21. European Moth Nights 2024-07-04 - 2024-07-08

Lepidoptera Mundi together with the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology and Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz announce the 21^th European Moth Nights for: 2024-07-04 - 2024-07-08.
We continue the project started in 2004 and initiated by Hungarian and Swiss Entomological Societies.

European Moth Nights is a recurring event that consists of observing and collecting information about moths (Heterocera, Macrolepidoptera) in the same time period throughout Europe. As in earlier years, the event has several purposes:

• Connections and community work deserve prime emphasis. In previous years, this project managed to bring together a large number of European lepidopterists, conservationists, hikers, and many other people with an interest in a few days of wide-scale cooperation. We are convinced that this is not a superfluous activity, as it strengthens unity and mutual understanding, while also offering an insight into the lepidopteran fauna of different countries and local methods of collecting.
• We wish to present a wide-ranging snapshot of the macro-moths flying in a given period of time, with particular attention to species possibly or currently needing protection and those traditionally considered as migratory species.
• The data and the results obtained as well as their evaluation are to be made available to the general public. It is important to emphasize that we publish all the results of the event; we don't just gather data.

Participants are reminded that they have at their disposal 5 nights for the purposes of observation. This is mainly because we don't want bad weather or personal duties to stand in the way of the event. But if you can and feel like it, you can collect records either at the same place over 4 nights, in one or more localities.

The easiest way to participate is adding sightings directly to the recording module. All the information relating to the families valid for EMN that fit into the relevant EMN time period are automatically added to the European Moth Nights module. You don't have to do anything more.
If you don't have an account here, please fill in this form and sign in. If you don't, won't or can't create an account here - you can download an Excel template, fill it in at home and then send it back by post or email to one of the following addresses:
In the different countries or groups of countries we have special representatives – “EMN Ambassadors” – assisting with our work. Their names and email addresses can be found here. It is their accepted duty to coordinate the project in their own territory, to sort and verify the data received, and to forward them to the EMN-HQ. Consequently, all data, questions and suggestions can also be sent to the territorial ambassadors.

All the red marked columns in the Excel template are obligatory. Don't forget to add also your name and email address. Excel template rows 24-25 contains the example data. Please add your own sightings starting from row 31.

Once again, it is necessary to stress two very important conditions regarding the realization of the event:

1. On the one hand, for the accuracy and authenticity of the summary, only data on reliably identified specimens are expected. If you are uncertain regarding your identification of a specimen, ask for help from a professional or don't send the data at all!
2. Another important condition is the full respect of the requirements of nature conservancy; hence, please do not collect specimens of protected species or disturb natural habitats.

Please inform as many people as possible of this project and make the activity of all participants – collectors and observers by lamp alike – accessible to others, including schoolchildren, nature lovers and all those interested. The work of organizing the publicity of this activity is left to the participants themselves.
Let us use the opportunity of this event to once again call public attention to the wonderful world of moths as well as to the fact that under the current conditions of civilization, moths are in many places in need of man's well-considered protection.

The planned date for the next, 22^th edition of European Moth Nights is: 2025-05-29 - 2025-06-02