Relative efficiency of Manitoba traps and adhesive panels for the capture of the common cleg, Haematopota pluvialis (Meigen) (Diptera: Tabanidae)

Abstract

A comparative study of four traps was made in Argyll, Scotland, over a period of two months for the collection of Haematopota pluvialis.

An adhesive trap was shown to be three times more efficient than a standard Manitoba trap, or versions of a Manitoba trap in which the target black ball was replaced by an adhesive black ball or a pair of adhesive panels. The reduced efficiency of the Manitoba trap is attributed to the plastic canopy which appears white in colour, particularly when wet.