GB2052942A - Insect traps - Google Patents

Abstract

An insect trap comprises a funnel member 1 leading to an insect- retaining receiver 3, the funnel member being provided with a skirt 13 extending towards the receiver. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Insect traps This invention relates to insect traps. More particularly the invention relates to a trap which is intended to capture and retain a higher proportion of insects approaching the trap than those known hitherto.

Insect traps may be used in the control and monitoring of insect population and it is frequently desired to attract a target insect into a trap.

The target insect may be attracted towards the trap using caged insects of the same species which it is believed give out an attractant odour, or natural or synthetic pheromones, lures or light may be used to attract the insects.

One form of insect trap which has been found satisfactory for various species, including certain lepidoptera and diptera, consists essentially of a funnel having attached at its lower end an insect-retaining receiver and, mounted above the funnel, a lid carrying a phial or absorbent pad containing an appropriate insect pheromone to attract the particular insect required.

However, it has been found that although large numbers of the appropriate insect are frequently attracted towards the trap a disappointingly low proportion of those attracted finally enter the insect-retaining receiver at the bottom end of the funnel.

It has now been found that if a suitable skirt member is attached to the funnel to provide a more appropriate insect pathway to the mouth of the funnel and thence to its narrow end adjacent the insect receiver, then significantly higher proportions of the insects attracted do, in fact, enter the insect receiver.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an insect trap comprising a funnel member leading to an insect-retaining receiver, in which the funnel member is provided with a skirt extending towards the receiver and a lid mounted above the funnel, the skirt and funnel affording an insect pathway which facilitates the progress of an insect from the skirt to the narrow end of the funnel adjacent the insect receiver.

Conveniently, the trap may be made of a plastics material, in which case the funnel and skirt may well be made from a single plastics moulding. The skirt may be parallel with the central axis of the funnel, or, preferably, the diameter of the skirt increases in the direction of the narrow or exit end of the funnel adjacent the insect receiver.

The insect receiver may be attached to the lower end of the skirt and can either be an interlocking plastics moulding or, if simple destruction of the insect is required, a plastics bag may be attached to the lower end of the skirt.

This invention also provides a funnel lid and skirt component of the type described, adapted to receive, as an insect-retaining receiver, a plastics bag.

The lid is mounted above the wide end of the funnel to keep rain out from the system and, also, afford a suspending point for mounting a pheromone-containing member to attract insects to the trap.

The lid is also thought to enhance the retention of insects and assist in the controlled diffusion of the pheromone.

Conveniently, there may be provided two sources of lure or pheromone: one mounted under the lid at the entrance to the funnel and the second placed within the insect receiver which will encourage insects entering the funnel to continue to move into the receiver.

In general it will be found desirable to put a suitable insecticide into the insect receiver to ensure that trapped insects are killed. If the trap is intended to be used to monitor insect population it will be more convenient to use a rigid container to facilitate examination of the catch. Where the objective of trapping is simply to reduce directly an insect population the insect receiver may be a disposable container such as a plastics bag.

The traps provided by this invention may be suspended from the lid member or an appropriate mounting means may be built into the skirt or receiver side-wall.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood a prior art device and devices according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a schematic sectional view of an insect trap as currently known and Figures 11, 111 and /Vare schematic sectional views of insect traps according to the present invention .

In Fig. I a funnel (1) has mounted at its narrow or exit end (2) an insect-retaining receiver (3).

The receiver (3) is mounted by retaining means shown generally at (4) on the lower end of the funnel (1). A lid (5) is mounted by supports (6) on the lip (7) of the funnel (1), leaving a gap (8) between the lid (5) and the funnel (1 ) through which insects can enter the trap. A mounting hook (9) is suspended inside the lid (5) and carries a pheromone source (10).

In the receiver (3) there is provided an insecticide source (1 1), mounted on the side wall of the receiver (3).

Fig. II illustrates an insect trap according to the present invention in which the parts are numbered in the same sequence as in Fig. I. The significant difference from the trap illustrated in Fig. I is the provision of a skirt (12) mounted on funnel (1).

The skirt extends from the curved zone (7) on the funnel towards the narrow or exit end (2) of the funnel adjacnet the receiver (3) and its diameter increases in the direction fo the narrow end (2) of the funnel (1).

Fig. III illustrates a further form of insect trap according to this invention in which, again, parts common to Figs. I and 11 are similarly numbered. In Fig. III a skirt (13) is moulded integrally with the funnel (1 ) and the receiver (3) is attached by retaining means (14) to the lower end of the skirt (13). At the exit end (2) of the funnel (1) is mounted a further support member (17) carrying a further pheromone source (18).

Fig. IV shows a further form of trap according to this invention and, again, the like parts are similarly numbered. In this form of the invention the funnel (1 ) has mounted on it a skirt (19) provided at its lower end with a rib (20). A plastics bag (15) is mounted on the lower end of the skirt, over the rib (20) and retained thereon by a retaining means (16) which can, for example, be an elastic band.

In use the pheromone source attracts flies to the vicinity of the trap and they either land on the skirt or pass directly into the funnel, thence into the receiver or plastics bag where they can be overcome by insecticide evolved from the insecticide strip or, alternatively, merely trapped for purposes of retention and experiment.

The benefits inherent in the traps according to the present invention can be readily illustrated by the following experiments in which trials of the various forms of trap were conducted on Mediterranean Fruit Fliers (Ceratitis capitata) using Capilure (the Registered Trade Mark of a Mediterranena Fruit Fly lure supplied by Food Industries Limited of Bromborough, England) as the lure and a 2:2 dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (DDVP) insecticide strip.

In each case 40 male flies were released in a wind tunnel down-wind of the trap under test and the wind speed was 0.4 m/sec.

Trap type and Number of fliers Number of flies % trapped/ diameter attracted trapped attracted Fig. I- 4" 26 1() 37% (100 cm) Fig. II 91" 32 22 69% (100 cm) Fig. II7" 30 28 93% ( 1 80 cm) From this experiment it can be seen that significantiy greater numbers of flies are actually trapped when there is provided a pathway from the outside of the skirt to the exit from the funnel adjacent the insect-retaining receiver.

Claims (8)

1. An insect trap comprising a funnel member leading to an insect-retaining receiver, in which the funnel member is provided with a skirt extending towards the receiver and a lid mounted above the funnel, the skirt and funnel affording an insect pathway which facilitates the progress of an insect from the skirt to the narrow end of the funnel adjacent the insect receiver.

2. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 in which the funnel and skirt are jointed by a convex curved zone.

3. An insect trap as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the funnel and skirt are a single plastics moulding.

4. An insect trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the skirt diameter increases in the direction of the narrow end of the funnel.

5. An insect trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the receiver is a plastics container having interlocking means for attachment to the skirt of the trap.

6. An insect trap as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 4 in which the receiver is a plastics bag attached to the skirt of the trap.

7. An insect trap substantially as described herein with reference to any one of the Figs. II, lil or IV.

8. A funnel, lid and skirt component for use in an insect trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.