Flotation Technique for Extracting Eggs of Diabrotica spp. and Other Organisms from Soil

A simple, rapid, inexpensive method of extracting eggs of Diabrotica spp. and other soil fauna from soil by utilizing flotation has been devised. Such use of flotation is not a new technique. Kevan (1962) stated that in 1936 W. R. S. Ladell utilized a magnesium sulfate solution upon which to float soil arthropods. Since then different workers have used several types of apparatus and solutions. Most involve a complicated combination of sieves and funnels. In general, they are designed to aid in survey work in which viability of specimens after extraction is not important. Salt solutions containing magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, or potassium bromide are most commonly used for flotation. However, in collecting nematodes Coveness and Jensen (1955) utilized a centrifugal flotation of soil in sugar solution.