Malaise Traps

The Malaise trap, developed in the 1930s by Swedish entomologist Dr. René Malaise, remains a key passive sampling tool in modern entomology.  Its tent-like design features a sloped roof and a vertical mesh barrier that guides flying insects upward into a collection bottle with preservative.  The design is especially effective for capturing taxa like Hymenoptera and Diptera.  Innovations in trap design—such as BugDorm's SLAM Trap (Sea, Land, and Air Malaise Trap) and the easy-to-deploy ez-Malaise Trap—have expanded its use beyond ground level to forest canopies, water surfaces, and remote field sites.  These advancements maintain high capture efficiency while improving portability and ease of deployment in challenging environments.