I am about to download data from this project to feed into the Mass Moths database and distribution maps. There are currently over 600 observations which have private or obscured coordinates. Unfortunately, obscured coordinates are too inaccurate to be used in the distribution maps, which are based on a 5x5mile grid. Therefore these observations will not appear on the distribution maps.

All iNat Mass Moths Project members have the option to allow the project managers to see the unobscured coordinates (an accuracy of +/- 2-3 miles from the actual locality is perfectly acceptable for the distribution maps). To enable this function, go to the project page and click on 'Your Membership'. Under 'Do you want to make your private/obscured observation coordinates visible to the project curators?', you can click 'Yes, no matter who adds the observation to the project'.

Please also ensure that your observation licences allow the use of your data in the main Mass Moths project. 'All rights reserved' will disallow their use. The licence type can be changed in your iNat profile - preferably choose any which is labelled 'GBIF'. Note, you can have a different licence category for your observation data and your photos. The Mass Moths project only uses the data, not the photo.

Thank you all for your contributions to the Mass Moths Project

Steven Whitebread

Having just completed an update of the Mass Moths Data, I see that we have at least one moth record from every town in Massachusetts, except Millville, Worcester Co. and Middlefield, Hampshire Co. Would anyone be able to post some records from these towns this year?

We now have >194,000 records and 2890 species. More records will be added soon.

Steven

This observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/72295317 represents a new Massachusetts State record. The next time you are in a white pine forest please keep a lookout for lumps of exuding pitch - they might be caused by this species.