Summary.
Heavy rain causes major problems with using pitfall traps to collect ants and other surface-active arthropods. A simple design for a rain-resistant pitfall trap is described. The trap is constructed by grinding a hole in the side of a plastic vial and then covering it with fine-gage wire screen. This hole allows excess water to drain out the side of the trap. A method for quickly setting small-diameter pitfalls into the ground with an auger and a battery-powered drill is also described.
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Received 23 December 2003; revised 23 July 2004; accepted 7 October 2004.
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Porter, S.D. A simple design for a rain-resistant pitfall trap. Insectes Soc. 52, 201–203 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0783-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0783-8