This is a course for anyone who wants to get involved in developing a citizen science research project.
Using off the shelf equipment, and free software, course participants will learn how to go from constructing a research question, to analyzing data, to communicating their findings.
This course follows the scientific method through a series of questions. In addressing these questions participants will develop and run their project.
This course seeks to both increase the scientific literacy skills of its participants, as well as increase their level of civic engagement through science.
Mateirals:
-Circle container
- uv lights
-Sticky tape for insects
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this trap is a circled shapedd container that contains the soapy water and will have a spot in the middle that will have a higher part that will have the uv light on top keeping it away from touching the water. The top part of the contianer where hte water does not reach will have the sticky tape that mosts flying insects get stuck on.
Viana,
Most of those design ideas sound pretty good. I would avoid using tape since we won't then be able to get the insects off intact in order to identify and organize them.
We used a jar and attached a Ultraviolet light in the bottom to attract whatever bug may want to wander in. Then we filled the jar with soapy water so the insect won't be able to escape. On the top of the rim of the jar we would probably sticky tape for insects incase they would want to escape.
Pamela,
Why UV light over any other color?
I would avoid using tape since we won't then be able to get the insects off intact in order to identify and organize them.
1. Some form of cheap pressure vessel/dissolvable material to allow the release of organics- pheromones, scent compunds, co2, etc. Any ideas on how to do that would be awesome
2. Alternating areas of color- black fields, white stripes, rainbow swirls, etc. in order to maintain "neutrality" in attraction potential to different creatures
3. Wide-spectrum leds- see above in regards to "neutrality"
4. Alternating areas of hard edges and soft curves-different species are attracted to different surfaces
5. In response to Cleo's question about letting flying insects through, would having a central tube with a kind of hat-looking device that would attract and then funnel them down through the tube and into the bath? Think similar to an old-timey smokestack, but in reverse
1. Interesting idea, but I would like to find what the cost would be on using something like that. I also don't know of any universal insect pheremone.
2. That seems legitimate. Do you have a link to where you got that information?
3. How wide is wide with regards to LED spectrum?
4. Please elaborate on this comment.
5. That's a good idea. Especially since it will help with pouring the insects in solution into a final container for sorting.
1. water bottle w/ LEDs and soapy water inside. Outside is coverd or painted black. Funnel at the end, possibly a dark vertical patter on the indside.
2. open box w/ sticky sides. Inside walls are all black and bottom panel is colorful or LEDs. maybe outside panels as well.
3. can with soapy water and some sort of bait within and sealed with a screen to let the insect fall through. Can would be buried underground but with screen laying on ground level. There could be an optional funnel to let the flying insects fall through but havent thought the legistics of that yet. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions on how to let flying insects in without letting them out but still allows the ground insects fall through.
1. If the outside is black how will the insects see it?
2. The problem with sticky walls is that we'll be unable to remove insects in order to do identification.
3. Search for 'malaise traps'. Example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaise_trap
