A COMPOSITE INTERCEPTION TRAP FOR SAMPLING ARTHROPODS IN TREE CANOPIES

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Abstract
A new design of interception trap is presented based on a combination of features of window and Malaise traps. The trap has been developed for study of the canopy faunas of rainforest trees, specifically Argyrodendron actinophyllum. Five such traps have been operated in SE Queensland for a year with catches being removed weekly. Coleoptera, Nematocera, Homoptera and Hymenoptera were the most abundant groups in these samples with the families Sciaridae, Cicadellidae, Scolytidae and Chrysomelidae dominating the collections. The trap appears to sample the arboreal fauna selectively and was used to identify the peak of arthropod abundance during the year.