Flight interception trap

Abstract: Tropical forests are predicted to harbor most of the insect diversity on earth, but few studies have been conducted to characterize insect communities in tropical forests. One major limitation is the lack of consensus on methods for insect collection. Deciding which insect trap to use is an important consideration for ecologists and entomologists, yet to date few study has presented a quantitative comparison of the results generated by standardized methods in tropical insect communities. Here, we investigate the relative performance of two flight interception traps, the windowpane trap, and the more widely used malaise trap, across a broad gradient of lowland forest types in French Guiana. The windowpane trap consistently collected significantly more Coleoptera and Blattaria than the malaise trap, which proved most effective for Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera. Orthoptera and Lepidoptera were not well represented using either trap, suggesting the need for additional methods such as bait traps and light traps. Our results of contrasting trap performance among insect orders underscore the need for complementary trapping strategies using multiple methods for community surveys in tropical forests.

Abstract: Laurel wilt and Fusarium dieback are vascular diseases caused by fungal symbionts of invasive ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Both diseases threaten avocado trees in Florida. Redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, is the primary vector of the laurel wilt pathogen, Raffaelea lauricola, but in recent years this symbiont has been transferred laterally to at least nine other species of ambrosia beetle, which now comprise a community of secondary vectors. Dieback disease, caused by Fusarium spp. fungi, is spread by shot hole borers in the Euwallacea fornicatus species complex. In this study, we conducted field tests in Florida avocado groves to compare efficacy of four trap designs for detection of Scolytinae. Treatments included an 8-funnel Lindgren trap, black 3-vane flight interception trap, green 3-vane interception trap, white sticky panel trap, and an unbaited sticky panel (control). In two tests targeting E. nr. fornicatus and X. glabratus, traps were baited with a two-component lure (α-copaene and quercivorol). In a test targeting other species, traps were baited with a low-release ethanol lure. For E. nr. fornicatus, sticky panels and black interception traps captured significantly more beetles than Lindgren traps; captures with green traps were intermediate. With ethanol-baited traps, 20 species of bark/ambrosia beetle were detected. Trap efficacy varied by species, but in general, sticky traps captured the highest number of beetles. Results indicate that sticky panel traps are more effective for monitoring ambrosia beetles than Lindgren funnel traps, the current standard, and may provide an economical alternative for pest detection in avocado groves.

Abstract: A study of the diversity, distribution and composition of the arthropod communities inhabiting the canopy of an oak forest at the Macanal reserve (Colombia) is presented. Arthropods were collected on lichen, moss, decomposing trunks and bromeliads using several techniques, including a flight interception trap. 2458 arthropods were collected belonging to 100 tax- onomic families. The most abundant group was Collembola (34.45%), followed by Coleoptera (13.49%), Hymenoptera (12.89%) and Diptera (10.49%). The decomposer guild was the most important trophic group, probably due to the amount of organic mat- ter available in the microhabitats accessed. The low diversity values of two bromeliad species might be linked to lower levels of organic matter accumulation on their phytotelms. The preliminary results of this study provide a basis for further ecological stu-

Abstract: Along the upper Danube, between river kilometer 2,472 and 2,464 (Bavaria, Germany), a managed hardwood forest was reconnected to the river via a newly carved floodplain channel. We report the stepwise alteration of the diversity of terrestrial beetles for six successive years from 2007 to 2012. In a 2-year preliminary period (2007–2008), we recorded the baseline stage before the technical measures were implemented (2009–2010) and the onset of restoration occurred (2011–2012) with a continuous water flow in the new channel and seven flooding events. Each sample plot was equipped with a pitfall trap, an emergence photo-eclector, an arboreal photo-eclector, and a flight interception trap in breast height and in the canopy, respectively. The beetle communities act as an indicator to detect possible disturbance events when a riparian hardwood forest is stepwise transformed to become a new floodplain ecosystem. Within the 6-year study period, we trapped 62,107 individual beetles, representing 85 families, 544 genera, and 1,191 species. Compared to the baseline stage, the abundance and the number of species decreased, including rare and red list species. On functional level, the species decline was particularly pronounced for zoophagous and mycetophagous species. Finally, we suppose that the 2-year period since the launch of the new channel is too short for the establishment of a beetle community adjusted to the terrestrial part of the developing new floodplain forest.