Marcia Morris

Verona, VA

contributor ~

My fascination with moths was whetted in the year 2006 with a photograph of Biston betularia that I collected as I was photographing butterflies. Interestingly, I made the discovery only weeks after reading the research on adaptation and evolution of the Peppered Moth.

As I poured through the pages of Butterflies and Moths of North America for confirmation of its identification, it became evident to me that while the world of moths is quite vast and diverse, the distribution pages on that site were, at the time, devoid of information. The moth maps lacked records where the distribution maps of butterflies were extensive, often complete.

That was a defining moment for me. I set out to champion the denizens of light and shadow. With camera in tow I record every moth I encounter in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The discovery of each "new to me" moth is a celebration and glorious event in an otherwise mundane journey.

It is through these exploits that I have been introduced to the good folks at Moth Photographers Group and Bugguide, eager and knowledgeable companions in the illumination of otherwise obscure regions of the night.