I was wondering if anybody has advice on cheap and easy alternative Hi I was wondering if anybody has advice on cheap and easy alternatives to sticky traps for collecting flying insects in the field. I am mostly interested in catching small Dipterans (e.g. Chironomids and Ceratopogonids), and I was wondering if anybody has suggestions on how to collect these insects with a method that allows for high replication and minimal difficulty in removing the insects. Although sticky traps are cheap and easy to transport in the field, sample processing is time consuming and I often loose insect parts (e.g. wings, antenna, legs) that allow identification of the different individuals. Also, I am using mineral spirits to separate the insects from the traps which is far from enjoyable to work with.
I have been playing with the idea of using the material in reusable lint rollers (something like this: https://schticky.com/) to build sticky traps (instead of acetate sheets and tangle foot). If I were to buy this material in sheets I could make small traps the size of standard sticky traps. The material is supposed to be sticky when dry, but trapped objects come off easily with water. If this is true, then I should be able to use the "schticky traps" in the field, as long as I am able to protect them from rain. I was wondering if anybody has tried this "schticky method" (or something similar), and if so, if it has been useful. Thanks in advance for your advise and help, I look forward to hearing suggestions and feedback! Ramsa Ramsa Chaves-Ulloa PhD student Biological Sciences Dept. Dartmouth College 78 College St. Hanover, NH 03755
