Kits are on their way! – Insect Investigators

Insect collecting kits have begun arriving at schools all across Australia, and we couldn’t be more excited! They’re being delivered to schools all over the country, many in very remote communities!

Our participating schools are spread all across Australia, to help us capture as diverse a spread of habitats as possible!

We’re excited to announce the 50 schools that have been selected to participate in the Malaise trapping component of Insect Investigators!

Our participating schools are spread all across the country, which we hope will allow us to capture more of Australia’s unique insect diversity.

There are still many ways non-participating schools can take part in the project. If you’d like to learn what you can do to discover your local insect biodiversity, access our free resources Here.

Boxing day

Getting these kits together took many hours of work by our incredibly dedicated logistics team. The Invertebrate Systematics and Biodiversity Lab at The University of Adelaide was absolutely buzzing with activity!

We even had some extra helpers come in and join us for the boxing days!

Hugo Delaine put in the hours to make sure every kit was packed, sealed and addressed!

We can’t wait to see schools setting up their Malaise traps and getting into the 2022 insect collecting season!

Getting labels ready, cutting net-poles down to size and finding enough floor-space for 50 boxes meant the invertebrate systematics and biodiversity lab was full of busy bees for weeks before Christmas

What’s in your kit?

First up, you have your malaise trap! This is what you’ll be using to collect insects over the next 6 weeks. The trap passively collects flying insects that bump into it, so beetles, flies, wasps and more.

We’ve put together a handy instructional video that you can follow to learn how to assemble your trap. You can find the video here!

Your Malaise trap should look a little like a tent, but don’t try sleeping in it, it has no walls!

Sweep netting is a great way to collect insects that are sitting on, or flying above flowers, leaves and grass!

Your kit also has extra collection containers for your Malaise trap, labels to make sure we keep track of everything, and even a sweep net!

You can learn all about how to use a sweep net, and other collection techniques here.

We’ve put together a full video explaining what’s in your kit, which you can find here.

Over on our social media, we’re introducing our excellent team of taxonomists and the animals they study. So if you haven’t already, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Our project is supported by our partner Australian Entomological Supplies, we recommend them for all your entomological collecting needs.