ET-157 February 1940 
 
 United States Department of Agriculture 
 Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 
 
 MODIFIED BERLESE FUNNEL FOR COLLECTING THRIPS 
 
 By Floyd F. Bondy, 
 Division of Cotton Insect Investigations 
 
 A simple, fast, and economical method of collecting thrips 
 from parts of various host plants by the use of modified Berlese 
 funnels was used at the Florence. S. C, laboratory during the sum- 
 mer of 1939. 
 
 Twelve ordinary 8-inch tin funnels are supported on a home- 
 made wooden rack consisting of a top and bottom board held in 
 place by wooden blocks, similar to the racks used in chemical 
 laboratories (fig- 1). The top board has 1-inch holes bored 
 at 8-inch intervals to receive the funnels. It should be of the 
 proper height so the neck of the funnel will extend into the vial 
 about an inch. Ordinary wide-mouthed vials that fit snugly, but 
 not tight enough to stick or break, were found most satisfactory. 
 Drops of solder are placed at several places around the outside of 
 each funnel about an inch below the rim to prevent the rubber 
 band, used for holding the cloth cover, from sliding down. 
 
 O peration . — Owing to the size of the funnels, comparatively 
 small samples of host material must be used. These samples are 
 carefully clipped from the plants, placed in paper bags, and 
 transferred to the funnels within a short time. The funnels are 
 then placed in the racks over the vials, which have been partly 
 filled with 70-percent alcohol, and are covered with pieces of 
 black cloth extending well down the sides and held in place with 
 rubber bands. The rack is set in direct sunlight, and 2 days' 
 exposure is usually sufficient to dry the plant material and drive 
 the thrips into the vials. The plant material is then removed 
 from the funnels and the cloths are washed and replaced over the 
 funnels. The contents of the vials are poured upon the dampened 
 cloth, where the alcohol strains through, leaving the thrips to be 
 removed with a camel 's-hair brush. Either light or dark colored 
 thrips can be seen on the black cloth in direct sunlight. 
 
Digitized by tiie Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2012 witii funding from 
 
 University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries with support from LYRASIS and the Sloan Foundation 
 
 http://archive.org/details/modifiOOunit 
 
Figure 1. — A series of modified Berlese fiinnels set in the 
 rack ready for operation. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 
 
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