I seem to remember an earlier post about Emperor moths and lures and them not settling for photos but can't seem to find it now!? That has also been my experience with the lures, although unmated females seem to be more alluring. This afternoon I put out the lure about 6ft off the ground, and the first arrival flew around a bit and then left without landing as per usual . When the second appeared a while later my wife (Cathy ) suggested putting the lure on the ground, since that is where the females usually sit!
Lo and behold the moth proceeded to investigate the trap more avidly and actually entered it allowing some nice photos (after a little bit of refridgerating). (In future this shall be known as Cathy's Technique -all Pats ending US rights Reserved).
Hi Derek,
ReplyDeleteI don't recall having problems photographing the males if they are taken indoors, away from both sunshine and pheromone, because they soon calm down. Photographing them around the lure is another matter, though, as you've found out!
One thing I should perhaps mention is that those traps are not recommended for use when looking for Emperors because they're designed for much smaller moths. Refer to the ALS website here: https://www.angleps.com/pheromones.php