust-like because of their size. 


I actually found out that “moth wings are made of thin layers of chitin and are supported by a system of tubular veins that allows for oxygen exchange. 

If we look closely, If we look closely in the image, we can see mini squiggly black lines running horizontally to the scales. These lines are what I believe to be the veins that are supporting the wings.


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The square brown rectangles make me think of an office building… Where each floor or square is supporting the one above it and below it. Just like the wing, where each square symbolizes scales that make the wing move and functional. 
Reference Section:

https://www.kidsbutterfly.org/faq/appearance/1#:~:text=Butterfly%20and%20moth%20wings%20are,lend%20color%20to%20the%20wings.

https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/invertebrates/like-a-moth-to-the-flame-why-moths-are-attracted-to-light/

Inspiration: https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=transfer_8965