Malaise Traps

The Malaise trap, developed in the 1930s by Swedish entomologist Dr. René Malaise, remains a key passive sampling tool in modern entomology.&nsbp; Its tent-like design—a vertical mesh barrier beneath a sloping roof—intercepts flight paths and guides insects upward into a preservative-filled collection bottle.&nsbp; The method is especially effective for taxa such as Hymenoptera and Diptera.&nsbp; Recent innovations in trap design, including BugDorm’s easy-to-deploy ez-Malaise Trap, retain the core sampling principle while improving portability and reducing setup time at remote field sites.&nsbp; The freestanding SLAM Trap (Sea, Land, and Air Malaise) further extends applications beyond ground level by enabling suspended canopy deployments and use over water.&nsbp; Together, these advances broaden habitat coverage and study designs while maintaining methodological continuity with the classic approach.