A comparison of insect emergence trap designs in Sagehen Creek Basin
Poster Number
11C
Faculty Mentor Name
Ryan Hill
Format
Poster Presentation
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
As global temperatures rise, so do the concerns raised by rapid climate change. Climate change most readily prompts thinking about the impact on terrestrial air temperatures and environments. However, global warming also greatly impacts precipitation patterns and aquatic ecosystems. An example of one such ecosystem is the Sagehen Creek Basin, which is located in California’s Sierra Nevada. The basin houses a collection of groundwater springs that serves as a home to a diverse range of insects. Over the years, the springs have changed in their geochemistry, and researchers in the Hill lab have been comparing insect diversity in recent years to data collected from 1989-1990. To accurately compare data through time, using standardized methods is crucial to ensure that differences in data are due to differences in insect populations rather than differences in sampling methods. To test for differences in trap efficiency between historical and contemporary trap designs, an experiment was performed with three trap types–the original Erman wood frame trap which used a flexible tube and funnel, the Erman frame with a 3D printed dome apparatus, and a contemporary PVC design. All traps had the same 60 cm2 footprint and a similar pyramid shape. However, the shape of the top portion of the trap leading insects into the collection bottle differed between the three designs. We compared designs in paired deployments at three separate spring streams. We found that the total number of insects caught, and number of Trichoptera caught, differed between trap types when controlling for spring stream location. However, the number of insect orders caught did not differ between trap types when controlling for spring stream location. These results indicate that contemporary traps are more efficient, decreasing the likelihood of false absences in re-surveys that would be interpreted as a population decline.
Location
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
Start Date
24-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 2:00 PM
A comparison of insect emergence trap designs in Sagehen Creek Basin
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
As global temperatures rise, so do the concerns raised by rapid climate change. Climate change most readily prompts thinking about the impact on terrestrial air temperatures and environments. However, global warming also greatly impacts precipitation patterns and aquatic ecosystems. An example of one such ecosystem is the Sagehen Creek Basin, which is located in California’s Sierra Nevada. The basin houses a collection of groundwater springs that serves as a home to a diverse range of insects. Over the years, the springs have changed in their geochemistry, and researchers in the Hill lab have been comparing insect diversity in recent years to data collected from 1989-1990. To accurately compare data through time, using standardized methods is crucial to ensure that differences in data are due to differences in insect populations rather than differences in sampling methods. To test for differences in trap efficiency between historical and contemporary trap designs, an experiment was performed with three trap types–the original Erman wood frame trap which used a flexible tube and funnel, the Erman frame with a 3D printed dome apparatus, and a contemporary PVC design. All traps had the same 60 cm2 footprint and a similar pyramid shape. However, the shape of the top portion of the trap leading insects into the collection bottle differed between the three designs. We compared designs in paired deployments at three separate spring streams. We found that the total number of insects caught, and number of Trichoptera caught, differed between trap types when controlling for spring stream location. However, the number of insect orders caught did not differ between trap types when controlling for spring stream location. These results indicate that contemporary traps are more efficient, decreasing the likelihood of false absences in re-surveys that would be interpreted as a population decline.
