We use a variety of techniques to collect staphylinoids at localities we visit. Because these beetles occupy a diversity of microhabitats and many groups are relatively rare (i.e., they are not commonly collected), a range of methods is essential if we are to have a good chance of collecting many of the interesting staphylinids in austral and other habitats. The discussion here describes all of our collecting methods and is supplemented by photos of their application in the field and a downloadable document providing illustrations of critical design aspects, materials lists, and specific instructions for building the traps and other collecting related equipment.
Broadly speaking, our techniques can be divided into indirect and direct methods. Indirect collecting involves using a variety of traps to collect large numbers of insects as they traverse through the air or along the ground. These mass-trapping methods are further divided into those that work passively, as in flight intercept traps, or actively, as with traps that use an attractant to lure insects in. Leaf litter and other substrate collection, with or without sifting, and subsequent invertebrate extraction with Berlese funnels is another kind of indirect collecting. Direct collecting involves physically collecting beetles using equipment tailored for different microhabitats. Some indirect methods can also be modified to be direct methods.
Because our target groups occur predominantly in forested habitats, our collecting methods are mostly optimized for use in forests. These methods can also be used in other habitats, but slight modifications in trap design may be necessary. For instance, our flight intercept trap may be vulnerable and inefficient in windy open areas, such as exposed alpine or coastal zones, and may need to be made smaller and with greater reinforcements. When using carrion traps in habitats without logs and stones (used to prevent animal interference), e.g. in grasslands or prairies, it may be necessary to consider alternatives for securing the trap.
INDIRECT COLLECTING METHODS
- Flight Intercept Trap (FIT)
Carrion Trap
Blacklight Trap
Substrate Collection, Sifting, and Berlese/Tullgren Processing
SUMMARY
The use of a standardized, highly effective collecting protocol, developed over years of field experience in many different continents has resulted in the collection of vast numbers of staphylinoids, and in particular the target groups for this project. The protocol is flexible and adaptable, can be modified when different habitats and conditions demand, and is built almost entirely from readily available inexpensive materials. The use of as many of the above methods as possible, for as long as possible, will significantly increase the representativeness of staphylinoids in samples from any habitat. The collecting protocol presented above is also easily adaptable for use in structured, quantitative biodiversity inventories for capturing species diversity across a broad range of invertebrate taxa.
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