The Zip Net: An Insect Sweep Net with Removable Capture Pouch for Serial Collecting

As part of a scanning electron microscope workshop, students and I go outdoors with sweep nets to collect specimens. It soon became apparent that removing specimens from the net without injuring or losing them was di!cult, especially with very small "ies, "eas, orthopterans, and collembolans. #is article provides instructions to make a simple conical sweep net with removable, lock-seal plastic bags for convenient capture of crawling and "ying insects—a “zip net.” With this innovation, I have captured sub-millimeter collembolans and large hymenopterans at the same time without losing specimens. #e zip net has the added advantages of allowing specimens to be seen as they are collected, of $xing them at the collection site, and of making many separate collections without changing nets. #e lock-seal bag modi$cation described here can also be adapted to cloth (but not mesh) insect nets already owned.