#sheet trap

[grubloved]

a quick guide on how 2 set up a sheet trap! also known as, a good way to just sit in the dark n look at bugs

a sheet trap is essentially a way to attract bugs to u so you can look at them. it's not a kill trap, and you don't have to collect anything you don't want to!

it's a fun way to see what cool bugs come out at night, and useful to find stuff like large beetles who are otherwise very shy.

supplies u need for the trap:

a sheet, obviously. white if you can get it, light colored if you can't.

a rope of some kind

some clothespins/binderclips

a lantern or two

BUG SPRAY, for you. try not to get it on ur hands tho

bug containers/nets

optional supplies:

a camera if you want

chargers for ur phone n stuff

rations to give u power

maybe a friend!

before it gets dark, head out to a spot you think is promising. BEFORE. it is much less fun to set up a trap in the pitch black. ideally, set it up just before the sun starts to set.

do a little research so u know what ur looking for if u have a bug u want to find in mind -- if you don't, set it up wherever! the edges of forests & near water are always fun.

SETTING UP UR TRAP:

find two trees or tree-adjacent objects to tie ur rope to.

put ur lantern on the rope

drape the sheet over it.

use the clips if it's falling off. easy peasy.

tada!

stick around as long as you like. keep an eye on it, you'll get lots of visitors! as the night gets colder, the bugs that are active will change! it's pretty cool.

[grubloved]

phone died halfway through the light trap session tonight, but here's some of the creatures who showed up!

we got a LOT of these guys, june beetles! genus Dyplotaxis, species....uh... they're hard to ID. :/

not pictured: their VERY FUZZY undersides. hairy lil dudes.

two more cute beetles -- the one on the left might look like the same kind as the Dyplotaxis, but look closer! the eyes are bigger, the head is black instead of brown, the pronotum (the plate above the wings) is lighter and has spots, & its body proportions are slightly different. it's actually a Masked Chafer! probably Cyclocephala lurida.

on the right, we have a beetle from a different group! this is probably a ground beetle of some kind, with that thinner profile, more distinct waist and lined elytra (wing coverings). it was REALLY SMALL, too -- see how big the weave of the sheet is in comparison? i think it's probably Stenolophus ochropezus, a species so little that it doesn't have a common name.

then some non-beetle visitors! two moths, probably a Paler Diacme Moth on the left (Diacme elealis) and MAYBE a Curve-lined Looper Moth (Lambdina fervidaria) on the right ? they were cute.