This is a portable LED UV light source perfect for field use. The complete unit weighs less than 100 grams. The light is produced by four 3-watt LEDs that provide a range of wavelengths known to be attractive to insects. The aluminum housing acts as a heat sink, dissipating heat produced by the diodes. Paired with a 5V battery of at least 20,000mAh capacity and a USB port, the LEDs can be powered for over 12 hours.
We reflow solder the Cree diodes in series onto a 20mm copper core printed circuit board ourselves and assemble the internal electronics to provide a constant current at 12V to power our lights. Delivery can take 4-6 weeks depending upon diode selection if you choose a custom option. Our standard diode selection is based upon the scientific literature.
The tobacco hornworm moth (Manduca sexta) eye contains three different kinds of rhodopsin photoreceptors with peak spectral sensitivities in the UV (P357), blue (P450), and green (P520) region of the spectrum (at ~370 to 390nm, ~450 to 470nm, and ~530-550nm respectively). Lepidoptera and coleoptera tend to prefer wavelengths of 360-380 nm (UV), 430-460nm (purple), 480-520nm (blue), and 580-620nm (yellow).
You can custom order a light manufactured to your specifications by referring to the diode selection sheet on this page. We also sell a 50,000mAh power bank that can be recharged by connecting it to a USB port with the supplied adapter cord.
Please note, some of the "more intelligent" power banks, such as ones that can be recharged with a built-in solar cell, detect the LED Light Source as a battery and "sense" that it is fully charged. These types of power banks will not power our LEDs.
LED FIELD LIGHT SOURCE: $75
BATTERY: $20
White RH, H Xu, TA Munch, RR Bennett and EA Grable. 2003. The retina of Manduca sexta: rhodopsin expression, the mosaic of green-, blue- and UV-sensitive photoreceptors, and regional specialization. J Exp Biol. 206(Pt 19):3337-3348.
Li C-X, ML Smith, A Fulcher, PE Kaufman, T-Y Zhao and R-D Xue. 2015. Field evaluation of three new mosquito light traps against two standard light traps to collect mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and non-target insects in northeast Florida. Florida Entomol. 98(1):114-117.