What is a Moth Crawl?

A moth crawl is like a pub crawl, without the alcohol. This is a family-friendly, all-ages, all are welcomed event. No previous moth experience required to participate.

There will be four moth light trapping locations in Hillsborough for you to visit in one night. The host at each location will have one or more moth collecting sheets set up to draw moths. Your hosts will help you identify moths on their collecting sheet(s), answer questions, and provide information about moths and the various other insects you will see.

Mothing is a weather dependent activity. Attendees will be provided updates by email about delayed start times or rescheduling in the event of rain.

Returning for 2025

  •  
  • Commemorative T-shirts available for purchase
  • Join the Hillsborough Moth Crawl project on iNaturalist to be eligible to win prizes in categories Most Observations, Most Moth Species, and Most Non-Moth Species

How to Moth Your Way Across Hillsborough

Start at any of the four locations at 8:30 PM. At any location you can get your Official Hillsborough Moth Crawl Stamp Card. Get it stamped at each location you visit. When you get all four stamps before the event ends at 11:30 PM redeem at any location to receive your commemorative bumper sticker announcing you mothed your way across Hillsborough.

Meet Your Hosts

Backyard Butterflies

Lior Carlson
John Jarvis

Backyard Butterflies is a non-profit organization located in Hillsborough, NC. Their mission is to provide Lepidoptera education, community outreach, and assistance in creating backyard gardens or habitats that support butterfly and moth life cycles. They conduct multiple Moth Night events throughout the year and conduct the NC Moth Project and NC Under-reported County Mothing Project, both state-wide citizen science projects welcoming participants of all ages, abilities, and identities.

Equipment at Location

LepiLED lights
2 Collecting Sheets
Moth Bingo

Mothing 101

What is Mothing?

It’s a fun hobby of drawing moths to a collecting sheet using a light source. Though moths are nocturnal they are drawn to light sources like porch lights, UV lights, mercury vapor lights, and retina searing 400 watt metal halid lights. 

What should I bring to moth night?

Please bring a flashlight or wear a head lamp. Bring with you whatever will make you comfortable such as an outdoor chair, non-alcoholic beverage, snacks. We suggest bringing a camera and field guide. 

What kind of moths will we see?

There are some fairly common moths we expect to see,  but let’s be honest: we’re all hoping that Mothra will appear! Ok, it’s always cool when some of the Big Ones grace us with their presence. 

Why bother to look for moths?

Moths are very important insects! Reasons to love moths: pollinators, indicator species, food for other critters. Yes, there are those moths that eat crops, carpets, wool sweaters, but a world without moths would not be a very pleasant world.

What will you provide?

In addition to our collecting sheets we provide UV protective eyewear, sunscreen, field guide, lighted magnifying glass, and hopefully interesting conversation. 

How is this citizen science?

All observations made on our collecting sheets are submitted as records to either state or national databases that verify identification. You are welcome to submit your sightings to our project on iNaturalist.

iNaturalist Project Contest

The Hillsborough Moth Crawl iNaturalist Contest is meant to encourage participants to photograph and submit their observations as part of the NC Moth Project and to contribute to citizen science. You must have an iNaturalist account to join the project. Creating an account is free. Minors may create an iNaturalist user account with parental permission.

A fancy camera is not required, and a cell phone does a decent job of capturing most moths. However, to photograph micro moths we suggest using a macro lens which are available for cell phones.

2025 Categories

• Most Observations
• Most Moth Species
• Most Non-Moth Species

2025 Prizes

• TBA

Requirements to Win Prizes

Only participants of the Hillsborough Moth Crawl may join the Hillsborough Moth Crawl 2025 project on iNaturalist to be eligible to win prizes. Only one prize can be won by a participant. If someone wins in multiple categories, they will only be getting one prize. The runner-up in each category will then be awarded the prize.

Participants must join the project for their observations to count towards the contest. Submissions must be of photos of insects and spiders taken during the official hours of the Hillsborough Moth Crawl at a designated host location.

Submissions must be uploaded to the official Hillsborough Moth Crawl project on iNaturalist by DATE TBA to be eligible for contest prizes.

Winners will be announced on all relevant media channels of Backyard Butterflies and the NC Moth Project once the winners have been contacted and accepted their prize.

Submissions do not have to be correctly identified to win prizes but should be clear enough for potential identification. Contest winners will be contacted through their iNaturalist account and must respond within 5 calendar days to confirm acceptance of their prize. Winners must provide contact information for delivery of any prize. Prizes will be mailed to the winner and will be provided delivery confirmation or tracking info.

All prizes are subject to change and availability. 

Merch

T-shirts will be available next year for the 2025 Hillsborough Moth Crawl.

Get Tickets

Stay tuned for the 2025 Hillsborough Moth Crawl!

Contact US

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Text

(919) 241-7865
Our preferred method of contact

Text

Our preferred method of contact

Email

hello@backyardbutterflies.org
When a slower response is ok

Email

When a slower response is ok

Phone

(919) 241-7865
Please leave a voice message

Phone

Please leave a voice message

FINAL DAYS TO SHOP
May 25 - 27
12 - 5 PM

Plants are available for in-person shopping only at our location in Hillsborough.