Insect surveillance devices featuring yellow pans for aerial capture
Yellow Pan Traps: A Simple Tool for Monitoring New Zealand's Flying Insects
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research has developed a guide called "What is this bug?" to help students identify common invertebrates of New Zealand. One of the activities included in this guide is the "Yellow pan traps - monitoring flying insects," which is now available as a Word file.
This activity encourages students to practice the science capability 'Critique evidence' by constructing simple pan traps and placing them in specific areas of vegetation/habitats. The traps consist of shallow containers painted bright yellow, often filled with a liquid like soapy water, which traps insects upon contact.
Insects are attracted to the color yellow, making the traps an effective method for monitoring flying insect populations. Students can collect and record data about the types and numbers of insects caught in the traps, using an identification sheet to name some common insects.
The activity has been produced as part of the Participatory Science Platform (PSP) programme, a government initiative to encourage and support scientific inquiry and innovation in New Zealand. The Buzz In the Garden PSP project, funded through the South Auckland pilot of the PSP, has made this resource available.
The New Zealand Entomological Society's website is a valuable resource for students looking to learn more about insects. The identification guide for common insects is available as a PDF file.
In addition to the yellow pan traps, there is also an activity for monitoring crawling insects called Pitfall traps. The South Auckland pilot of the PSP was managed by COMET Auckland, a council-controlled organization and independent charitable trust.
The resource was developed by Morgane Merien, Dr Chrissie Painting, Tom Saunders, and Dr Leilani Walker for the Curious Minds Buzz in the Garden project. For those interested in learning more about surface tension or exploring a wide range of resources on insects and invertebrates, the "We love bugs!" Pinterest board is a great place to start.
- This guide, called "What is this bug?", developed by Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, includes an activity called "Yellow pan traps - monitoring flying insects," which is part of the Participatory Science Platform (PSP) program, focused on science, health-and-wellness, and learning.
- Students engage in the 'Critique evidence' science capability by building and placing yellow pan traps in specific vegetation/habitats, attracting insects to the color yellow and recording the types and numbers of insects caught.
- The New Zealand Entomological Society's website offers a PDF file for identifying common insects, contributing to the students' education-and-self-development and fostering a deeper understanding of home-and-garden life such as gardening.
- The resource was created by Morgane Merien, Dr Chrissis Painting, Tom Saunders, and Dr Leilani Walker, under the Curious Minds Buzz in the Garden project, managed by COMET Auckland, and aligned with the values and goals of fitness-and-exercise and lifestyle.
