In 2016 at Mothapalooza, an Ohio moth-lighting event, a teacher dropped a bombshell on a group of naturalists: many caterpillars fluoresce under UV light. I was skeptical—sure, scorpions glow, but caterpillars? That night proved it true. With a simple sweep of a UV flashlight, elm sphinx, luna caterpillars, and glowing button slugs lit up like magic.

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Back at The Caterpillar Lab, we immediately grabbed UV flashlights, explored, and shared our discoveries online. The response was instant and electric—naturalists, researchers, and even well-known caterpillar experts were stunned. How had we all missed this?

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Since then, black-lighting has become a beloved pastime and an important survey tool. Our lab now keeps UV flashlights everywhere—on tables, in backpacks, even rolling around the back seat of the car. Ecologists, conservation biologists, evolutionary scientists, and curious families alike have all been drawn into the glow.

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UV lights have made caterpillar-finding more accessible, more exciting, and full of those “wow” moments that spark deeper curiosity. That’s why we’ve worked to offer our favorite, field-tested UV flashlights in our shop—simple tools that unlock a whole hidden world.

 

It’s been a joy to be part of this story, from that surprising night in Ohio to sharing the magic with thousands. And somewhere out there, the unnamed teacher who said it first is probably smiling.