Methods and Insect Order Diversity Comparison of v-Fit and Traditional Passive Traps

Insects are facing global decline due to climate change, yet monitoring efforts are undeveloped and lacking. Because insects provide many ecosystem services, it is imperative to monitor their populations and develop efficient methods for conducting insect monitoring and surveys. This study examined the financial cost, insect order diversity captured, and fieldwork required for the recently described V-shaped flight intercept trap (V-FIT) and compared it to the malaise, pan, and pitfall traps. Some research has used the V-FIT, but no specific method comparisons have been conducted. The results demonstrated that the V-FIT is successful in the field, capturing a similar composition of insect orders as the malaise, but requiring more time in the field. The V-FIT is a cost-effective method for capturing a variety of orders, including Collembola, Hymenoptera, Homoptera, and excels at capturing Coleoptera and Orthoptera compared to other traps.