Taxic Collector

(Russian, eklektor), a device designed to collect and count invertebrates (mainly, small arthropods) that inhabit the soil or other substrate. The working principle is based on the use of the various taxes characteristic of the animals.

A taxic collector consists of a sieve located inside a funnel. Soil is placed in the sieve, and a vessel is positioned below the funnel. Animals moving downward from the upper soil layers fall into the vessel as a result of their response to light, desiccation, or elevated temperature. Taxic collectors may be designed specifically to operate on the principle of phototaxis, hydrotaxis, thermotaxis, or all three. They are used both in laboratories and in the field, especially in investigations conducted at a fixed location. A phototaxic collector in the shape of a box is used for the collection and counting of insects on the surface of the soil and on plants; the insects crawl into an illuminated test tube attached to the box.