8 MISC. PUB. 601, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



1. A glass vial 1 to 1% inches in diameter and about 4% inches long. 



2. A rubber stopper with two holes in it. 



3. Two pieces of metal or plastic tubing, one about % inch in diameter and 10 

 inches long, the other slightly larger and 4 or 5 inches long. 



4. A piece of rubber tubing about 3 feet long and big enough to slip onto the 

 larger of the metal or plastic tubes. 



5. A small piece of bolting cloth or fine-mesh wire screen. 



The metal tubes should fit snugly in the holes in the rubber stopper. 

 The shorter metal tube should be bent as indicated so that the rubber 

 tubing will not fold shut when in use. The bolting cloth should be 

 fastened over the end of the larger metal tube as shown; this is to 

 keep the insects from being sucked into the mouth. If wire screen 

 is used it may be soldered to the end of the metal tube. It is desirable, 

 but not necessary, to 'have the shorter tube come flush with the end 

 of the cork, as in figure 3, B. If metal or plastic tubing is not avail- 

 able or cannot conveniently be bent to suit, glass tubing may be used 

 but has the disadvantage of breaking easily. The length and size of 

 the tubing, as well as the degree of the bends, may be adapted to the 

 user's convenience. 



When the aspirator is assembled, place the end of the rubber tub- 

 ing in the mouth, aim the longer tube of the aspirator at a small 

 insect, and suck sharply. The air current will pull the insect into 

 the vial. With a little practice it is possible to collect small insects 

 much more quickly and in better condition this way than by almost 

 any other method. 



A convenient attachment for collecting thrips, very small flies, 

 beetles, and other insects normally killed in liquid is illustrated in 

 figure 3, C. By means of a short section of rubber tubing a tapered 

 piece of glass tubing 2 or 3 inches long is attached to the intake tube 

 of the ordinary aspirator. A piece of fine-mesh bolting cloth, inserted 

 in the glass tubing" near the large end, keeps the tiny insects from 

 going on into the aspirator. They can then be blown out into the 

 vial of liquid in which they are to be preserved. This attachment is 

 easily put on and taken off, and having it makes it unnecessary to 

 carry a small aspirator. 



Some collectors prefer the tube-type aspirator, the body of which 

 is illustrated in figure 3, D. Either the tube-type or the vial-type 

 aspirator may be converted to a blow-type collecting bottle by sub- 

 stituting for the shorter tube, to which the rubber tubing is attached, 

 the attachment illustrated in figure 3, E. This piece of equipment 

 makes use of an air current to create a partial vacuum, and with it 

 in use in the assembled aspirator, the same result is obtained by 

 blowing instead of sucking through the rubber tubing. This type of 

 attachment is essential if the aspirator is to be used to collect insects 

 that emit noxious odors. 



BEATING CLOTH, OR UMBRELLA 



Instead of beating vegetation with a net, it is sometimes convenient 

 to have a cloth surface over which shrubby plants can be beaten. For 

 this purpose the beating cloth, or umbrella, is suggested. 



The beating cloth should be about 1 yard square, of durable material, 

 and preferably white. It may be stretched nearly flat by fastening 



