Moths of Acadia Note Card 5x7"

Photographs of moths taken in Acadia National Park on a 5 x 7” blank note card with envelope and identification sheet.

Wonderful things happen when creative naturalists find each other! Retired physiology professor at University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Stephen Rannels, and his wife Sharon stumbled upon The Naturalist’s Notebook in 2021 and a delightful friendship blossomed over the course of a spontaneous two-hour conversation that flitted from skeletal articulation and dermestid beetles to world travel and moth identification. One of Steve’s passions is studying moths. When he and Sharon travel, he brings along his photography equipment, a couple white sheets, and bright lamps. Steve keeps moth behavior in mind while he and Sharon are on their daily hikes. At night, he revisits locations that seem to have good Lepidoptera potential. He hangs his sheets, shines lights on them, and waits with his camera for moths attracted by the moon-like glow of the bright sheets. The photo documents all the fuzzy antennaed visitors and later stitches the photographs into commemorative collages. Steve shared with us the collage he created from the photographs he took in Acadia National Park and allowed us to turn it into notecards that include a list of all the species he documented. The beautiful image doubles as an identification resource and is unique to The Naturalist’s Notebook. Thanks, Steve!