Modular, field-ready Malaise trap for efficient insect sampling
The Townes-style ez-Malaise trap is a modular, stand-alone flight-intercept device for passive insect sampling. Operating without bait, it enables standardized surveys of aerial arthropods and is suited to both short-term relocatable studies and long-term ecological monitoring. Shock-corded poles and clip-on fittings allow rapid deployment at sites lacking natural supports.
Detailed Description
Malaise traps intercept flying insects with a vertical panel; blocked insects move upward toward light and are guided into a collection bottle. As an unbaited method, catch rates depend on trap placement, so ease of setup is essential for standardized designs.
The ez-Malaise trap preserves the proven Townes-style geometry while introducing modularity for field practicality. Components such as the collection head, fabric body, tall-end pole, and short-end pole can be replaced individually, reducing downtime and extending service life.
The 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 studies report increased catch efficiency when airflow is enhanced. A removable moth excluder with 1 × 1 cm grid spacing limits entry of larger insects (e.g., Lepidoptera) and helps reduce wing-scale contamination. Seat the head on the supporting pole rather than the fabric body to ensure proper alignment.
Removable Moth Excluder
Removable Moth Excluder
Collection Head Placement
Collection Head Placement
Functional Advantages
- Townes-style design: Proven intercept geometry directing insects upward into the collection bottle.
- Rapid setup: Shock-corded poles and clip-on assembly enable quick deployment without external supports.
- Modular build: Replaceable parts minimize downtime and extend service life.
- Collection head: Durable polycarbonate with optional airflow vents and removable moth excluder to reduce contamination.
- Versatility: Effective for both long-term monitoring and short-term relocatable surveys.
Field Notes
- Placement: Position along trails, forest edges, or stream corridors with the intercept panel perpendicular to insect flight paths and approach kept clear.
- Collection head: At the tall end, seat the head on the supporting pole, not the fabric. Keep upright, tie securely, and check after re-tensioning or when bottles are full.
- 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, date/time, and preservative used.
- Hot/dry sites: Provide modest shade to reduce preservative evaporation and top up to prevent desiccation.
- Multiple traps: Space 50–150 m apart to reduce spatial dependence. Record trap-days and relevant covariates such as weather, vegetation, and edge distance.
- Orientation & canopy studies: For flight-direction tests use the dual-head ez-Migration trap. For canopy or multi-layer sampling use the SLAM trap, which can be freestanding, suspended, or daisy-chained.
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
- 1 × Shock-corded Pole (L309 cm)
- 1 × Shock-corded Pole (L459 cm)
- 1 × Collection Head (pre-installed)
- 3 × Collection Bottles (1 pre-installed)
Alternative options
Nalgene™ 2105-0016 wide-mouth bottles (Ø53 mm closure size; unavailable from this site) are compatible with the supplied bottles.
- 9 × Guy Ropes
- 9 × Plastic X-Stakes
- 8 × Alloy Pin Stakes
- 1 × Carrying Bag
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.
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