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



ness of material should be stitched through in a zigzag fashion and 

 turned down again to form the wide hem by means of which the bag 

 is attached to the wire loop. The details of this double-thickness hem 

 as it hangs on the wire loop are shown in figure 1, E. Because that 

 part of the bag gets the most wear it is usually advisable to make it 

 of the double thickness of material indicated. The zigzag stitching 

 keeps the outer thickness from fraying so badly when it wears through. 

 If desired, a single thickness in the top band of the bag may be later 

 reinforced by some heavy material, or, in the case of a light-weight 

 bag, the entire top band may be made of a stout material and the 

 light-weight bag sewed to this. The final step is to complete the bag 

 by sewing together the two ends of the material and the margins of 

 the cut lobes. The completed bag may be slipped onto the wire loop 

 by squeezing the loop together and sliding the net band on a little 

 at a time. 



The beating net described above is not satisfactory for the capture 

 of moths, butterflies, flies, wasps, and other swift-flying or fragile 

 insects. For collecting these the nets described in the next three para- 

 graphs will be found useful. 



The general-purpose net should have a loop 12 inches in diameter 

 and a bag of unbleached muslin or coarse- or medium-mesh brussels. 

 This net should be tapered more toward the bottom than the beating 

 net but should not come to a point. The handle need not be as stout 

 as that for the beating net. 



The butterfly net is like the general-purpose net, but the bag is of 

 good-quality marquisette or fine netting and the handle is a little 

 longer and of lighter weight. This net is also useful in capturing 

 dragonflies and other large-winged insects. 



The fly net should have a loop 8 inches in diameter and a bag of 

 medium-mesh brussels or fine netting. The handle should be short 

 and light. The wire loop need not be so heavy as that for the beating 

 net. This net is also good for collecting bees and wasps. 



The aquatic net, for collecting insects that live in or on water or 

 on aquatic plants, should not have a circular loop but should be either 

 square, with the handle attached to one corner, or about semicircular, 

 with the side opposite the handle straight. The bag should be shallow 

 (about as deep as the length of the straight side in the semicircular 

 net) and should be made of heavy scrim with a canvas band for the 

 wire loop. 



The bag for any of the nets described above may be made of silk 

 bolting cloth, which is very durable and comes with meshes of various 

 sizes. However, bolting cloth is expensive and difficult to obtain and 

 is not recommended for the general collector. The bag for any net, 

 excepting the water net, should be long enough so that the tip mav be 

 flipped over the rim of the wire loop to form a pocket from which 

 the netted insects will not escape. 



Care and Use 



Nets should be kept dry. A wet net damages the specimens and 

 dampness causes the fabric to rot quickly. Aquatic nets should be 

 thoroughly dried after use. 



