UV lights, please advise

[lamprima2]

Hi all,
I collected many palearctic leps with the ordinary "medical UV" lights
in the XX century. I am going to start it over here in Nearctic, and I realized
I have no clue about modern equipment.
The background:
-I will not collect in the field but in my backyard.
-I prefer to have a dim light to prevent arguments with neighbors.
-I prefer to feed the light source from the ordinary 120V AC socket.
-I am located on the hill and interested in attracting the bugs from about
0.2 miles (0,32 km) below.
-I will not use any traps; I will periodically collect the bugs with the net.
-I am interested in Lepidoptera, though other insects may attract my attention.
After reading a discussion on the Forum posted in 2023,
I still have a few technical questions:
- An optimal wavelength? 365 vs. 395 nm, or other wavelengths?
- LED vs. fluorescent?
- The wattage of the light source?
- Is the white screen behind the light source essential?
I appreciate any help you can give me.

[kevinkk]

UV stand.JPG (20.46 KiB) Viewed 350 times

You might find more information about led lights on Actias, I see posts now and then about the issue.
I use the 15 watt bulbs from Bioquip I power with batteries.
The reflective background is something you want for certain, besides reflection, it's a landing surface.
There are some really nice, but expensive light"tents" I have seen for sale, I use a screen cylinder I bought before Bioquip closed,
I'll get a picture of it up here, I love it, it works much better than the sheet I used to use.
The material is white and has an opening along the side, so insects can even find their way inside

[58chevy]

If you want a dim light, fluorescent would be your best bet. MV (mercury vapor) lights are very bright but are the absolute best for attracting insects. I have a light fixture that holds two 40-watt, 48" Quantum 368nm fluorescent bulbs that I bought from PestWest. It works well. However, I just checked the PestWest website and everything has changed. I could not find my Quantum 368 bulbs (I paid $40US each for them). It seems that LED UV light fixtures are all they sell now. I suspect that the LED bulbs will not work as well as the old Quantum bulbs. Sylvania manufactured the Quantum 368 bulbs but it seems they now sell only LED, which in my experience is much less effective than traditional fluorescent bulbs. It's possible you can find Quantum 368 bulbs somewhere (ebay?) but I don't know where. Leroy from Leptraps discussed the Quantum 368 bulbs at length on his websie, which I presume is now defunct. Maybe his dialogue is still there in the old Insectnet forum. It was very informative. A white screen or sheet is essential.

[evra]

I would recommend a bucket trap with either a 15, 25 or 40 watt BL UV light connected to a DC battery, that way you can move it around. You also don't need to tend it all night, you can put it out at dusk and collect it the next morning. Generally the higher the power, the larger the species of moths you will attract.

[kmhcloseups]

Entoquip is making some great lights, I've been very happy with the ones I purchased from them last spring in 2024. They are LED and I have not found them to be inferior to fluorescents. They are harder to break, better weather resistance, and able to be operated with power banks that make them much lighter and much more portable. I have several of the 32w variety.

https://entoquip.com

[biscuit153]

I second the comment above about Entoquip. I got the 10 W mini because I wanted it to be easy to pack in luggage and travel with. Paired with a powerbank and you are good to go. Durable, portable, and compact. I haven't tried the larger 32 W but if I needed to replace an old Bioquip 15 W bulb I would go with Entoquip based on my experience with the 10 W option.

[lamprima2]

Thank you all!