Beating net

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Device for catching insects

title: "Beating net" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["entomology-equipment", "environmental-sampling-equipment"] description: "Device for catching insects" topic_path: "general/entomology-equipment" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beating_net" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Device for catching insects ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Steinau_fg02.jpg" caption="Beating insects from a tree branch"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Steinau_fg05.jpg" caption="Using an [[umbrella]] as a beating net"] ::

A beating net is a device used to collect insects and arachnids. It mainly collects caterpillars, spiders, beetles, aphids and flies. The beating net consists of a white cloth stretched out on a circular or rectangular frame which may be dismantled for transport. It is held under a tree or shrub and then the foliage is shaken or beaten with a stick. Insects fall from the plant and land on the cloth. They can then be examined or collected using a pooter. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Bookplate_Bignell.jpg" caption="Bookplate of [[George Carter Bignell]] with his beating tray, displayed in the bottom right hand corner"] ::

The beating net is also known as the beating tray or beating sheet. It is commercially known as a Japanese umbrella, mainly in Europe. It can also be confused for a beat sheet, an agricultural device of a similar name. A beat sheet is a white or yellow cloth draped over crop rows to capture insects.

The insect beating net was devised by George Carter Bignell. Use of the beating net replaced the use of the entomological umbrella and the clap-net.

References

"Invertebrates inventory and monitoring: DOCCM-255606 Invertebrates search and extraction methods v1.0".
(1998). "Inventory Methods for Terrestrial Arthropods: Standards for Components of British Columbia's Biodiversity". Resources Inventory Committee.
Aissat, Lyes. (2023-07-04). "Environmental variables associated with insect richness and nestedness on small islands off the coast of northeastern Algeria". European Journal of Entomology.
(2003). "Giving insects a good beating". The Australian Cottongrower.
(2010). "The Life and Entomological Collections of George Carter Bignell". Bulletin of the Royal Entomological Society.
(1865). "The British Hemiptera. vol. I, Hemiptera-Heteroptera". Robert Hardwicke.
Wilkinson, Ronald S.. (1978). "The history of the entomological clap-net in Great Britain". The Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::