Good Water Master Naturalists: The Attraction of Moths

The Round Rock Public Library and the Good Water Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program present The Attraction of Moths from 2 to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 20, Round Rock Public Library, Meeting Room A+B.

People who spend time outdoors have surely noticed butterflies, especially in Texas where there are over 400 species, including Monarchs that migrate in large numbers during spring and fall. But even people with keen natural interests often overlook a related and even more numerous winged insect – the moth. Moths are important to Texas ecosystems as bird and bat food, and as pollinators. And moths show a wide range of interesting shapes and color patterns, which makes them fun to watch. This presentation will serve as an introduction to the variety of Texas moths, including those that might be seen locally in the Greater Austin Texas region. Techniques for attracting and photographing and identifying them will be outlined. Seeing moths can be as easy as turning on a light!

About the presenter

Jack Cochran is a retired analytical chemist with a lifelong love of the natural world. His initial interest was viewing birds, but he expanded to butterflies and dragonflies, and finally plunged into the challenge of observing and trying to identify moths. Jack’s other hobbies include wildlife photography and community science through iNaturalist (jcochran706). He is a Texas Master Naturalist in the Good Water Chapter.