Tag: light trap

Beware the “Dark Side” of Light Traps

Light traps are useful collecting devices to sample large numbers and species of insects, but they also may mask infestations of some insect-borne illnesses and even expose humans to disease vectors.

Entomology Today December 4, 2017 4 Comments

Building a Better Light Trap: Study Finds Specific Light Waves Attract Anopheline Mosquitoes

By Andrew Porterfield For more than 50 years, the light trap—an incandescent light source attached to an insect collector—has been the standard for sampling potentially disease-carrying mosquitos. The U.S. Centers […]

UV Light Best for Luring Cigarette and Drugstore Beetles

By Edward Ricciuti Their common names—cigarette beetle and drugstore beetle—only hint at the amazingly eclectic and destructive diet of two related insects, which can wreak havoc on products stored in […]

A Cheaper, Lighter Moth Trap May Make Citizen Science Projects More Affordable

By Josh Lancette Researchers from Michigan State University believe they have invented a better — or at least a cheaper — version of the proverbial mouse trap. Except instead of […]