In case you’ve been too busy with your summer holidays to mind the calendar, National Moth Week begins this Saturday; which means that it’s time to set up the light sheets, get out the red lens headlamps, and make sure you’ve got a moth identification guide close at hand.

For those who live in the northeastern part of North America (and parts nearby), David Beadle’s and Seabrooke Leckie‘s Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America is the guide to have. For those out west, there is not a field guide presently in print, however Jerry Powell’s and Paul Opler’s enormous Moths of Western North America can provide a wealth of valuable guidance should you have access to a copy.

Then, of course, there are a few online reference sites that should be added to your browser’s favorites. The Moth Photographers Group is an electronic treasure trove of images and information, as is Bug Guide. And if you’d like to share images of what you see during your mothing, Project Noah is a delightfully friendly site frequented by nature enthusiasts from around the world who would love to see pictures of what you’ve been seeing.