| dc.description.abstract | Field studies of insects often involve insect trapping, and this is also the case when studying flying forest beetle communities. To sample this hyper-diverse taxon in sufficient detail is time consuming and demanding. Therefore, using effective traps is crucial.
In previous research, commonly used trap designs vary in size, shape, and construction material. A couple of recent studies has indicated large differences in trapping performance between trap designs, clearly impacting the sampling results. Comparing studies that use different trap types is therefore difficult. Still, research that compares the effect of different trap designs and materials on insect capture is surprisingly scarce, and the underlying reasons for these differences have been explored to a limited extent.
Given the need to understand the qualities of different designs, and work towards standardized trap designs, this study provides a systematic comparison of commonly used trap types in beetle sampling. My aim was to determine the impact of various trap designs and materials on beetle sampling performance in terms of abundance and species richness. In total, six trap types were compared during this study. Three trap designs: triangular single-pane, rectangular single-pane, and cross-pane, all made in two different commonly used transparent materials: polyethylene and polycarbonate. I deployed a total of 90 traps (15 of each type) during 8 weeks in a mixed deciduous forest in southeastern Norway.
The results show that the triangular trap in polyethylene clearly outperformed all the other trap types, when it comes to both abundance and species richness. In general, the traps made in polyethylene had higher catch rates than traps made with polycarbonate. However, the effect of material depended on the trap design: Triangular and cross-pane traps in polyethylene outperformed those made from polycarbonate, but there was no difference between the two materials for rectangular single-pane traps.
My results show that flight interception traps vary strongly in capture efficiency and demonstrates the need for taking trapping method into account when comparing studies. My findings further highlight the need for optimized and standardized sampling methods for flying forest beetles. | |
