Dual-headed design for flight direction studies
The ez-Migration trap—a two-headed Malaise trap—is a modular, stand-alone flight-intercept device for passive insect sampling. Operating without bait, it intercepts insects on both sides of a central barrier and directs them into separate bottles for within-deployment comparison of orientation effects. Shock-corded poles and clip-on fittings enable rapid deployment at sites lacking natural supports, supporting seasonal migration and short-range dispersal studies.
Detailed Description
Classical Malaise traps often exhibit directional asymmetry, with collection heads filling unevenly depending on sun position, wind direction, or insect flight paths. By placing a head at each end, the ez-Migration trap keeps catches from opposing directions separate, making orientation effects explicit so they can be quantified and compared within the same deployment.
Assembly mirrors that of the ez-Malaise trap: shock-corded poles connect in minutes, clips attach the fabric body, and stability in open landscapes requires a minimum of two guy ropes (add more in windy conditions).
Each inverted Y-shaped collection head is molded from solid polycarbonate (PC) for durability, UV resistance, and high transparency. Ventilation ports, closed by default, allow optional airflow, and some field reports note increased catch efficiency with enhanced airflow. A removable moth excluder with 1 × 1 cm grid spacing discourages larger insects (e.g., Lepidoptera, Odonata) and helps reduce wing-scale contamination. Seat each head on the supporting pole rather than the fabric body to maintain alignment and prevent seam stress.
Functional Advantages
- Orientation effects made explicit: Opposing-direction catches are kept separate for within-deployment comparison of variation attributable to sun position, wind direction, and flight paths.
- Collection heads (2 units): Durable PC with optional airflow vents (closed by default) and removable 1 × 1 cm moth excluders to limit larger insects and reduce contamination.
- Modular build: Replaceable parts minimize downtime and extend service life, including the collection heads, fabric body, and shock-corded poles.
- Rapid setup: Shock-corded poles and clip-on assembly enable quick deployment without external supports.
- Portable structure: Nearly freestanding; use at least two guy ropes for stability in open landscapes.
Field Notes
- Placement: Position the central barrier across movement corridors (trails, forest edges, riparian strips) and orient roughly perpendicular to expected insect flight paths. Avoid tight vegetation that blocks airflow.
- Collection head support (dual-head): Seat each head on the end supporting pole, not the fabric. Keep both intakes vertical, tie securely, and recheck seating after re-tensioning or when either bottle is full.
- Directional metadata: Label the two heads consistently (e.g., A/B or compass bearings) and record orientation at setup to support directional comparisons.
- Sun and wind: Note sun position and wind direction at deployment and at each servicing.
- Stability: Use at least two guy ropes in open landscapes and add more in windy conditions. Stake lines to maintain roof geometry.
- Servicing: Empty or replace bottles regularly (e.g., weekly), adjusting for catch volume and weather. Re-tension guy ropes after wind or heavy catch to maintain panel shape.
- Preservative & labels: Use ethanol or propylene glycol as appropriate. Label bottles with trap ID, head ID, date/time, preservative, and orientation notes.
- Multiple traps: Space units 50–150 m apart to reduce spatial dependence. Record trap-days and relevant covariates (weather, vegetation, edge distance).
- Relocation: For short-term surveys, reposition to sample across habitat edges or along movement axes, logging coordinates and orientations at each move.
ℹ︎Disclaimer: Field Notes provide practical guidance and examples. Actual procedures should be adapted to site conditions, study objectives, and institutional protocols. Users are responsible for safe deployment and compliance with local regulations.
Pack Contents
- 1 × Fabric Trap Body
- 2 × Shock-corded Poles (L459 cm)
- 2 × Collection Heads (pre-installed)
- 6 × Collection Bottles (2 pre-installed)
- 10 × Guy Ropes
- 10 × Plastic X-Stakes
- 8 × Alloy Pin Stakes
- 1 × Carrying Bag
Prepare extra guy ropes and stakes as needed. Additional replacement parts are listed under the Parts tab.
Recent Literature Related to This Product Line (click to search more) ↗︎
- The Hemiptera (Insecta) of Canada: Constructing a Reference Library of DNA Barcodes. Gwiazdowski et al. (2015). PLoS One, 10(4), e0125635.
- DNA barcoding in diverse educational settings: five case studies. Henter et al. (2016). Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 371(1702), 20150340.
- The School Malaise Trap Program: coupling educational outreach with scientific discovery. Steinke et al. (2017). PLoS Biology, 15(4), e2001829.
- Arthropods in modern resins reveal if amber accurately recorded forest arthropod communities. Solórzano Kraemer et al. (2018). PNAS, 115(26), 6739–6744.
- Expedited assessment of terrestrial arthropod diversity by coupling Malaise traps with DNA barcoding. deWaard et al. (2019). Genome, 62(3), 85–95.
- Using DNA-barcoded Malaise trap samples to measure impact of a geothermal energy project on the biodiversity of a Costa Rican old-growth rain forest. Janzen et al. (2020). Genome, 63(9), 407–436.
- A Review of Terrestrial and Canopy Malaise Traps. Michael et al. (2021). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 114(1), 27–47.
- Peering into the Darkness: DNA Barcoding Reveals Surprisingly High Diversity of Unknown Species of Diptera (Insecta) in Germany. Chimeno et al. (2022). Insects, 13(1), 82.
- Optimizing insect metabarcoding using replicated mock communities. Iwaszkiewicz-Eggebrecht et al. (2023). Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 14(4), 1130–1146.
- Global arthropod beta-diversity is spatially and temporally structured by latitude. Seymour et al. (2024). Communications Biology, 7(1), 552.
