Dispatches from Amazonia: 5. To catch a fly (and other insects)

I can quickly see my life slipping into a clichéd stereotype of the field entomologist, cutting through impenetrable forest with a machete, weighed down by nets and traps, in order to attempt to sample the wealth of insect life found in these forests. Below are a few photos illustrating the lengths we go to to catch a fly (and other insects).

Window pane trap, hung in canopy, used to capture insects mid flight

The japanese parasol trap, used for catching insects beaten off bushes

Winkler sampling, sieving leaf litter for small arthropods

The Big Shot catapult, for launching ropes for canopy traps

Transporting bucket traps, which contain lights active at night to cature moths, suspended in the canopy

Light sheet, simple but incredibly effective

And my personal speciality, pitfall traps to collect terrestreal insects