[Leps-l] FW: luminescent moth - "contrails" ??

[Mike Quinn]

Photo of moths at mercury vapor showing "contrails" ???

http://bit.ly/M7KgD0

Mike Quinn, Austin
________________
Texas Entomology
http://texasento.net



On Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 3:08 PM, <BPatter789 at aol.com> wrote:

> **
> Dear Jim,
>
> I do not know if this will post to the list serve.  If it does not, please
> feel free to re-post it there.
>
> In July of 2010 (about the 9th) my wife and I spent a couple of nights at
> Manchester, Tennessee.  I think we stayed at the Sleep Inn at 84 Relco
> Drive.  The rear of that hotel faces a Quality Inn at 2314 Hillsboro Blvd.
> At the edge of the Quality Inn parking lot is a pole rising about 20-30
> feet at the top of which is a 3-sided enclosure holding 1-2 extremely large
> lamps, probably mercury vapor but possibly another type.  The light from
> this structure illuminates the large parking lot and the side of the
> Quality Inn.
>
> We observed many dozens of moths flying back and forth through what I
> presume to have been an electrically charged or ionized atmosphere that
> might have extended 5-10 meters in front of and to the sides of the
> lamp(s).  The flight path of each moth looked like a streak of bright light
> (nearly white or off-white) and, with so many moths being present, gave the
> impression of a burst of fireworks. These "contrails" were, I presume, the
> result of the collision of "charged particles" brought about by moth flight
> roiling the atmosphere.
>
> I don't believe that any moths flew into the lamp enclosure or nearer than
> 2-3 feet of it.  I examined the parking lot near the pole and found no
> evidence of killed moths.  There was no bat activity that we observed.  I
> did not think to take photographs.
>
> Bob Patterson
> 12601 Buckingham Drive
> Bowie, Maryland 20715
> (301) - 262-2459 pm. hours
> Moth Photographers Group Website<http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/Plates.shtml>
> My Personal Moths Website<http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/Files1/Live/BP/BPsite/identified.shtml>
>
>
>
> *-----Original Message-----
> From: leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
> [mailto:leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Shane Adams
> Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2012 1:37 AM
> To: leps-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Subject: [Leps-l] luminescent moth
>
> On june 13 2012 ~ 2Am  about an hour north of Hinton Alberta, I seen what
> appeared to be luminescent moths.
> They would fly into a high watt halogen light then come out glowing like
> hot
> embers. Even when they went behind the light tower they glowed.  About the
> size of a 25 cent coin. This would last about five seconds then it would
> fade, and they would fly back to the light and come out glowing again.
> There
> where moths on the side of the building that where flat white ish with
> triangular wigs but I don't know if these where the same ones that where
> glowing. Is there such a things a luminescent moth? What did I see?
>
>
> *
>
>
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