Passive trapping techniques are a common method of sampling insect assemblages and communities. Traps collect a sample of the population and can capture insects that are rarer or more difficult to obtain with active sampling techniques. The exact method of trapping can affect information gained from trapping as well. In this study, passive traps were used at eight sites spread across two locations in Northern Idaho across a small (700m) elevation gradient within huckleberry (Vaccinium spp.) stands. These traps consisted of pitfall transects (ground community) and four permutations of cross-vane traps (aerial community). Insects of interest in this study included Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and pollinating Diptera. Comparisons were made between ground and aerial traps as well as between aerial trap permutations using a set of diversity metrics (Shannon Diversity, Simpson Diversity, Richness, Abundance, and Evenness). Differences in diversity metrics were significant between certain insect groups and trap types such as blue and yellow aerial traps, where Shannon’s diversity index was consistently higher in yellow traps, but Simpson’s diversity index was consistently higher in blue traps.
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