by Paul Hanson (9 November 1992)

The number of taxonomists utilizing the Malaise trap samples originating from the University of Costa Rica (Museo de Insectos and Escuela de Biologia) has grown to the point where it may be convenient to open an informal forum for discussion and ideas. At the very least, several people have asked for more specific information on label data, who all is receiving which taxa, etc.

Brief history of the sampling program. Most of the Malaise traps were purchased by the Natural History Museum (British Museum) and were originally set up by Ian Gauld and myself as part of an inventory of the Hymenoptera of Costa Rica, the idea being to send specific families to contributing authors of the "Hymenoptera of Costa Rica" book. This phase of the book is largely completed, but the trapping continues. Especially concentrated sampling of the Osa Peninsula has occurred because of two projects: 1) the BOSCOSA project (Fundación Neotropica) coordinated by Ricardo Soto (Escula de Biología, UCR), and 2) a study of colonizing Ichneumonidae by Ian Gauld and Kevin Gaston (NHM). Surplus traps and recycled traps have been set up elsewhere in the country, such that at any one time there are probably over a dozen traps running.

The trapping localities. Most traps are placed on or very near "fincas" of "campesinos", i.e. the dwellings of very poor rural families. They are paid to look after the trap and change the bottle at, the end of every month. Following is an initial attempt to provide more specific information on the locations of traps, past and present. More information on some of these sites were included in "Ichneumonidae of Costa Rica, vol. 1" by Ian Gauld (1991, Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, No. 47). Eventually a map will be prepared, showing the location of all sites; also, more details on vegetation at each site will be provided in the future. The format for the following site descriptions is: PROVINCE, site name, elevation, co-ordinates, general characterization.

A) SITES IN THE SAN JOSE AREA

ALAJUELA, Estación Biológica San Ramón, 900 meters. 10° 13' N, 84° 37' W. Run for a short period in 1995 (destroyed by treefall)

ALAJUELA, 5 km W. San Ramón on Route 1, 1200 meters. Run by Olivier Castro (student in Escuela de Biología) on his parent's farm. Santiago ???, Calle Leon

SAN JOSÉ, Ciudad Colón, 800 meters, 9° 55'N, 84° 15'W. Located on the border between second growth forest (30 years old) and a coffee plantation with overstory trees, on the finca of Don Luis Fournier, former professor of botany in the Escuela de Biología (UCR). Don Luis has very detailed information regarding this site. It is west of San José, which is much drier than the east side of San José.

SAN JOSÉ, San Antonio de Escazu, 1300m, 9° 54'N, 84° 09'W. Located on the slopes south of San José in the backyard of the Eberhards. The vegetation is highly altered second-growth.

SAN JOSÉ, Zurquí de Moravia, 1600m, 10° 03'N, 84° 01'W. On the main highway east from San José to Limon, just before entering Braulio Carillo National Park is the restaurant "La Fonda", owned by Jorge Arturo Lizano. Very early on the trap was located down by the stream, but for at least the last couple of years it has been located just over the crest of a grassy hill on the edge of, and overlooking, a very nice forest. The trap is probably in sun for part of the day, although the area is cloud forest, rich in epiphytes. This trap collects a greater volume than any other.

SAN JOSE, Braulio Carillo National Park, 9.5 km east of tunel, 1000 meters, 10° 07'N, 83° 58'W. Virgin forest, difficult to find spot, known to a few resident field biologists as "casa de la montura" (house in the saddle of the mountain), the remains of the hut are slowly decaying.

HEREDIA, Vara Blanca, Finca Georgina, 2100 meters, 10° 09'N, 84° 09'W. On the edge of a strip of forest remaining in a ravine. On the farm of [NAME ???], the president of Dos Pinos (the large dairy company) and a friend of biologists.

B) SITES ON CERRO DE LA MUERTE. On the Pan-American Highway between Cartago and San Isidro de General. At the highest elevations the highway follows the border between Cartago and San Jose province, so the province data depends on which side of the road the trap is placed.

CARTAGO, 2 kilometros NE Cachí, 1200 meters

CARTAGO, 4 km NE Cañon, Genesis II, 2350 m, 9° 42-43'N, 83° 54-55'W; Steve and Paula Friedman. i.1995-x or xi ??? 1996

SAN JOSE, 2 km W. Empalme, 2300 m, 9° 43'N, 83° 58'W; Guillermo Navarro. i-xii.1995

CARTAGO, La Cangreja, 1950 meters, 9° 48'N, 83° 58'W. On the Pan American Highway from Cartago to San Isidro, crossing over Cerro de la Muerte. Trap placed in partial shade in a fence line at the top of a hill. Farm is owned by Jaime García's father; trap is maintained by Rafael Alberto Calderón Gómez.

SAN JOSE, 19 km south and 3 km west of Empalme, 2600 meters, 9° 39'N, 83° 52'W. This trap can only be reached by walking most of the 3 km W from the Pan American Highway, mostly downhill to where the forest opens up into a pasture. The trap is only partially shaded by a young oak tree, being placed about 5- 10 meteres from the edge of the forest. This site was originally chosen by the "muchacho" of the finca, Francisco Serrano

Chincilla, and based on his description, we called the site "16km S of Empalme;" not until March 1992, when we decided to put up a new trap, did we actually have Francisco take us to the site and reveal its true location.

SAN JOSE, 20 km south of Empalme, 2800 meters, 9° 38'N, 83° 51'W, Trap located on the border of second growth forest and cattle pasture, maintained by Francisco Serrano Chinchilla.

SAN JOSE, 6 km north of San Gerardo, 2800 meters. Leaving the Pan American highway, descending 3 km to the finca of Federico Serrano Chvez, the trap is placed down a steep slope, at the edge of primary oak forest. Coordinates not yet available. Trap set up March 1992.

CARTAGO, Villa Mills, 3000 meters, 9° 34'N, 83° 44'W. Located behind the restaurant "La Georgina", in slightly altered oak forest with bamboo understory, maintained by ? Abarca.

SAN JOSE, 26 km north of San Isidro, 2100 meters, 9° 30'N, 83° 43'W. Just south of the small village of "Division", up a steep hill in very trashed, secondary growth of small trees.

SITES ON, OR IN ROUTE TO, THE OSA PENINSULA. The first 8 sites are given in the order one would encounter them, leaving the Pan- American Highway at Piedras Blancas (actually Chacarita), following the road at the head of Golfo Dulce to Rincon, at which point the road goes south on the peninsula to Puerto Jimenez, following the inland side (east) side of the peninsula. The remaining sites are more difficult to reach.

PUNTARENAS, 5 km west of Piedras Blancas, 100 meters, 8° 46'N, 83° 17'W. Trap is placed at the edge of the finca near second growth forest, but with more or less primary forest not far away; semi-shaded.

PUNTARENAS, 10 km west of Piedras Blancas, 100 meters, 8° 45'N, 83° 18'W. Trap placed just inside, more or less primary forest, mostly shaded. Trap destroyed by fallen tree after 1-2 years of operation.

PUNTARENAS, 24 km west of Piedras Blancas, 200 meters, 8° 46'N, 83° 24'W. Originally one trap placed about 50 meters down a trail into the primary forest, shaded. In October 1990 a second trap was placed at the very edge of the same forest. Trap maintained by Mara Salablanca Nieto.

PUNTARENAS, 3 km southwest of Rincon, 10 meters. 8° 41'N, 83° 29'W. Going south from Rincon one turns right (SW) at the first intersection, following the road that goes to BOSCOSA (rather than the road that goes to Puerto Jimenez). The finca is within one km of the mangroves growing at the edge of Golfo Dulce. The first trap was set up within the forest (more or less primary, but with understory cleared) on a very steep slope, shaded. A second trap was set up in October 1990 at the edge of the forest. Trap maintained by Moises Pérez Parra and family.

PUNTARENAS, 8 km south of puente (bridge) de Rio Rincon, Coopemarti, 30m, 8° 38'N, 83° 28'W (approximate; I only have access to old maps, before the road was put in). On the edge of a nice patch (island) of forest.

PUNTARENAS, 23km north of Puerto Jimenez, La Palma, 10m. No coordinates yet since La Palma doesn't appear on available topo maps. The farm is just NE of La Palma on a branch road where the bridges are presently unpassable by vehicle. The driveway leading to the farm is surrounded by wetland rice. The farm is in an island of large trees (remanants?), 2 traps being set up in the shade of these trees, understory removed. Because the samples are extremely poor, several have been sacrificed to general biology laboratories at UCR. Trap maintained by Doyle Santamaría Rodriguez.

PUNTARENAS, 5km northwest of Puerto Jimenez, 10m, 8° 33'N, 83° 21'W. Trap in a totally trashed habitat (not a primary forest in site), in the shade of a semi-abandoned orchard containing cacao, etc. Trap maintained by Virginia Herrero Orocú.

PUNTARENAS, Puerto Jimenez, 10m. 8° 32'N, 83° 19'W. Just before arriving at the first intersection in Puerto Jimenez is the house of ??? (a bicycle repair man). The trap is located in full sun, in a grassy, totally trashed site, with weedy bushes and trees nearby.

PUNTARENAS, 24 km south of Puerto Jimenez, finca La Jilba, 100m.

PUNTARENAS, 27 km south of Puerto Jimenez, Rio Piro, 75m.

PUNTARENAS, Cerro Rincon, 200m south of hito (marker), 745m elevation, 8° 31'N, 83° 28'W. The highest point on the Osa Peninsula, virgin forest.

PUNTARENAS, Rancho Quemado, 2 km north on camino Drake, 275m.

PUNTARENAS, Rancho Quemado, rivera Rio Riyito, 200m

D) HIGHER ELEVATION SITES IN PUNTARENAS PROVINCE

PUNTARENAS, San Vito, Jardin Botánica Las Cruces (Wilson Botanic Garden), 1300m.

PUNTARENAS, San Vito, Estación Biológica Las Alturas, 1500 meters, 8° 57'N, 82° 50'W. Located northeast of San Vito, only 10 km from the Panamanian border, the station is just north of the town of Las Alturas. The research station is owned and operated by Stanford University. Originally 3 traps were placed fairly close together: one in the pasture, one on the edge of the forest, and one within the forest (the one on the edge of the forest was the most productive). At least i.1991-vi.1992. These traps were later moved to higher altitudes, 1875m (ix-xi.1992). In January 1995 traps were placed at 2000 (poste 30), 2100 and 2200 meters.

E) SITES ON THE CARIBBEAN COASTAL PLAIN. The sites are presented in order, from northwest to southeast.

ALAJUELA, San Pedro de la Tigra, 200 meters, 10° 22'N, 84° 34'W. West of Jabillos. Mixed cacao (cocoa) plantation.

ALAJUELA, Los Chiles de Aguas Zarcas, 200 meters, 10° 24'N, 84° 20'W. Mixed cafe (coffee) plantation.

HEREDIA, Chilamate, 75 meters, 10° 27'N, 84° 05'W. Located in a patch of forest owned by Selva Verde (an ecotourist hotel).

HEREDIA, La Selva, 75 meters, 10° 26'N, 84° 01'W. The biological station owned by OTS (Organization for Tropical Studies). Lots of information available on this site. Virgin forest.

HEREDIA, Rio Frio, banana plantation, 100 meters, 10° 17'N, 83° 53'N. Banana plantation owned by Standard Fruit. Trap placed on the weedy border of the plantation.

LIMON, 16 km west of Guapiles, 400 meters.

LIMON, 4 km northeast of Bribri, 50 meters, 9° 38'N, 82° 49'W. Altered forest interspersed with cacao, plantain, etc.

LIMON, 7 km southwest of Bribri, 50 meters, 9° 35'N, 82° 53'W. Located in slightly altered forest (cattle run through it), within the indigenous people's reserve.

F) SITES IN GUANACASTE

GUANACASTE, Palo Verde.....

GUANACASTE, Volcán Cacao, Estación Cacao (previously known as Estación Mengo), 1000-1100 meters, 10° 56'N, 85° 28'W

GUANACASTE, Volcán Cacao, derrumbe (landslide), 1300 meters

GUANACASTE, Volcán Cacao, Arenales, 900 meters

GUANACASTE, Volcán Cacao, Sotobosque, 1100 meters

GUANACASTE, Volcán Cacao, Cerro Pedregal, 1000 meters

GUANACASTE, Volcán Orosi, Estación Maritza, 600-650 meters, 10° 57'N, 85° 30'W.

GUANACASTE, 9km southwest of Santa Cecilia, Estación Pitilla, 600-700m, 11° 00'N, 85° 26'W. Located on the lower Caribbean slopes of Volcán Orosi.