The capture of wild-living animals can provide valuable information that is critical in developing and implementing effective conservation actions. These capture procedures, however, often require direct handling of individuals by researchers, and conservationists should constantly seek to improve capture methods so that the impacts on animal welfare are minimised. The ngwayir (western ringtail possum; Pseudocheirus occidentalis) is a critically endangered arboreal marsupial in need of effective conservation. It is, however, not amenable to conventional trapping, leading to the use of methods such as nest robbing and tranquilisation using dart guns or pole syringes, which involve potentially serious animal welfare risks and longer exposure of animals to humans as compared to conventional trapping. In pursuit of an improved capture method, we investigated opportunistically whether placing traps above the ground would increase the capture success rate of the species, using wire cage traps baited with universal bait and fruit. Between 2010 and 2019, we deployed trapping grids in Locke Nature Reserve and adjacent campsites near Busselton, WA, Australia, with traps placed on the ground for 1,985 trap nights and traps placed on horizontal tree branches, fallen trees or fences, 1–2 m above ground for 694 trap nights. With the above ground traps we trapped 82 ngwayirs out of 694 trap nights, 27 in autumn and 55 in spring. We also captured eleven common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula; 1.6% trap success rate), 12 King’s skinks (Egernia kingii; 1.7%) and five black rats (Rattus rattus; 0.7%). Trapping success rate was higher in elevated traps (up to 18.3%) compared to traps on the ground (0.5%) and using fruit as bait increased the trap success rate. These results suggest that using elevated traps baited with fruit is a practical, effective method to capture the ngwayir.

We use contingent valuation to estimate hunter and trapper willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical bobcat harvest permit being considered in Indiana. Harvest permits would be rationed, with limits on aggregate and individual harvests. A model of permit demand shows that WTP may be subject to “congestion effects” which attenuate welfare gains from relaxing harvest limits. Intuitively, relaxing limits may directly change an individual’s expected harvest and, hence, WTP. Participation may subsequently change, with congestion offsetting welfare increases. These effects may lead to apparent scope insensitivity that may be endemic in the context of rationed goods.

Effective early detection, monitoring and management methods are critical for reducing the impacts of insect pests in agriculture and forestry. Combining host plant volatiles with sex pheromones could enhance trapping methodologies, whilst the use of non-host volatiles could improve the effectiveness of pest management through repellency effects. In this meta-analysis approach, we analysed 51 studies that used electroantennograms (EAG), wind tunnels and/or field traps to evaluate the antennal and behavioural responses of Lepidoptera to sex pheromones combined with attractant or repellent plant volatiles. Proposed attractant plant volatiles had a positive association with female Lepidoptera responses to sex pheromone, but effects on males were highly variable, with unexpected repellency reported in some studies. Proposed repellent plant volatiles were significantly or near-significantly negatively associated with male attraction to sex pheromones but were scarcely studied. Sub-group analysis identified that male responses to sex pheromone were reduced when the dose of attractant plant volatile relative to sex pheromone was increased. Green-leaf volatiles were associated with the strongest positive effects for males in field traps. Multiple-compound attractant plant volatile blends were less effective than single compounds in field studies. Our analysis demonstrates, (i) the potential value of combining host plant volatiles with sex pheromones to capture females rather than only males, (ii) the importance of identifying appropriate host plant volatiles and optimal relative doses, and (iii) the potential for non-host plant volatile use in pest management strategies.

There is serious concern for the future of a wide range of birds in Java and elsewhere in Indonesia due to both loss of habitat and trapping for the cagebird trade (the so-called “Asian Songbird Crisis”). Despite this concern, few data on presence and abundance of key species exist. We provide such data on 184 bird species from over two years of biodiversity surveys from 37 sites on 12 mountains in West and Central Java. Many of these species are heavily traded, endemic, and globally threatened. Several of the threatened endemics, notably Javan Trogon and Javan Cochoa, were often recorded, in terms of both geographical spread and numerical abundance. Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush, Spotted Crocias, and Orange-spotted Bulbul, believed to be threatened by trapping for the songbird trade, appear to remain fairly widespread. By contrast, Brown-cheeked Bulbul, Chestnut-backed (Javan) Scimitar-babbler, Javan Oriole, and especially Javan Blue-flycatcher, recorded on just a single occasion, and Javan Green Magpie, which we failed to record with certainty, now appear to be extremely rare. Our encounter rates, while not pinned to specific mountains for security reasons, represent an important baseline against which future changes in abundance can be gauged.

We report on the efficacy of body weight change as a measure of trapping and handling stress in two species of wild small mammal: bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) and wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). We tested two hypotheses: (1) that weight change after capture and handling is related to the intensity of the trapping and handling regime, and (2) that weight change after an intensive handling regime is related to an individual's current pattern of energy expenditure. Trapped wood mice that were subjected to intensive handling (intensive stressor) lost more weight than did animals that were handled minimally (less intensive stressor), but this was not the case for bank voles. Patterns and factors related to body weight change in response to intensive handling also differed between the two species: heavier and non-breeding bank voles were more likely to lose weight, but this was not true for wood mice, and none of the factors we measured was found to affect weight loss in this species. Our results were broadly consistent with the predictions of the biological cost hypothesis. We discuss the limitations and benefits of weight loss as a measure of stress.

Predation of sheep and cattle by the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is implicated in significant stock losses throughout much of mainland Australia. Leg-hold traps are commonly used for dingo control and ways are sought to improve the humaneness of these devices. We evaluated the performance of the tranquilliser trap device (TTD) attached to Victor Soft-Catch® traps for their ability to deliver a sedative and anxiolytic drug to trapped dingoes. A trapping programme was conducted in south-west Queensland where traps were set alternatively with a TTD containing either 800 mg of diazepam (drug TTD) or a placebo (placebo TTD). All TTDs included 20 mg of the bait marker iophenoxic acid (IPA) to ascertain dosing success. Each trap was fitted with an activity-monitoring data logger that recorded time of capture and subsequent dingo activity. In 41 out of 48 (85.4%) captures the TTD was ruptured and released its contents. No elevation in serum iodine levels above I mg ml-1 resulting from the ingestion of IPA occurred in 8 out of 36 (22.2%) captures, which suggests a higher rate of dosage failure. Dingo activity was highest in both groups immediately after capture, but declined after the first hour in each. The activity of dingoes that accepted a drug TTD was significantly reduced compared to those that took the placebo. However, tooth and limb damage scores did not differ significantly between the drug and placebo group. Much of the physical trauma may have occurred within the first hour of capture when activity was intense and before drug onset in the TTD drug group. The use of TTDs containing sedative and anxiolytic drugs has the potential to reduce anxiety and distress associated with prolonged captivity, but the delivery of a lethal agent that is rapidly acting and humane may result in better welfare outcomes.

Small mammals are routinely live-trapped and subsequently handled for a range of ecological and behavioural studies. Despite the techniques commonly employed being potentially stressful for the individual animals involved, it has hitherto been difficult to quantify the physiological impact. Here, we report on the first instance of using the Leukocyte Coping Capacity technique (LCC) in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) and wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) to investigate the physiological impact of routine trapping and handling techniques. Twenty microlitres of blood were obtained from 40 animals, of which 25 were handled following standard protocols and 15 were not. We found that even a short period of acute stress is sufficient to trigger an immune response which was measurable using the LCC technique. These results further validate the use of the LCC technique for measuring the physiological impact of standard trapping and handling treatments on wild mammals.

The endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata is under pressure from habitat loss and from capturing for the cage bird trade. In north-east Argentina it is known to be associated with the Espinal ecoregion, but no information was available on habitat selection within this ecoregion. In Entre Ríos province, Argentina, we first sampled Yellow Cardinal presence in four environments: Espinal savannahs, Espinal open woodlands, riparian woodlands, and agricultural fields. Yellow Cardinals were only detected in savannahs. In a second set of surveys, transects were surveyed at sites with known presence of Yellow Cardinals and were placed within savannahs as well as nearby in open forests of only slightly different physiognomy. Yellow Cardinals were again only detected in savannahs. Tree density, shrub cover and height of herbaceous layer were lower in savannahs than in open woodlands. Ground-foraging Yellow Cardinals in savannahs foraged exclusively in grass patches with short grass of 3˗12 cm height. Such short grass occurred in 75% of spots of savannahs sites, but only in 48% of open woodlands. Savannah sites with Yellow Cardinals were significantly further away from permanent roads than sites without Cardinals, likely a reflection of capture pressure near roads. We recommend establishing additional protected areas with a high proportion of savannah patches and with limited or no road access. The short grass used by foraging Yellow Cardinals requires maintenance through grazing. Rewilding with native herbivores in protected areas is preferable to attain natural herbivory, but during the initial stages of rewilding, cattle and sheep grazing are essential to avoid tree and shrub proliferation in savannahs. The Yellow Cardinal can also persist on private lands with Espinal vegetation under sustainable livestock grazing. Frequent and effective patrolling and road controls are essential to reduce illegal capturing.

This study focuses on the phenomenon of oil trapping in the tooth spaces of spur gears.It presents the first obtained results in order to provide an estimation of the powerlosses due to the compression of the oil trapped between the inter teeth meshing spaces ina high-speed transmission for internal and external spur gears. It first allows, to modelthe inter teeth spaces at any time and offers limits for the trapped fluid volume andaxial and radial discharge surfaces. The discretization impact result is discussed.Then,the influence of certain design and operating parameters such as module, pressure angle,addendum modification coefficient and rotational speed on these discharge surfaces andtrapped volume is presented.

The harvest of wildlife through hunting, trapping and snaring is illegal in Vietnam but remains widespread and is understood to be the major threat to many species. Clandestine activities such as trapping and snaring, which are deeply embedded in the culture and economy, are difficult to investigate and this study is the first to carry out in-depth research into the illegal capture and sale of wildlife by a major ethnic group in Vietnam. The research focused on two villages of the Katu, a forest-dwelling people living close to the boundary of the newly created Saola Nature Reserve, and involved collecting data from a focus group, 30 semi-structured interviews with trappers, and a number of informal, unstructured interviews with local forest rangers, forest officers and village headmen. We find that trapping is widespread and motivated by financial gain and non-pecuniary benefits such as social esteem and enjoyment, rather than by poverty per se. Trappers’ awareness of wildlife protection law was low and animals were killed indiscriminately in traps and snares designed to catch a range of animal species. With demand for wildlife and wildlife products expected to increase we believe that new approaches will be required to protect threatened species in Vietnamese protected areas.

Introduction. Knowledge of tephritid diversity in Senegal was poor before 2004, so PIP-COLEACP and CIRAD, in collaboration with Cérès-DPV, carried out, in 2004, trapping for preliminary detection of fruit flies in six orchards in the Niayes zone. Materials and methods. We selected three mixed mango orchards and three homogeneous mango orchards in this zone. In each orchard, we used three attractants: Terpinyl acetate (Ter), Trimedlure (Tri) and Torula (Tor). Traps were serviced weekly. Results. We captured 77 642 fruit flies in more than 4 months including mango season; they were represented by 18 identified fly species, including ten Ceratitis, six Dacus and two Bactrocera species. Two very serious pests were identified with the confirmation of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) for cucurbit crops and the detection of B. invadens Drew Tsuruta & White for fruit crops. The two most abundant species of Ceratitis were C. cosyra and C. silvestrii. Discussion. We captured more fruit fly species in mixed mango orchards than in homogeneous mango orchards. Bactrocera invadens was also more abundant in mixed orchards, probably because of its polyphagous status. This new invasive species, B. invadens, can have many hosts in mixed mango orchards, enhancing its breeding potential. Conclusion. Effective management to deal with this alien species requires: (i) improvement of basic and applied research; (ii) an effective IPM package; (iii) an area-wide management approach; (iv) a sub-regional effort on the part of researchers, extension services, growers, exporters, farming associations and the different actors in fruit value chains (mainly mango).

Capture rates of insectary-reared female Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say, Culex nigripalpus Theobald, Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes triseriatus (Say) in CDC-type light traps (LT) supplemented with CO2 and using the human landing (HL) collection method were observed in matched-pair experiments in outdoor screened enclosures. Mosquito responses were compared on a catch-per-unit-effort basis using regression analysis with LT and HL as the dependent and independent variables, respectively. The average number of mosquitoes captured in 1 min by LT over a 24-h period was significantly related to the average number captured in 1 min by HL only for Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. quinquefasciatus. Patterns of diel activity indicated by a comparison of the mean response to LT and HL at eight different times in a 24-h period were not superposable for any species. The capture rate efficiency of LT when compared with HL was ≤15% for all mosquitoes except Cx. quinquefasciatus (43%). Statistical models of the relationship between mosquito responses to each collection method indicate that, except for Ae. albopictus, LT and HL capture rates are significantly related only during certain times of the diel period. Estimates of mosquito activity based on observations made between sunset and sunrise were most precise in this regard for An. quadrimaculatus and Cx. nigripalpus, as were those between sunrise and sunset for Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. triseriatus.

Archaeological investigations of ‘desert kites’ in south Israel show them to have been animal traps of considerable sophistication and capacity, constructed in the Early Bronze Age or earlier. Extensive stone-wall arms gather in gazelles from their habitual trails and canalise them into a sunken enclosure, cunningly hidden from view of the galloping herd until it was too late…

In the present paper we review the most recent degradation modes and mechanisms recently observed in AlGaN/GaN (Aluminum Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride). High Electron-Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), as resulting from a detailed accelerated testing campaign, based on reverse bias tests and DC accelerated life tests at various temperatures. Despite the large efforts spent in the last few years, and the progress in mean time to failure values, reliability of GaN HEMTs, and millimeter microwave integrated circuits still represent a relevant issue for the market penetration of these devices. The role of temperature in promoting GaN HEMT failure is controversial, and the accelerating degradation factors are largely unknown. The present paper proposes a methodology for the analysis of failure modes and mechanisms of GaN HEMTs, based on (i) DC and RF stress tests accompanied by an (ii) extensive characterization of traps using deep level transient spectroscopy and pulsed measurements, (iii) detailed analysis of electrical characteristics, and (iv) comparison with two-dimensional device simulations. Results of failure analysis using various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are presented and failure mechanisms observed at the high electric field values typical of the operation of these devices are reviewed.

Neotropical species richness is often estimated using accumulation or rarefaction curves and extrapolations based on various methods, but the efficacy of these methods is rarely tested. We used both a time-limited trapping session and previous knowledge of the mammal fauna from a site in French Guiana to validate these different methods. Three currently used extrapolation models were tested on our data. In a 2.5-mo trapping period we caught 75 individuals representing 18 small non-volant mammal species in three different habitats. We found that for comparable trapping efforts, village edges presented a higher abundance and species richness than primary and secondary forests. Species richness extrapolations using current models demonstrated that the exponential dependence model fits the known diversity of the site better, although this model is usually applied to large geographic areas and to relatively poorly documented taxa. Both Clench equation and linear dependence models underestimate small-mammal species richness in our study. We finally emphasize the interest of sampling in such edges surrounded by either primary or secondary forest, to maximize the probability of trapping rare species.

Significant progress has been made in the development of SiC metal semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) and monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers for high-frequency power applications. Three-inch-diameter high-purity semi-insulating 4H-SiC substrates have been used in this development, enabling high-volume fabrication with improved performance by minimizing surface- and substrate-related trapping issues previously observed in MESFETs. These devices exhibit excellent reliability characteristics, with mean time to failure in excess of 500 h at a junction temperature of 410°C. A sampling of these devices has also been running for over 5000 h in an rf high-temperature operating-life test, with negligible changes in performance. High-power SiC MMIC amplifiers have also been demonstrated with excellent yield and repeatability. These MMIC amplifiers show power performance characteristics not previously available with conventional GaAs technology. These developments have led to the commercial availability of SiC rf power MESFETs and to the release of a foundry process for MMIC fabrication.

American mink Mustela vison are an invasive species in many parts of the world (e.g. Europe, Iceland and South America) and in many of these areas they are a threat to the native wildlife. It is therefore important to establish a reliable and efficient method to estimate their relative abundance in order to manage their populations. In this study, the use of surveys of signs (scats and footprints) as a way to estimate the relative abundance of American mink was evaluated. Populations of mink in three areas of England were studied to evaluate the impact of three factors (surveyor, marking places and month) on the probability of deposition and detection of signs. Among these factors only month had a significant effect. In the second part of the study, sign surveys were compared with live trapping and it was found that the proportion of sections with mink signs was only loosely correlated to the abundance of mink as estimated from live trapping. In conclusion, this study suggests that, provided that surveyors are trained, that there is a sufficient number of marking places in each section, and that the surveys are carried out in comparable seasons, sign surveys are an appropriate way to monitor the relative abundance of mink. Sign surveys are better than trapping when it is necessary to monitor mink populations over large areas because they are less time consuming, require less manpower and are cheaper.

In the forest zone of Côte d'Ivoire, Vavoua's traps and supports treated with pyriproxyfen® (Sumitomo) have been tested against Glossina palpalis palpalis. The supports were impregnated one time only at the dosage of 2 mg/cm2.

This juvenile hormone mimic acting as growth regulator has a good efficacy: apparent density was reduced by 87% after 2 months and was maintained at this level for 150 days; percentage of nulliparous females was equal to 0 between 40th and 120th days.

Pyriproxyfen may be recommended for the control of animal trypanosomiasis vectors—if it costs less than the insecticides; its slow effect on tsetse population does not favour its use for the control of human African trypanosomiasis which needs a drastic and immediate reduction of Glossina densities.