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Deep soil is a relatively unexplored habitat for insect collecting, but it contains surprising diversity. Although many insects spend a portion of their life in the soil (usually as pupae), few spend their entire lives there and can be classified as truly endogean. Mites, centipedes, micro-Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and especially beetles are the most common. Endogean species are frequently small and have reduced or absent eyes (anophthalmia) and wings (aptery) as adaptations to their environment.

Insects can be extracted from the soil by floating. Soil is mixed with water and organic material, including insects, floats to the top while dirt sinks. Insects are then separated from plant mater via a Berlese funnel. Endogean insects are not often abundant, so processing large quantities of soil yields best results. Floating is labor intensive and best done in proximity to a water source, otherwise the soil has to be carried out of the field.

Supplies

• Shovel
• Buckets (at least two)
• Litter sifter
• Stir stick
• Fine strainer
• Newspaper
• Pillowcase
• Berlese funnel

Instructions

1. Scrap away leaf litter and the upper layer of soil (the layer containing decayed litter).
2. Fill all but one bucket about half full of soil. You may need to break up soil with a pick and chop through large roots.
3. Sift the soil through a screen (such as ¼” hardware cloth or a litter sifting pan) and into an empty bucket to remove large roots and rocks
4. Use the empty bucket to add water to the soil buckets, filling within about two inches of the top
5. Stir vigorously until all the soil has been lifted into suspension
6. Let stabilize for a few minutes, so all organic material has time to float to surface. It will form a characteristic surface foam.
7. Scoop foam with a fine sieve or kitchen strainer. Spread two layers of newspaper and dump the foam onto its center. A fine diameter mesh is necessary to collect the smallest arthropods like mites.
8. Repeat stirring and scooping one or two more times until all organic matter has been removed
9. Fold newspaper into a ball around the sample and squeeze out excess water
10. Transfer the ball into pillowcase for transport. It can be stored this way for several days as long as it is kept moist and out of the hot sun.
11. Pour off the water from the buckets and return the mud to the hole.
12. To separate insects from other organic matter, spread the sample in a Berlese funnel and run for several days as you would for a litter sample.

Tools for soil washing

Scooping foam layer

Repeat stirring