Mucking the Stalls: An Interview About Caterpillar Research, Mothing, and iNaturalist

This spring, we caught up with iNat user Laura Gaudette (gaudettelaura on iNat), who was helping Professor Dave Wagner and others research caterpillars in southwestern United States. We discussed her history with iNaturalist, how to start mothing, and the finer points of using a beat sheet.

[@rwild9356]

Before iNaturalist I didn't realize how little we actually know about moths. I do native plant gardening for insects and started using iNaturalist to identify plants and see if native insects are on my native plants... and through that learned that sometimes we don't know which caterpillars go to which moths, or what all of their possible host plants are. And that's kind of important because moths are a giant building block of many ecosystems!

[@billiverschoore2466]

A delight to see someone so into the wonders and mysteries of Nature - no wonder you're smiling from ear to ear! Really enjoyed the images and idents too.
🙏🏽 🌳🕊💚

[@drink__more__water]

"I can't wait to retire so I can become a full time iNat-er"
Life goals right there.

[@RedSquirrelHunter]

You don’t have to retire to do that, why would you follow your passion late in life when you can do it early

[@grahamfloyd3451]

​@@RedSquirrelHunter emphasis on full time:-) Right now while I'm working I'm photographing observations at a faster rate than I'm uploading them, with a photo backlog back to 2019. Retirement plans, enhanced by iNaturalist, are to pursue a PhD Entomology:-)

[@drink__more__water]

Where do you get a beat sheet? Or should I be making my own?

[@jspetsandcrafts9862]

I bet you could make one on your own pretty easily. Some thin pvc pipes would work well along with an old sheet I imagine? I bet theres tutorials/wikkiHows on how to make one too

[@brutebernard1770]

caterpillarscount.unc.edu/pdfs/Building%20A%20Beat%20Sheet.pdf