Knowing where to find a host plant can make all the difference for new and experienced members of the NHSM Lepidopterist Club. With knowledge of local resources you can more easily feed the caterpillars you’re hosting and increase your likelihood of catching a glimpse of butterflies and moths in their natural habitats. Having on hand a resource to guide us to several locations for the same host plant could help us avoid “over foraging” food for these beautiful insects. So let’s pool our collective knowledge and create a resource to serve us, hopefully for years to come.
September’s Lep Club meeting will include a short presentation about this mapping project, and then open up for a collaborative session to identify known locations of host plants in several local parks. With this info, a series of maps will be created by Melanie Lester and Iris Law to be distributed to club members in the early spring of 2024. Please join us for the start of this exciting work.
This meeting will take place in person at NHSM. If you would prefer to attend virtually, email the club coordinator (mfalk@marylandnature.org) for a Zoom link.
If you love butterflies and moths, consider joining the NHSM Lep Club. The Lep Club is made up of novice and expert lepidopterists who meet to exchange knowledge and support concerning habitat, threats, food sources, identification, and life cycle of butterflies and moths. Club meetings encourage a sharing of knowledge for the raising and breeding of moths and butterflies through hands-on lessons and guest speakers. Club members are also involved in outreach in the greater Baltimore community through educational programs and service projects. Most club meetings feature a guest speaker who shares their knowledge on a topic related to moths and butterflies. Meetings also include time to distribute caterpillars and eggs.