Light traps for insects

Light traps for insects

Light traps for insects or phototropic traps use the principle of attracting insects by means of a light source. These traps do not perform a selective action, towards nocturnal or crepuscular insects, and often use a fluorescent lamp.
Insects attracted by the light source in this way remain imprisoned in special bags or other containers or killed by a poisoned substrate with high killing power or killed by an electrical resistance.
In the agricultural field, the use of light traps for insects has, more than anything else, a purpose of study, generally to monitor the twilight entomofauna of a locality.

For agronomic purposes, on the other hand, they have no use, both for the difficulty of installation in non-electrified areas, and for the fact that these traps indiscriminately capture a large number of insects, including those of the useful entomofauna. Moreover, with a high number of individuals captured, it is difficult to count the species concerned by any monitoring.
The light traps for insects, on the other hand, find a useful use in the domestic field or in closed rooms, as a means of defense against mosquitoes in the home. In this case the trap is formed by a fluorescent lamp and kills the attracted insects through electric discharges.