Leaf litter sieve

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A leaf litter sieve is a piece of equipment used by entomologists, in particular by coleopterists (beetle collectors) (Cooter 1991, page 7) as an aid to finding invertebrates in leaf litter.

Leaf litter accumulates on the ground from trees. Microbes and terrestrial invertebrates live in this leaf litter. Microbes break down and decompose the leaf litter. Invertebrates can consume this leaf litter and also take shelter in it, providing insulation during cold periods. [1]

Collection:

The recommended place to collect a leaf litter sample is from where it has been accumulating underneath trees or at the bottom of slopes. A dry sample will allow for easier extraction of the invertebrates from the leaves. [2] For any invertebrates that are missed, they can be extracted with forceps or a suction device, such as a pooter. Once insects are collected, they are usually stored in 70-90% ethanol as a preservative.

Structure:

A typical leaf litter sieve consists of a gauze with holes of approximately 5 to 10 mm in width. The entomologist places handfuls of leaf litter into the sieve, which is placed above a white sheet or tray. The sieve is manually shaken, and insects are separated from the leaf litter and fall out for inspection. Charles Valentine Riley details the use of a simple sieve with a cloth bag. [3] A more complex combination sieve is described by Hongfu. [4]

Alternative methods:

Tullgren funnels and Winkler extractors are alternative methods for insect extraction from leaf litter. Winkler extractors are similar to Tullgren funnels, but they do not require a heat or light source, although they work more effectively with an added heat plate. [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Insect Life Under the Leaves". Department of Entomology. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  2. ↑ "Sifting soil and leaf litter to collect arthropods- Collecting Methods- Mississippi Entomological Museum Home". mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  3. ↑ Charles Valentine Riley, 1892 Directions for collecting and preserving insects Bulletin (United States National Museum) no. 39, pt. F. Washington,Govt. Printing Off. Full text online here
  4. ↑ Hongfu, Zhu, 1949 How to know the immature insects; an illustrated key for identifying the orders and families of many of the immature insects with suggestions for collecting, rearing and studying them, by H. F. Chu. Pictured key nature series Dubuque, Iowa,W. C. Brown Co.Full text online here
  5. ↑ Semenina, Eugenia E.; Anichkin, Alexander E.; Shilenkova, Oksana L.; Ermilov, Sergey G.; Tiunov, Alexei V. (March 2015). "Rapid extraction of invertebrates from tropical forest litter using modified Winkler apparatus" . Journal of Tropical Ecology. 31 (2): 191–194. doi:10.1017/S0266467414000698. ISSN   0266-4674 – via ResearchGate.
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