Abstract
Following the new findings described in Chap. 21 regarding the use of polarization cues by chironomids to detect water bodies suitable for oviposition, an effort was initiated to apply reflection-polarization traps to divert chironomid females from laying their eggs in the natural reservoir and by this to control the chironomid population. In this chapter we first review this effort and its outcome and suggest insights into the future development of chironomid reflection-polarization oviposition traps and population control. Then we present three different types of polarization-based tabanid trap: a liquid trap, a sticky horseflypaper and a photovoltaic trap. All three trap types share the common feature that they lure positively polarotactic tabanid flies with strongly and linearly polarized light reflected from special shiny black visual targets. Due to their horizontally polarizing bait surface, the liquid and the photovoltaic traps as well as the horizontally aligned horseflypaper capture water-seeking male and female tabanids attracted to the horizontal polarization of bait-reflected light. If the surface of the horseflypaper is vertical, it catches host-seeking female tabanids lured to the strongly polarized trap-reflected light. The tabanid-capturing efficacy of all three trap types has been proven in field experiments. The scientific basis of these traps is the two kinds of positive polarotaxis in tabanid flies. The advantages and disadvantages of these different tabanid traps are also discussed here; furthermore, it is described how these traps could be improved in the future, and how they can be combined with the traditional canopy trap, for instance. These studies demonstrate well how basic scientific knowledge, i.e. the positive polarotaxis in chironomids and tabanids, can be applied in the design of new insect traps.
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Notes
- 1.
θ Brewster = arc tan(n) = 56.3° from the normal vector of the plastic surface with a refractive index of n = 1.5.
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Colour Version of Fig. 23.1
Various canopy traps designed to catch tabanid flies. Row 1: Chemically baited canopy traps without black spherical visual decoys. (a) A grey-black canopy trap (Veer et al. 2002). (b) A white-black canopy trap (Rahman 2005). (c) A white-black canopy trap (http://www.nzitrap.com). Row 2: Canopy traps with a shiny black sphere functioning as a visual bait. (d) Manitoba trap with a pyramidal transparent white plastic canopy (http://www.nzitrap.com). (e) Manning trap with a hanging funnel-like white netting (http://www.bokt.nl/forums/viewtopic.php?f=149&t=789683). (f) H-trap having a conical white net canopy (http://www.h-trap.net). (g) HorsePal trap possessing a canopy composed of a beige box and a pyramidal white netting (http://bitingflies.com). (h) A white-black box trap (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/deer_fly.htm) (CDR 4837 kb)
Colour Version of Fig. 23.2
(a) A new polarization liquid trap composed of a circular black plastic tray (with a diameter of 50 cm) possessing an aluminium overflow tube. The tray is filled with 2 l tap water until the surplus water flows out through the overflow tube. Then 1 l (transparent or black) vegetable oil is poured onto the water. (b) Close-up photograph of the overflow tube, through which the surplus water is flowing out [after Fig. 1 on page 666 of Egri et al. (2013a)] (CDR 2475 kb)
Colour Version of Fig. 23.6
(a) A classic flypaper (with numerous fly carcasses) used in households. (b) A traditional flypaper (covered by fly carcasses) used in equerries. (c) A horizontal sticky black test surface (100 cm × 100 cm) on the ground used in a field experiment by Egri et al. (2013b). The trapped tabanids (987 within a week) can be well seen. The tabanid-capturing efficacy of such test surfaces inspired the development of the polarization horseflypaper [after Supplementary Fig. S5 of Egri et al. (2013b)] (CDR 9501 kb)
Colour Version of Fig. 23.9
(a) Photovoltaic polarization tabanid trap. Right: The trap is composed of two horizontal solar panels and a wire rotating above the photovoltaic surface. Left: Two supplementary solar panels with a tilted surface. (b–e) Tabanid flies landed on the horizontal photovoltaic trap surface. (f–i) Carcasses of tabanids hit by the rotating wire. Both female and male tabanids hit suffered so serious injuries that they perished. This demonstrates well the tabanid-trapping efficiency of this technique [after Fig. 2 on page 355 of Blahó et al. (2012)] (CDR 6234 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.1
The polarization liquid traps used in experiment 2 of Egri et al. (2013a). (a) Trap 1 was on the ground. (b) Trap 2 was elevated +20 cm from the ground level on the top of a sticky black truncated conical skirt. (c) Trap 3 was sunken −20 cm from the top of a sticky black truncated conical skirt (CDR 2891 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.2
Reflection-polarization characteristics of the polarization liquid traps used in experiment 2 of Egri et al. (2013a). (a) Liquid trap on the ground. (b) Liquid trap elevated +20 cm from the ground level on the top of a sticky black truncated conical skirt. (c) Liquid trap sunken −20 cm from the top of a sticky black truncated conical skirt. The angle of elevation of the optical axis of the polarimeter was −35° from the horizontal (CDR 5830 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.3
Arrangement of the three polarization liquid traps positioned at three different heights (0 m: right, 1 m: middle, 2 m: left) used in Göd in experiment 1 of Egri et al. (2013a) (CDR 1468 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.4
The canopy trap (left, white conical canopy with a shiny black rubber sphere) and the polarization liquid trap (right, on the grassy ground) used in experiment 3 of Egri et al. (2013a) (CDR 1647 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.5
The canopy trap (a) and the combined trap (b) used in experiment 4 of Egri et al. (2013a) (CDR 4072 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.6
The canopy trap (back), the polarization liquid trap (between), and the combined trap (in front) used in experiment 5 of Egri et al. (2013a) at two different sites (a, b) of a Hungarian horse farm (CDR 7385 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.7
Female tabanids captured by the canopy traps used in experiment 5 of Egri et al. (2013a) (CDR 3585 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.8
Photograph, patterns of the degree of linear polarization d and the angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical), and areas detected as water (for which the liquid-reflected light has the following characteristics: d > 20 %, 80° < α < 100°) of a polarization liquid trap measured in the red, green and blue parts of the spectrum when the trap was shady. The elevation angle of the polarimeter’s optical axis was −35° from the horizontal (CDR 4277 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.9
As Supplementary Fig. 23.8 for a closer view (CDR 3585 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.10
Photograph, patterns of the degree of linear polarization d and the angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical), and areas detected as water (for which the reflected light has the following characteristics: d > 20 %, 80° < α < 100°) of the shiny black spherical bait of a canopy trap seen through the canopy measured in the red, green and blue parts of the spectrum when the trap was shady. The elevation angle of the polarimeter’s optical axis was −15° from the horizontal (CDR 5053 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.11
The Hungarian patent-protected logo of the TabaNOid family of polarization tabanid traps (CDR 2584 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.14
Arrangement of the vertical and horizontal sticky black test surfaces with different dimensions (25 cm × 25 cm, 50 cm × 50 cm, 75 cm × 75 cm, 100 cm × 100 cm) used in experiment 3 of Egri et al. (2013b). The two smallest horizontal test surfaces (25 cm × 25 cm, 50 cm × 50 cm) laid on the grassy ground are almost invisible in this picture due to the perspective [after Supplementary Fig. S3 of Egri et al. (2013b)] (CDR 4473 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.15
Colour photograph, patterns of the degree of linear polarization d and the angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical), and areas detected as water (for which the reflected light has the following characteristics: d > 20 %, 80° < α < 100°) of a horizontal shiny black test surface measured in the blue part of the spectrum when it was sunny (a, b, c) or shady (d, e) for different directions of view relative to the solar meridian. Towards SM: the polarimeter saw towards the solar meridian. Towards ASM: the polarimeter saw towards the anti-solar meridian. Normal to SM: the polarimeter saw normal to the solar meridian. The traps were illuminated by skylight from the totally overcast sky. The angle of elevation of the optical axis of the polarimeter was nearly −35° from the horizontal [after Fig. 3 on page 558 of Egri et al. (2013b)] (CDR 7983 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.16
Photographs of the smallest (25 cm × 25 cm) and largest (100 cm × 100 cm) horizontal sticky black test surfaces used in experiment 3 of Egri et al. (2013b). The trapped tabanids (18 on the 25 × 25 cm2 and 987 on the 100 × 100 cm2) can be well seen [after Supplementary Fig. S5 of Egri et al. (2013b)] (CDR 11372 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.17
Photographs of the vertically (a), horizontally (b) and horizontally and vertically (b) aligned sticky black surfaces of the prototype of the new polarization horseflypaper used in experiment 4 of Egri et al. (2013b). (d) Photograph of a horizontal sticky black test surface with numerous tabanid flies trapped [after Supplementary Fig. S4 of Egri et al. (2013b)] (CDR 7300 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.18
Carcasses of tabanids captured by a polarization horseflypaper (CDR 4344 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.19
Photograph, patterns of the degree of linear polarization d and the angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical), and areas detected as water (for which the reflected light has the following characteristics: d > 20 %, 80° < α < 100°) of an elevated horizontal sticky black test surface used in experiment 2 of Egri et al. (2013b) measured in the red, green and blue parts of the spectrum. The polarimeter viewed toward the sun, and the elevation angle of its optical axis was −35° from the horizontal (CDR 4164 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.20
As Supplementary Fig. 23.19 when the polarimeter viewed perpendicular to the solar meridian (CDR 3671 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.21
As Supplementary Fig. 23.19 for a horizontal sticky black test surface laid on the ground (CDR 5095 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.22
As Supplementary Fig. 23.21 when the polarimeter viewed perpendicular to the solar meridian (CDR 4394 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 23.23
As Supplementary Fig. 23.21 when the polarimeter viewed towards the antisolar meridian (CDR 4199 kb)
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Horváth, G., Blahó, M., Egri, Á., Lerner, A. (2014). Applying Polarization-Based Traps to Insect Control. In: Horváth, G. (eds) Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences. Springer Series in Vision Research, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54718-8_23
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