Moffers cf. Birders

[Tony Thomas]

	My local nature list server is inundated with birdwatchers recording every 
robin, finch, duck, etc. that they see; quickly gets boring. They rarely 
mention the type of binocular or scope they use. In contrast, moth 
collectors on this list seem more intent on the theoretical designing of a 
better mousetrap with little or no reporting of moth species collected.
	As in bird watching, and real estate, the 3 most important aspects of moth 
collecting are location, location, location.
	Moffers have progressed little since Southwood's astute observation, 25 
years ago, that the 'explosive speciation' in diversity indices is "perhaps 
only rivalled in ecological methodology by 'new designs' for light traps" 
with the added footnote " the purveyors of 'new' light traps seem 
completely oblivious of the burgeoning literature that testifies to the 
parallelism in human thought!"
	Let's take a leaf from the birders and report more on species distribution 
in time and space and less on MV vs. BL.

Tony T.


 
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