Could this be a picture of you? If so, we’d like your help.

Scenes like the above are becoming increasingly common throughout the county with moth traps currently operating in most areas. In recent years there has been increasing recognition that, apart from moths, these traps attract other insect orders including a considerable number of interesting beetles some of which are rarely found using conventional collecting methods. Last year’s Suffolk Natural History featured a fine picture by Neil Sherman of the spectacular Odontaeus mobilicornis, which visited his trap at Ipswich Golf Course, just the third Suffolk record in well over 150 years. In 2001, Thalycra fervida graced Alan Cornish’s trap in Reydon: only the second Suffolk capture of this rare species, which had not been seen here since 1917 (see Suffolk Natural History 38 (2002): 112).

A couple of years ago, Neil Sherman collected samples for me of the beetles occurring at his MV trap using the simple and not especially onerous method described below. It was developed particularly to avoid the tedious and timeconsuming process of carefully placing individual beetles into separately labelled and dated tubes (although I’m always happy to receive specimens however they are stored).

A small, wide–mouthed, lidded container (e.g. sandwich spread jar) is half-filled with vinegar and labelled with the month when it is going to be used. Throughout that month a selection of the beetles occurring at the trap is dropped into the container, especially the smaller and more obscure looking ones. At the end of the month, the contents of the container are filtered through a kitchen towel to remove the vinegar, a scrap of paper with the month, grid and locality written in pencil is placed with the beetles and the towel gently and carefully folded to enclose its contents.

The towel(s) can be placed in a plastic bag to retain moisture and then either dropped in for me at Ipswich Museum or else sent to me at my home address. When posting it is important to protect the beetles from getting squashed.

N.B. It is advisable not to leave beetles in vinegar for more than two months as they will begin to disintegrate. This can be avoided if an approximately 7- 8% solution of acetic acid is used instead of ordinary vinegar (ca 3% acetic).

If you can help or would like more advice, why not mail me as I would be delighted to hear from you.

My sincere thanks to Tony Prichard for his atmospheric picture.

      David Nash:
County Coleoptera Recorder
3 Church Lane, Brantham CO11 1PU.

Web editor's note:
As freshwater invertebrate recorder it seems to me that moth traps are also likely to attract Caddis Flies and Water Bugs as well. I would be pleased to receive any specimens, treated in the same way as David outlined for beetles.

Adrian Chalkley
37 Brook Hall Road, Boxford CO10 5HS