Join Vermont Entomological Society member JoAnne Russo on a journey into the darkness to learn about our local night-time jewels. Russo will give a presentation followed by a flashlight hunt to discover these fluttering jewels of the summer sky.

Moths are much more than the pesky insects attracted to porch lights in the spring, summer and fall. Did you know that Vermont has about 2,500 species of moths? Or that they have ears on their abdomens?

JoAnne Russo is helping to identify the moth species of Vermont and has participated in the Vermont bumblebee and wooly adelgid surveys. The evening will start with a presentation inside The Grafton Trails and Outdoor Center that includes rich representational photographs of caterpillars and moths; there will also be time for an audience Q&A. The group will move outside just after sunset to turn on the UV lights in hopes of attracting lots of moths! 

The group is limited to twenty people due to space limitations. Bring your headlamps, flashlights and cameras.

Tickets are a suggested donation of $7 in advance if purchased by June 10th; $10 at the door.

Meet JoAnne Russo

Starting to notice moths at the porch lights ten years ago, JoAnne built her “yard list” of moth species by photographing and identifying them using online sources and field guides. After taking Lepidoptera courses from Hugh McGuinness and Jason Dombroskie at Eagle Hill in Maine, she became more obsessed. With her own microscope, JoAnne’s been dissecting moths that can’t be identified to species based on photographs. The more she learns about the fascinating lives of moths, the more she needs to discover and share her passion with others. She is a member of the Vermont Entomological Society and lives in Rockingham.