"LITTER BUGS"

Leaf Litter Collecting Guide

prepared by Trish Smith, Warrensburg Middle School, 9/04

1. Your job is to locate areas of dead, decaying leaves and/or tree limbs that look to be damp. We want to see what types of insects live in these areas as compared to those that we will find in the fields or tree canopy. AVOID AREAS WITH ANY POISON IVY.

2. Once you locate a likely area, write your name, block, and date on one of the ziplock bags provided. Also write your block and date on one of the small jars with alcohol in it.

3. Use your hand shovel to get below the top layer and collect some of the moist, decaying leaves and/or log parts. Spread the sample out in the plastic pan, picking out larger insects with your tweezers. Place these insects in the jar with alcohol. Place the rest of the sample into the labeled ziplock bag and close it.