The University of Georgia Costa Rica 2014-2015 Sustainability Report UGA Costa Rica 2014 - 2015 Sustainability Report | Page 43

Discover Life Moth Research

Amy Janvier
At 3:30 a.m. every night, Amy
Janvier surveys the campus moth
boards to measure and photograph
all moths present to better help
understand species in the area.

A major research initiative
of UGACR is to study the
migration patterns of
important indicator species.
As part of the Discover Life moth
research program, started by UGA
Ecology professor John Pickering,
one intern on campus is always
devoted entirely to moth research.
In order to survey the types and
numbers of moths present on
campus, two boards are located
at different sites. Before dusk each
night, recent moth interns Trevor
Czerniawski (2014), Will Booker
(2014–2015) and Amy Janvier
(2015) turned on high powered
lights above the moth boards to
mimic lunar light. Then, at 3:30
in the morning, they returned
to the boards and surveyed the
moths present, measuring and
taking a picture of each individual
moth. Later that day, these moths
were identified and pictures were

uploaded onto the Discover Life
website. Results from UGA Costa
Rica are compared with sites in
Canada, Puerto Rico, and the
United States.
So far on campus, over 3,000
different species of moth have
been identified. On any given
night, up to 300 pictures of moths
can be taken. In carrying out this
study, the campus aims to acheive
a better understanding of the
sheer diversity of moth species in
the area, as well as their migration
patterns. The relationship
between moths and temperature,
lunar cycles, and proximity to
certain habitats are specifically
analyzed. This study will help
reveal important information
regarding the drivers of change in
the relative abundance of moth
species across time and space,
in addition to determining the
impacts of different seasons on

over 3,000 different
species of moths have been
identified So far on campus.
moth populations. Evidence
collected during this long-term
research project has already
indicated a shift in migration
patterns, an interesting
observation to see in such a short
time frame.

2014 – 2015 Sustainability Report

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