Ant Course Papua New Guinea: Day 2

Day 2 was our first day in the field. We were driven to the rainforest in Baitabag to start collecting. The Binatang Research Center also has their canopy crane here. 

Students were able to disperse in groups and start their collecting. A few popular spots for collecting in the field was a termite mound that was found, the base of rotting trees, even a group was near a river to see what they could find. Students also got the chance to practice some of the collecting methods shown. Malaise traps were set up, which are used to trap and preserve ants. Those attempting at collecting from low elevation branches on trees used a beating sheet.  

​A couple of methods were used to collect leaf litter. Such as the Winkler method, where students put leaf litter into a sifter, the sifted sample is then extracted later to collect smaller ground ants. Students also got the try the Lloyd Sifter method, where sifting trays are used in the field to collect. A student group also tried baiting, where they used a trail of canned tuna in hopes to spot some hungry ants. 

Our night concluded with student presentations where they got the chance to discuss the current research that they are doing. Tonight we got to hear from Olivia Bates, Fracois Brassard, Mattia Mechetti, Enrico Schifano, Dr. Priscila E. Hanish, Nils-Christian Schumacher, Sophie Mallett, and Aswaj Punnath