entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...

, an aspirator, also known as a pooter, is a device used in the collection of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...

s or other small, fragile organisms, usually for scientific purposes.Tóth F. An improved version of the ’aspirator gun’ – a device for collecting arthropods. European Arachnology 2000. (S. Toft & N. Scharff eds.), pp. 299-300.

Design and use

Such devices are most commonly used by

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

s for field and lab work. One of the most common designs consists of a small resealable jar or vial, the lid or stopper of which is penetrated by two tubes. On the inner end of one tube, fine mesh or another type of filter is attached, and this tube leads to the user's mouth (usually connected by a long, flexible piece of tubing). The end of the second tube projects into the collecting chamber, and its far end can then be placed over an insect or other small organism; the user sucks on the first tube, and the insect is drawn into the collecting chamber through the other. The other common design (the more traditional "pooter") consists of a length of flexible tubing, of which one end is held in the mouth, and the other end which holds the tip. The tip is usually a glass or plastic pipette inserted into the plastic tubing, with a piece of gauze as a filter at the inner end to prevent accidental ingestion. Small insects (e.g., ''

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species ...

'') may be gently collected and held against the filter by steady inhalation, and transferred into a container by then blowing the insect(s) out. A skilled lab worker, for instance, may be able to sequentially inhale and then transfer a pooter-full of ''Drosophila'' flies singly into vials, thus facilitating rapid setup of fly experiments with a minimum of pain caused to the researcher, or the researched. Larger, motor-powered variants of this design exist (typically, a

leaf blower A leaf blower, commonly known as a blower, is a device that propels air out of a nozzle to move debris such as leaves and grass cuttings. Leaf blowers are powered by electric or gasoline motors. Gasoline models have traditionally been two-strok ...

working in reverse), often named D-Vac, where the insects are sucked into a mesh collecting bag in a long plastic tube, and held there by the powerful suction In entomological surveys pooters are usually used in combination with insect nets or

beating net A beating net, also known as beating sheet, beat sheet or beating tray, is a device used to collect insects. It consists of a white cloth stretched out on a circular or rectangular frame which may be dismantled for transport. The beating tray is ...

s but may also be used alone to collect insects seen on vegetation or tree trunks.

History

The two-tubes aspirator design was first presented in a 1929 paper by Frederick William Poos, Jr., who is also the namesake of the term "pooter".

References

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External links

Lyman Entomological Museum
Entomology equipment Environmental Sampling Equipment