COLLECTING INSECTS
Collecting Equipment
Trapping Equipment
Collecting Techniques
PRESERVING INSECTS
Equipment
Preservation
Becoming a serious collector
click
Job opportunities
click
Acknowledgements
click
References
click
APPENDIX
click
|
Collecting Techniques
Hand collecting, Under bark, Dung, Under rocks, Flowers
Hand collecting
Insects are found in a variety of places where the use of a net is not possible - under logs or stones or loose bark. Here collecting is done by hand.
Under bark
Interesting insects are found under loose bark. An insect net is useful for catching insects that drop from under bark on dead logs or branches.
Dung
Fresh droppings of animals, especially mammals, attract insects. Flies are usually the first to arrive and lie their eggs in the dung. As the droppings dry out and are changed in other ways, other types of insect arrive, some to feed on the dung itself, and others on those species already present. An aspirator can be used to collect the scattering insects while scraping the dung.
Rocks
Turning over stones of almost any size will yield insects. Stones should be replaced to encourage repopulation. Large rocks, especially in damp places, have a fauna all of their own.
Flowers
Many small insects may be found inside flowers. To obtain the small habitual flower inhabitants, the individual flowers should be shaken over a white sheet or cardboard. The insects that fall out can be collected by aspirator. A net is also useful for collecting visitors to flowers.
|