How to attract an entomologist

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Step 1. Locate a suitable patch of forest, field, or desert.

Step 2. Wait for a warm, moonless summer night.
Step 3. Using a long extension cord, plug in a blacklight. Or even better, a mercury-vapor lamp.
Step 4. Sit back and watch your prey arrive.*

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i-b0a4b2fcb5bc831266def6e6811d7c4c-Warm night.jpg
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i-f8cc8244d0500f6fe68b3c888f4fa7dd-mercury.jpg
i-abb43863ed28b724e61907091e1ec760-dragonbl.jpg
i-afc54e60f3886623cfa323d1a6020dfa-blaklight1.jpg
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i-80ea5cc955c25c18a9b8c90ed36064a5-blacklight2.jpg

*disclaimer. This technique works generally for most entomologists, but if your needs are more specific, you will wish to employ more specialized methods. Forensic entomologists prefer roadkill, for example.

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And then there are those that study dung beetles...

By James C. Trager (not verified) on 01 May 2009 #permalink

Loved this post! Catching an entomologists sounds both fun and easy. Must try it sometime. :)

Romeo - very very funny!

By ctenotrish (not verified) on 01 May 2009 #permalink

Ab fab, Alex! (And the cicindelid is really gorgeous, BTW!)

By Julie Stahlhut (not verified) on 01 May 2009 #permalink

this doesn't work for me... i'm more of a tree beater

By ihateaphids (not verified) on 01 May 2009 #permalink

Thanks for a wonderful summer vacation idea!

Must do this, in addition to scoping protists and hanging out around mycologists... I really need to 'grow up' or something... =D
(hey, there's a world outside the lab sometimes!)

i see an orb!

hahaha
good one..

but u should know entomologists shld be attracted to the tropics yah? I am assumingly there's alot more insect biodiversity here..

Herrik nailed it with the Gary Larson reference. I bet your blog attracts a lot of entomologists too. I'm like a moth buzzing around a candle flame between this blog, your blog, Flickr, and bugguide.net... And I'm not even an entomologist!