Insects are typically the most diverse and abundant taxa in many ecosystems. For example, at Coal Oil Point Reserve, where I work, they account for over half of the 1,000 plant and animal species identified.
​
Unfortunately, insects are also the least known taxa, likely because they are so difficult to identify. Showy taxa such as butterflies, large beetles, dragonflies and damselflies tend to receive more attention in field guides, but the less conspicuous taxa such as tiny wasps, flies, moths, and beetles are the most diverse and least known. Identifying insects to species often requires a good microscope and an expert.
​
How many species of insects are at Paradise Reserve?
​
We have no idea, but we are trying to find out.
​
We are collecting insects using malaise traps and manual nets. We then sort the individuals, one in each jar, then give them a unique label and photograph, barcode, and deposit them in a museum for permanent storage and future research. We hope specialists will identify them to species.
The malaise trap is a mesh tent that traps flying insects by taking advantage of the tendency of insects to fly upward. The insects enter the tube and become trapped. Once a week, we remove the trapped insects and preserve them in alcohol (flies and wasps) or pin them (large insects and moths).
Cris Sandoval, PhD
Dr. Sandoval is doing an intensive insect collection at Paradise Reserve. Insects take a long time to identify. Collections are being deposited at the CCBER museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
She is also photographing and posting other species in iNaturalist (See Paradise Reserve and Santa Ynez Mountain projects).
Vials with 75% alcohol with unsorted insects from a week's trapping.
Box of pinned insects with labels before being sorted for storage.
Each insect gets 1 or more labels with location, date, collector, and any other relevant information.