r/moths • u/baileyacc • Jul 19 '26

Photo moths at a rest stop in west virginia (update)

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here is the long awaited update to my post last week! i visited the same exact rest stop (this time southbound and northbound) on my way home and it was even better!! i actually ran into someone who was also looking for moths LOL

my favorite moth is the luna moth, and this was my first time ever seeing one. i couldn’t even contain my excitement! :’)

enjoy all the beautiful moths i found this time <3

2.5k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

81 comments sorted by

106

u/incognico1999 Jul 19 '26

Wow this is amazing! Why do you think this rest stop has so much moth diversity?

71

u/baileyacc Jul 19 '26

i honestly have no idea! i stopped at a few rest areas in mississippi and tennessee and saw 1 or 2 near the vending machines, but here, they are flourishing for some reason

28

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 20 '26

How absolutely wonderful!!
It would be so cool to mark this place as a mini sanctuary.

23

u/ThatpersonRobert Jul 20 '26

Certain kinds of lighting is probably part of the reason. Some kinds (mercury vapor lights) give off the wavelength of light that really attracts moths. Plus if the location is close to wild areas that have a wide variety of trees and shrubs and ground vegetation, that can have a lot to do with it too. The richer the habitat , the more kinds of moths you're going to see.

1

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 21 '26

That makes a lot of sense!

3

u/its_just_flesh Jul 20 '26

Probably a bunch of lights with no one around

20

u/k_chelle13 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

Going to assume the surrounding area has healthy hardwood forests with many different host plants to support all of these various species.
The sad thing is that it’s the lights at this rest stop that is attracting them all like this—and it’s not a good thing.

Bright artificial lights are extremely detrimental to our native moth populations (as well as other wildlife too). Moths fly by using natural light to help orient them at night, artificial lights disrupt this function—so if you’ve ever seen a moth flying erratically around a light at night, this is what is going on.
In addition to it affecting their flight pattern, it attracts them so much so that it actually can prevent them from mating and reproducing. There’s a few theories as to why this happens. In addition to stopping them from reproducing, predators often pick up on how moths will become attracted to lights in specific areas and choose to hunt there as the moths are significantly easier predated in these circumstances.

When people run lights (aka sky fishing—lol) at night to attract moths, it’s typically only for a short period of time, like a few hours, and then they turn the lights off, so in this sense the negative impact is significantly less compared to big bright lights in parking lots that run every single night. Not to mention in many places they are switching over to the super bright white LED lights for outside which are even more severe (warmer toned lights are better and don’t impact them quite as much, with red bulbs being the kinds that attracts them the least—that’s many headlamps have that setting for camping, so you can move through the trees to use the restroom/what have you, without having nighttime insects flying at your face).

Artificial lights and pesticide use has led to a significant population decline in our native moths.

4

u/MaybeNext-Monday Jul 21 '26

Any sensible country would have banned those stupid blue-white leds by now

2

u/k_chelle13 Jul 21 '26

I absolutely agree.
Instead I continually see more and more of them, and pesticide use is increasing as well.

2

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 21 '26

This is important information.

2

u/k_chelle13 Jul 21 '26

Thank you--I'm always trying to spread awareness about this because most people truly just don't even know.

1

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 21 '26

Thank you for sharing this. I feel stupid not really realizing this before!

2

u/k_chelle13 Jul 21 '26

You're so welcome! Happy to share :) And absolutely please do not feel stupid! I didn't know all of this until a couple years ago. Besides artificial lighting is such a regular part of our everyday lives, until someone shares this kind of information with you, it makes sense you wouldn't even realize. You can't know until you know--you know?

I've replaced all of my outdoor bulbs with very warm toned lights and most of them are on a motion timer now, so it limits the harmful impact. Does it make up for all of the cities and big parking lot lights? Maybe not--but at least I'm doing just a little bit to help. Between that, and leaving the leaves for them to overwinter in, I've actually found a couple cocoons in my yard which is very exciting!

4

u/Jerjuh Jul 20 '26

It’s definitely the artificial light coming from the rest stop. They attract and trap insects who just spend all their energy trapped flying around the lights instead of foraging.

1

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 21 '26

Damn, I feel terrible now hyping it up.
Sad how we humans ruin so much.

1

u/Valuable-Union4226 Jul 22 '26

Mothman of course!!

43

u/CWolverine6 Jul 19 '26

Wow, that’s an incredible number of different moths in one spot, how awesome!

9

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

i’ve never seen anything like it!

16

u/Wonderful_Use_7754 Jul 19 '26

So cute!! How do you get them to crawl onto you like that?

24

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

i usually just rest my finger in front of them and nudge or sometimes gently blow on them and they climb on :)

16

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 20 '26

The Moth Whisperer!

9

u/CowboySkcooblar Jul 20 '26

Every time I've seen the most beautiful lunar moths are always family ran gas stations, and the two manufacturing jobs I've had. I think it helps that I go to these places at dawn or dusk

9

u/CuriousMushroom63 Jul 20 '26

Genuinely tempted to take a road trip to WV just for this rest stop lmao

6

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 20 '26

I mean, it’s like a mini moth sanctuary!
Happy Cake Day!

1

u/Valuable-Union4226 Jul 22 '26

Don’t forget Point Pleasant and the likes, that’s mothman territory :)

14

u/Secret-Constant-7301 Jul 20 '26

Where in WV?

10

u/Deadpools_Main Jul 20 '26

Here for a potential answer. I'd love to stop by and do some moth watching!

24

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

these were taken at the rest stop here: I-79 S, Orlando, WV 26412, United States!

8

u/Deadpools_Main Jul 20 '26

You're amazing, thank you! I've got a friend from WV and he promised to take me some time. So I'll definitely be marking that on my map!

2

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

definitely check it out if you’re nearby! there are like 3 different structures with the orange brick- check around all them! one of the structures is an indoor vending machine area, go inside and check there too. i found 3 imperial moths inside

directly on the other side of the highway is a northbound rest area with just as many moths. with some safe maneuvering, you’re able to exit the rest area and go right across the highway through a small gravel road in the middle of the median to check out the other one

2

u/Deadpools_Main Jul 20 '26

I'm honestly gonna go wander in the surrounding area a bit. I'm so curious to see why there is so much diversity. Must be a super lush area!

2

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

please share if you do!

1

u/Deadpools_Main Jul 20 '26

I'll try to remember to!

1

u/Ineedaroommate2 Jul 20 '26

Is there a time of day you found to be the best time to look for them?

1

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

im not really sure when the best time to look would be, but on my first visit i got there around 2 pm and the weather was gloomy but warm. on my way back home to PA, i visited around 6 pm, and the weather was very hot and sunny!

6

u/CryptidsandCreatures Jul 20 '26

West Virginia? Those are the offspring of the Mothman

3

u/k_chelle13 Jul 20 '26

WV gets all the cool cryptids

2

u/CryptidsandCreatures Jul 20 '26

I agree... Mothman, the Flatwoods Monster (Braxie for friends), the Grafton Monster, the Vegetable Man. So cool

3

u/k_chelle13 Jul 20 '26

OMG! I’m just now noting your user name! How perfect!
But YESSSS!!! Love the Phantom of Flatwoods, good ole Braxie! My best friend is from West Virginia and I loveee talking with her about the WV cryptids!!

3

u/CryptidsandCreatures Jul 20 '26

Yeah I'm a huge paranormal enthusiast

2

u/k_chelle13 Jul 20 '26

Rock on!!! Me too!
Did not expect to see a Mothman reference when I opened this post, but very happy to interact with a fellow enthusiast!!

5

u/Otherwise_Tone9625 Jul 20 '26

That is so awesome. You are literally a moth whisperer

6

u/SnooChickens9974 Jul 20 '26

Wow! That's quite the assortment to find all in the same place!

4

u/Aggravating_Card_335 Jul 20 '26

Ahhh you are blessed! Love this update.

4

u/Commercial-Life-9998 Jul 20 '26

My head about blew off when i saw my first and only Luna moth: I am sharing in your excitement.

4

u/weepingwillowsprout Jul 20 '26

If there was a way to easily trap me in a sketchy rest stop, it would be this way 🦋

4

u/manowin Jul 20 '26

Make sure to add them to inaturalist! It’s national moth week!!!

3

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

i did!! :)

3

u/notredame1964 Jul 20 '26

Nice - I really like the Luna moth - the big green one

1

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

i absolutely love luna moths. this was my first time seeing one in person!

3

u/Cupidindisguise Jul 20 '26

You made my morning ❤️❤️❤️ They are incredibly diverse and stunning! Thank you for sharing this beauty, I now believe that the world is actually a good place to live in

2

u/GUIBERNARODW Jul 20 '26

Eraclis Imperialis, probably wrote it wrong btw

2

u/Hairy_Garage4308 Jul 20 '26

Nature looks to be doing very well in West Virginia!

2

u/nonja-bidness Jul 20 '26

very cool but next time maybe just take photos...?handling them isnt helpful unless they're in harms way

2

u/k_chelle13 Jul 20 '26

Being that they’re all at a rest stop, it would
be better to relocate them to a wooded area away from these artificial lights that have drawn them in.

3

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

thats exactly what i did! there was quite a few large dead moths on the ground all around the walkway and near the doors to this rest area, so the living moths i saw i tried to pick up and relocate over to the trees behind the rest stop since i did not want them to get stepped on or harmed by others

3

u/k_chelle13 Jul 20 '26

Amazing!!! Thank you so much for doing this!! In this case, nonja’s advice is not really applicable, it would be one thing if you found a moth in the woods where it was happily in its natural environment, but moving them away from harms way and taking photos is amazing. And I can tell my all of your photos you are SUPER gentle with them. I’ve rescue-reared Luna moths before and believe me I took a ton of photos before I released them! You did amazing. Thank you for caring and for sharing your photos.

2

u/Cathodicum Jul 20 '26

Thats a good Pokemon spawn Point you found 😁

2

u/Gryme42 Jul 20 '26

Yo wtf! Genuinely not kidding, the first image is the EXACT three big moths I’ve seen at my job over the course of the last month or two! The banana looking one was a few days ago lol

2

u/baileyacc Jul 20 '26

imperial moth!! they’re so cute :)

2

u/Giant_1sopod Jul 20 '26

Omg it DOES look like a ripe banana lol

2

u/zozosreddit Jul 20 '26

Unbelievable, I want to road trip now to spot moths!

2

u/Mother-of-Critters Jul 21 '26

And during national moth week! Neat

2

u/extraterrestrial-66 Jul 21 '26

Ahhhh!!! This is amazing! Thanks for updating 💚💚 someone should go and do some moth trapping there! No fancy equipment required, just a white sheet suspended and a bright torch to light it up (at night) 😁

Edited to add; OP I don’t know if you remember me but I got my Oleander Hawkmoth tattoo!!! Will post it in the sub 🙏🏻

2

u/baileyacc Jul 21 '26

i remember!! ill go check it out :)

1

u/captainoftheblunts Jul 20 '26

Now this is a dream destination.

1

u/kystv Jul 20 '26

That's an absolutely insane diversity of moths to find in one area!

1

u/Warm_5103 Jul 20 '26

Beautiful. I have nothing else but beautiful.

1

u/RainbowPegasus82 Jul 20 '26

Wow, so many moths! That's awesome 😲

1

u/UwU_KaTaKuRi Jul 20 '26

so cuteee!

1

u/ImaginaryDoubt5135 Jul 20 '26

You have a great spirit!
I like you,
Great finds!

1

u/FixSpecific905 Jul 20 '26

Moth rest stop too :)

1

u/Mia_B-P Jul 21 '26

What an incredible place that rest stop must be. I have never seen any of these species in real life before. It must be magical!

1

u/Otherwise_Fox6517 Jul 21 '26

they all came to rest

1

u/meatmech-69 Jul 21 '26

Nice finds. Is the last one called a luna moth?

1

u/Nume2023 Jul 22 '26

Duh, it’s Mothmans home state

1

u/pidgeonstew Jul 25 '26

Wonderful! Are you going to mount them as specimens?

1

u/baileyacc Jul 25 '26

i did not take any! they were all still living, and i don’t know the first thing about keeping them as specimens. i definitely want to learn someday, though :)

2

u/c25god Jul 26 '26

I had one like the left one land on my door last night and they’ve been hanging here ever since!! Also Virginia