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The aspirator
The aspirator is used to individually capture small (1-5mm) soil and litter arthropods, such as collembolans, symphylids, and large mites, which are too small and agile to be picked up by hand, and are squashed easily. The aspirator is made from two tubes and a glass or plastic vial. The shorter tube is used to pick up the animals, the longer rubber tube is held in the collector's mouth. The animlas are pulled into the vial by the air flow as the collector sharply sucks in air. A piece of fine mesh is usually put on the tube leading to collector's mouth, to prevent inhaling the animals.
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