Hue’s in the trap? Effects of colour, time of day, and weather on the use of pitfall traps for invertebrate surveys

Goodenough, Anne E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7662-6670, Baker, Hannah L, Otitolaye, Feranmi, Wilson, Frankie and Webb, Julia C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1652-965X (2026) Hue’s in the trap? Effects of colour, time of day, and weather on the use of pitfall traps for invertebrate surveys. Journal of Insect Conservation, 30. art: 14. doi:10.1007/s10841-026-00748-1

Text (Peer-reviewed version) 15807 Goodenough (2026) Hues in the trap.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 31 January 2027. (Publisher Embargo). Available under License Publisher's Licence Non-Commercial Use. Download (724kB)

Abstract

Introduction: Conservation of terrestrial invertebrates fundamentally depends on robust data. Pitfall trapping is a time- and cost-efficient method that provides valuable information. Aims/Methods: There is limited research on how pitfall trap colour influences catch, although colour is known to be important for other trap types, including pan traps. Here, we use data from 2,897 trapping days in grassland, parkland, farmland and woodland habitats to explore effects of pitfall trap colour (blue/orange/green) on catch abundance (number of invertebrate individuals caught), diversity (Shannon’s index), and community composition. We also assess how trap catch is influenced by trapping period (daytime vs. nighttime) and weather (precipitation and temperature). Results: Catch abundance and diversity was higher in green traps than blue or orange traps overall and in grassland or parkland, whereas there was no effect of trap colour in farmland and woodland. For specific orders, catch abundance was significantly higher in green traps for Araneae, Coleoptera and Isopoda, but higher in orange traps for Hymenoptera in parkland and farmland, and higher in blue traps for Stylommatophora and Coleoptera in woodland. There was a significant time of day * colour interaction: green traps yielded higher catch abundance and diversity than blue or orange traps for day and night trapping, whereas orange traps yielded higher catch abundance and diversity than blue traps for night trapping only. As expected, catch abundance and diversity was higher in warmer temperatures, while precipitation had taxa-specific effects on catch abundance (Stylommatophora = positive; Isopoda = negative). Discussion: There are opportunities to optimise protocols for specific habitats and taxa. Implications for insect conservation: Based on the results of this study, which has considered four sites (each covering a single habitat: grassland, farmland, parkland, woodland) across two years, we suggest that conservationists using pitfall traps for a census of invertebrate communities should use green traps if selecting a single colour, or a combination of colours. For more focused projects, we offer taxon- and habitat-specific recommendations that are achievable without additional resource demands.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Deposited in accordance with Springer Nature's terms of use for accepted manuscripts, available here: https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-science/policies/accepted-manuscript-terms
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Insect conservation; Ground-dwelling invertebrates; Survey design; Method optimisation; Monitoring
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology > QL360 Invertebrates > QL 461 Insects
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education, Health and Sciences
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Goodland
Date Deposited:	02 Feb 2026 14:38
Last Modified:	02 Feb 2026 14:45
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15807

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