22 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2018
new arena, and he enjoys the challenge of identifying the
moths," said Ellen. "Everybody in town knows him and
they know he's mothing because our backyard is so lit up
they could see it from the International Space Station. The
teenage lifeguards at the pool bring moths over for him to
identify and some nights neighborhood kids help with the
mothing. They get pretty excited. When you can get kids
interested in nature that's always pretty cool."
We shut down our mothing about 1 a.m. and hit the
sack. When I awoke the next morning, Brogie was already
sitting at the kitchen table examining photos and identifying
unknown moths from the night before. Since there are
no practical written keys for moths, he identifies most
species by comparing his photos to those in field guides.
For difficult specimens, he posts photos on the websites
BugGuide and Moth Photographers Group where experts
from around the country help with identification.
Among the previous night's moths was the pondside
pryalid, a new species for his yard and one not recorded for
the state on BugGuide or Moth Photographers Group. Its
closest known populations are in Minnesota and Oklahoma.
In just three summers of mothing, Brogie has identified
nearly 500 moth species in his backyard. If such diversity
can be found in a typical small town, it raises the question
of how many species reside throughout Nebraska in native
landscapes – our prairies, woodlands and wetlands?
Nebraska's Moth Diversity
About 11,000 moth species are known in North America
north of Mexico, but "we really do not know how many of
During pollination visits, the female yucca moth lays its eggs
in the flowers of yucca plants. The caterpillars develop in the
seed pods, feeding on seeds but leaving enough uneaten that
the plant is still able to reproduce. The yucca moth is the yucca
plant's sole pollinator and, in this extreme case of evolutionary
specialization, the two species are dependent on each other for
survival.
Wildflower-rich prairies, such as this Sandhills prairie in Brown County, provide a variety of nectar sources for moths, as well as
other insects, and are vital to their survival.
PHOTO
BY
GERRY
STEINAUER
PHOTO
BY
CHRIS
HELZER
