A butterfly net (sometimes called an aerial insect net) is one of several kinds of nets used to collect

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 pa ...

s. The entire bag of the net is generally constructed from a lightweight mesh to minimize damage to delicate

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

wings. Other types of nets used in

insect collecting Insect collecting refers to the collection of insects and other arthropods for scientific study or as a hobby. Most insects are small and the majority cannot be identified without the examination of minute morphological characters, so entomo ...

include beat nets,

aquatic net Aquatic means relating to water; living in or near water or taking place in water; does not include groundwater, as "aquatic" implies an environment where plants and animals live. Aquatic(s) may also refer to: * Aquatic animal, either vertebrate ...

s, and

sweep net Insect collecting refers to the collection of insects and other arthropods for scientific study or as a hobby. Most insects are small and the majority cannot be identified without the examination of minute morphological characters, so entomolo ...

s. Nets for catching different insects have different mesh sizes. Aquatic nets usually have bigger, more 'open' mesh. Catching small aquatic creatures usually requires an

net. The mesh is smaller and can capture more.

References

Taron, Doug. "Gossamer Tapestry." : Some Thoughts on Butterfly Nets.
10 Apr. 2009. Web. 4 May 2012.

External links

Collecting and Preserving Insects and Mites: Tools and Techniques

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

Very detailed online manual Nets (devices) Collecting Entomology equipment Butterflies Environmental Sampling Equipment {{butterfly-stub