A comparison of sweep net, yellow pan trap and malaise trap for sampling parasitic Hymenoptera in a backyard habitat in Kerala

Abstract

The trapping efficiency of three main parasitic hymenopteran sampling gadgets, the sweep net (SN), yellow pan traps (YPT) and malaise trap (MT) was assessed in two periods-December 2013 to May 2014 and from December 2014 to May 2015. The collections were made once a month and the traps were standardized as follows-SN-100 sweeps were taken from each site, YPT- 25 traps were set in each site for a period of 24 hours and one MT was employed at each site for a period of 1 week. SN and YPT were found to be suitable for quantitative estimation of parasitoids whereas MT was more suitable for qualitative estimates. Even though each trap seemed to indicate significant collection rate for certain genera, for a  comprehensive collection, a combination of the three traps are recommended. Further comparison of traps in a combination of several types of habitats is advisable for an all-encompassing assessment.