How to collect insects?

Hari Sutrisno
Research Center For Biology
The Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

CSIRO Entomology RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Collection methods
catching by hand
Sweeping net
Beating and Brushing
Light trap
Barlese extraction
Sifting filter
Pit fall trap
FIT (Flight Intercept Trap)
Malaise Trap
Canopy fogging

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Catching by hand
The most suitable for
collecting bettels and bugs

Please do not use this

method for Lepidoptera,
Diptera and Hymenoptera

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Aspirator: for very active
semall insect

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 To collect surface active
Jaring serangga
insects from vegetation,
grassland, herbaceous plants.

To collect day flying, very small

species and species not
attracted to light (Butterflies).

A heavy gauge insect net to collect

parasitoid wasps or small beetles.

A light and smooth sweeping net with a

long stick to catch butterflies at the
canopy or when they are flying.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Collecting insect using sweeping net

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Light collecting
Sangat efisien untuk serangga yang tertarik cahaya
A 160 watt or a 250 watt Mercury vapour lamps or
UV fluorescent tubes are the most attractive to insect.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Light traps:
Many units can be run
simultaneously.

Small 8 watt black light tube

traps run from a 12 volt
motorcycle battery.

Tetrachloroethane as a
killing agent.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

D E P A R TE M E N PERTANIAN
 Yellow pan Trap:
Consists of yellow pan placed in
the ground.

Collecting fluids, such as ethanol,

detergent and water or
propylene glycol.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Pit fall trap

Small organisms moving on

the ground will fall into the pit.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Beating
By beating of branches with a stick in order to
dislodge surface active insects.

Specimens will fall on the flat surface of a

beating tray.

The specimens may be hand collected with

forceps or pick up with an aspirator.

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Litter extraction: Barlese (Tullgren)
funnel.

The litter is placed on a fine gridA

low wattage light bulb placed
directly over it.
Arthropods dropping trough the
grid and into the collecting jar
Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Sifting litter: Small beetles
Consists of a heavy cloth cone about 120 cm in
length, 30 cm in diameter at one end and 10 cm at
the other.

The narrow end of the cone is tied shut

with a rope, so that a bag is formed.

Litter or debris placed in the top of the

bag rest on the grid, and we shake the
sifter.

Using a tray for spread out the debris and

using aspirator to catch the small
beetles.
Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

FIT (Flight Intercept Traps)
To catch flying insect that have
tendency to drop when
intercepted flight.

A black plastic roof is provided

above the intercept pane as a
rain excluder.

Can be left in place for many months

Organisms in the trough may be

regularly collected and the level of
liquid in trough maintained.
Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Canopy fogging:
The most recent and the most rewarding of the mass
collecting techniques.
Usually pyrethrin-based insecticide is used.
Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

The insect will drop into funnels
Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Malaise trap

The best to collect active

insects: Hymenoptera,
Diptera and Coleoptera.

A collecting bottle
with 70% ethanol

Can be set up for few days

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

Using Pheromon

Methyl eugenol

Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY

 Gowa, 3-10 February 2013

RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIOLOGY