Procedure and Materials
Procedure:
Creating the Bait for the Traps:
*Measuments are set to scale for one trial
1.Using heat try and 1000 mL flask, pour 300 mL of corn syrup into flask
2. Drop magnetic mixer into flask if provided with one
3. Bring to a boil (6-10 minutes)
4. Once boiling, turn off heating plate and remove flask from heat source
5. Let sit for 60 seconds and allow to thinken
Constructing the Traps:
6. Lable each of the six containers with the site number and quadrent number *Be sure to lable a control container for each site
7. Once you've allowed the mixure to cool, beging pouring appoximatley 50 mL of the boiled corn syrup into each container that will be used as the structure for the trap
8. Using a paint brush, paint the bait solution onto the inside of the container
9. Now, using one of the metal mesh wire squares previously cut, place ontop of the container and fold in corners
10. Tie a rubber band around the container and metal wire to secure all parts and prevent excessive movement.
Setting the Traps in Place:
10. Locate three locations within the two areas that you have suspected of having a high level of
Isopods and Dilopods but also a low level of chilopods.
11.Use a hand trowel or shovel to dig a hole big enough to fit the containers into the ground with the top level with the ground. (See step #13 for instrctions on negative control)
12. Then place the container inside the hole and pat the shoveled soil around container.
12. Once placed in the groud, use labled flags or another method of identifation to help identify the location of the traps.
13. For the negative control in this experiment, make sure you identify a place with little or no shade, and no plants in the same area as the other containers. An ideal area for the control is in an open space with a lot of sun.
14. After 24 hours remove containers from your sites.
Extracting Your Findings:
15. After retrieving containers from the ground, add 150 mL of water to each container and let sit for 2-5 minutes
16. After letting the containers sit, use a stirring rod to mix the water and trap solution for 60 seconds or until all water is mixed with the corn syrup.
17. When all is stirred, set aside labled containers
18. Using your coffee filters, fold in half then again creating a cone-Place filter in funnel.
19. Place the funnel into the beaker, and pour all contents from the yogurt container into funnel.
20. After the container filters through, pour some alchohal or petroleum ether onto some cotton balls, and place them in the funnels filled with bugs to kill any bugs that may still be alive.
21. Using an unused filter, cover the top of the funnel for 1-2 minutes to trap in the alchohal/ ether to ensure death.
22. While bugs are being euththanized, label petri dishes, including site number and quadrant. Also label if it is a control.
23. After the bugs are euthanized, remove the filters from the funnel and unfold them.
24. Place the unfolded filters on a flat surface or on the labled petri dishes
25. Using a magnifying glass or microscope, count and itentify the arthropods that were caught in the filter and keep a tally of the ones you find in your lab note book *Be sure to keep track of the site and quadrent number as well as the name of the arthropods that are found.
If you need help indentifying
insects, here is a link to help you. http://www.insectidentification.org/