Blacklighting Madera Canyon

This is part 9 in the Arizona 2019 trip series and finally we kick this video off at night with some footage of blacklighting. We use a combination of fluorescent UV lights and a mercury vapor lamp to produce light in the spectrums that insects are most attracted to. And if you are in the right place at the right time of year, the results will be great. And on this day we had driven up the road past Madera Canyon Lodge and past the campgrounds and to the top parking lot. You are always very likely to see other enthusiasts blacklighting up there in the months of June through August. The proximity of this place to Tucson is actually secondary to the fact that the canyon is in the Santa Rita mountains. This sky island has just the right mix of elevation and latitude for the insects that bring people there from all over the world. It also is a fly way for material coming up from Mexico and the birds and other fauna are very diverse, and unique. Take note of the plants I mention during this video, because where they grow is where you want to set up your lights! One of the best parts of these trips are the time we four guys spend together. We see a lot of bugs, eat a lot of crappy food and have a ton of fun! Jesse Green, John Skierski, Jesse Ray and me, Peter Clausen.
If you have questions about the bugs of Arizona or collecting methods, or just any questions in general, please feel free to ask them below. Hours go into editing these videos and so your support through comments and hitting that like button are greatly appreciated because that is what grows this channel and frees me up to do more of this. And, I love it!