Continuation/Refinement of Insect Light Trap
Problem statement
Michael Miller, a stream ecologist who studies aquatic insects from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, needs a tool to identify and count insects to better study their population trends. Insects are a fundamental food source in many ecosystems. The populations of insects are generally believed to be declining due to climate change, industrialized agriculture, and urbanization, but it is currently difficult to gauge the scope and severity of this important environmental issue. Previously, light traps used a liquid such as alcohol to trap and kill insects, which would then be manually identified and counted. This is incredibly inefficient and labor-intensive. In the last few years, development has begun on methods that use automated photography and machine learning to quickly identify insects. One such system is Diopsis, a light trap developed in the Netherlands. While it is the closest to commercial availability, the identification database it uses only includes insects found in the Netherlands [1]. A previous mechanical engineering design team created a prototype of an autonomous insect light trap, but they were never able to field test their design. In collaboration with the leader of the previous team, we are continuing to develop a functional light trap prototype that can be field tested this summer, featuring a waterproof design, a mounting mechanism, and verification of the data collection system. Our work will provide the missing data for the Wisconsin DNR to have a more complete picture of population trends and determine the factors that are responsible for the declines in insect populations. Mike is excited about the opportunity to share our device with other professionals who could benefit from using it for their own research efforts, including other entomologists, ecologists, and US government agencies.
[1] ‘Camera | diopsis.eu.’ Accessed: Feb. 08, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://diopsis.eu/en/camera/
Team members
Meng Moua – leader
Kade Wilson – communicator
Alex Tanner – accountant
Carter Johnson – admin
Client
Michael Miller
Wisconsin DNR