MOTH TRAPS

The new Moonlander Moth Trap 

Compact and portable. Designed and tested by Robert Goodden. The Moonlander has been re-designed with spring-loaded supports and integral legs. It has a convenient new carry bag that accommodates trap, cone, moth shelters, supports with legs, and the new compact Goodden GemLight SUPER. This is not just a bag: it enables you to pack away the trap with the contents all arranged inside, ready for immediate use next time. Yet the bag is only 50mm or 2" deep.

The new Moonlander packs into a small postal container. The Moonlander, with all equipment including the GemLight Super can be sent together by International Letter Post. No other trap and light is compact and light enough to do this. Mail a trap to contacts abroad to use it remotely for you!

Sufficient room for large catches, anywhere in the world. Folds absolutely flat. Carry in hand luggage, on a bike or hike. Neat carrying case: carry several in the field in one hand. Set up in seconds. See your catch as the moths fly in – this trap combines the advantages of both sheet for observation and trap to retain the moths which enter from the base not the top. Other traps lose their catch through the top opening  in the morning – the Moonlander is closed at the top and holds its catch. Ideal for sampling in remote areas on nothing more than tiny torch batteries.

A cone of reticulated foam in the base, and a set of foam moth shelters are included. These are a modern improvement on egg boxes. Given a choice, more moths are found in the foam than in egg boxes. Click photo to enlarge and see the moths' preference! If wet the foam is simply shaken and quickly dries in the air. Foam can be rolled compactly and springs back into shape when required for use.

Dimensions: 38cm diameter, 45cm tall (+ height of legs). The Moonlander with Goodden GemLight Super, Cone and Moth Shelters, all arranged in the carrying bag, for instant use, weighs less than a Kilo, and the bag is only approximately 50mm 4" deep.

Click main photo to see lots more. Hover over a picture and an arrow comes up left or right so you can view all the pictures in rotation. See moths in good numbers attracted to the Moonlander, and working in remote sites. The Moonlander attracts moths even above the snow line. Conventional sceptics sometimes express doubt that moths fly upwards into the trap, and believe that moths only rest on the outside. Indeed the Moonlander is designed to view your catch as it comes in, as if using a white sheet, but they also pile in through the base entrance, as the photographs on this site testify. The Moonlander is an unconventional and innovative trap, designed for convenience and excellent results on field studies. See the advanced new Goodden GemLight Super which has been designed specially to suit the Moonlander - the most compact light that requires no brick for a battery, just 8 AA torch batteries!

Hanging Moonlander There can be advantages in suspending the Moonlander from a branch. With the new Goodden GemLight Super, the whole trap with light and contained batteries, is a fraction of the weight of other traps and batteries. See separate description of the Goodden GemLight SUPER.

The Moonlander can be suspended at different heights, even hoisted up trees, which may sometimes result in attracting different species. A suspended trap is very quick to assemble and pack away. It overcomes difficult or sloping terrain, and resists bad weather. The Moonlander can even be adapted for use by day as a BUTTERFLY TRAP! Just add a suspended bait platform below the base opening and it will catch Charaxes and other Nymphalid butterflies in countries where they occur. When you want the trap to be free standing you can use the new spring-loaded compact supports with integrated legs.

Completely re-designed supports and legs are now available for the Moonlander for use where a free-standing trap is required. The new supports are spring loaded so they automatically adjust height when damp conditions necessitate longer supports. Equally, if warm and dry, the supports may need shortening (by moving a screw to a new position) rather then create excess tension which could damage the netting. Check this before fitting the supports. These supports are a great improvement on the originals. They are very slender and pack away in little space.

Designed for total convenience both in transit and in the field. Multiple traps are easily transported and quickly set up in remote places. Re-charging can be done quickly from a vehicle and you can even re-charge using solar energy.

Any light can be used. The trap is sold with the battery powered Goodden GemLight Super.  It can also be used with any other light.  We no longer offer actinic lights because test results are well below those with the Goodden GemLight Super, and their batteries are heavy. 

Everything about both trap and light is TOTALLY INNOVATIVE and new to Entomology.

Moonlander complete, Carry Bag, Cone and Moth Shelters, Goodden GemLight SUPER and new self-adjusting supports with legs  

Please see notes and advice on selecting suitable sites, and how to use the light

in the GemLight SUPER description in this section.

PATENT PENDING for both the new GOODDEN GemLight SUPER and the MOONLANDER MOTH TRAP.

Robinson Mercury Vapour Mains Electric Trap - complete

Where mains electricity is available, Mercury Vapour light is the most effective of all lights for attracting moths. Large numbers of moths and other insects will come to this powerful light. The Robinson Trap is a robust and well-built piece of equipment, made of rigid plastic and unaffected by rain. The MV bulb must be protected from rain, as it cracks if rain drops reach the bulb. The rain shield is only partial protection, so avoid use in windy and wet conditions.

The trap measures approximately 50cm diameter. It comes with 50m of cable on a handy winder, and choke (essential for Mercury Vapour electrics).

In remote places you need access to a mains supply or a generator. Mercury Vapour will not run from a battery.

The Moonlander Moth Trap with the ultra-lightweight light, shown below, has been designed for use on holiday and foreign trips where there is no mains electricity and field trips where absolute portability is required.

Estimated carriage may need adjustment for International destinations or British distant places and islands.

The Goodden GEMLIGHT SUPER is a leap forward in technology, greatly advanced on its predecessor the Goodden GemLight. The new light is more powerful, and has three different emitters, Blue, Green and Ultraviolet, all the most attractive to insects. The combination is a greater attractant than UV alone. No batteries to charge and replace: simply plug into a powerbank.

The GemLight Super enables serious moth trapping in remote areas without weighty batteries, cables, a generator or mains supply.

• With the recommended powerbank the light will remain on all night. For several nights without charging, simply use a larger powerbank.

• Daylight sensor puts the GemLight Super ON and OFF automatically.​​​​​

• Feather Lightweight - 159g

• Ultra compact. 105 x 60 x 25cm

• ​​​​​​Rugged build. No bulb to break.

• Built-in safety features.

• Ideal for travel.​​​​​​

• Advanced digital recording and settings. Can be used with or without advanced settings.

The GemLight Super uses specially produced LED emitters that are more powerful and effective than any other battery light. These are no ordinary LEDs. The Ultraviolet emitter is the final choice from many which have been evaluated and tested over several years. The GemLight Super is the result of years of research and investment. Tested both in the tropics and temperate regions. This is not a replacement for powerful Mercury Vapour (MV) but in off-peak seasons it has on occasions outperformed MV. 

Because the GemLight Super weighs so little, the Moonlander can be suspended from a branch. This is a useful method when the ground is uneven, is a steep slope, or when bad weather threatens. The GemLight Super can also be used on a sheet and might be adapted to suit other trap designs

For best results don't use where other lights can interfere. Many back gardens are under street lighting: this light is designed for use in remote places. It is important to follow the recommendations for the siting of the Moonlander and GemLight Super, away from moonlight, not in the open, but under the cover of trees or hedgerows. This is where moths fly, more protected from predators than in open fields or spacious lawns. The GemLight Super can be more easily sited for best results in remote areas than a mains light.

SAFE!  No need to worry about cable joints getting wet - no risk of electric shock - no bulbs shattered in the rain – none of the disadvantages of a generator., 

Daylight sensor. Set the trap when it suits you before dusk. You can go off for supper or a meeting, knowing that the light will put itself on at dusk, when the moths first fly. At dawn the light goes off, saving power and allowing the moths to settle. Very convenient and practical.

If there are moths in the area, this light is exceptionally effective and portable. In some places moths are less plentiful than they once were but in Europe and the tropics the results have been astonishing, and better than even powerful actinic lights. Catches of up to 400 moths a night have been made in the tropics. In Britain the GemLight has been known to out-perform MV in non peak months, and has usually attracted larger catches than conventional portable fluorescent lights.  

With the QUICK GUIDE there is a QR code and link to the GemLight Super website where you not only register for Warranty, but you can access the answers to Frequently Asked Questions. For those familiar with computing, settings can be changed. Plug into a computer and follow the optional advanced instructions.

You can change:

• The real-time clock to reflect your time zone
• Intensity of the green LED (use experimentally to see the effect on catches)
• Ambient light level at which the main LEDs turn on
• Warning delay time before the main LEDs turn on

You can also:

• Read the operating log which automatically records times, dates and temperature of the device.
• Measure the ambient light level to assist in setting the ideal turn-on point
• Adjust the keep-alive settings for different powerbanks, to maximise run-time.

The Goodden GemLight Super can be used without these additional facilities if you don't require them: just plug into the power bank and set the trap.

UV and bright lights can damage your eyes. The emitters are bright. The GemLight is microprocessor controlled and has important features for safety and convenience. The unit can be switched on and placed in the trap in daylight. The emitters come on only when it is dark. A flashing indicator light gives warning before darkness is about to switch on. Never look directly into the emitters. The UV emitter may not look very bright, as most of its radiation is outside the visible spectrum, but can still cause damage if viewed directly.  Use of UV safety glasses is good practice.

The light unit is designed to be showerproof.  The power pack should be protected in a plastic bag, and likewise it would be a precaution to protect the GemLight Super.

The Goodden GemLight Super is revolutionary. You will not want to use any other portable light once you have tried it!

This powerbank has been tested with the GemLight Super, and is the least-cost recommended power source.  Not only is the cost of a powerbank  much less than the cost of batteries and a charger, but it is only about the size and weight of a smart phone! The GemLight Super may be used with other powerbanks but this one provides a run-time of about 10 hours, is low cost and rechargeable with standard USB charging ports.  Charge time is around 6 hours, or nearer 4½ hours if fast-charging using USB-C.  Capacity 10,400 mAh/38.48 Wh.  Effective use with this powerbank is guaranteed.

Hanging Moonlander Moth Trap with new Carry Bag, Cone and Moth Shelters (no light or supports)

Supports and integral Legs for Moonlander (without trap or light)

These supports are designed for the New Moonlander shown on this website and are not suitable for the earlier Moonlander models. They are available as an addition to the Hanging Moonlander for occasions when a free standing trap is required.

Field Guide to the MOTHS of Great Britain and Ireland  Paul Waring & Martin Townsend.   Illustrated by Richard Lewington

To identify your catch this book is the first ever to depict every species as you find it in the wild, in completely natural positions, instead of wings spread as in a collection. Absolutely outstanding. More than 1,600 superbly detailed illustrations of over 880 species, showing moths in their natural resting positions.

Photographs of larvae. Comprehensive tests for each species, and general introduction to identifying and studying moths. A superb companion to accompany WWB's Moonlander Moth Traps.   Quite the best moth book available.