Beating
Beating is used to sample invertebrates directly from plant foliage. The general technique is to hold or place a large white tray or sheet beneath the foliage you intend to sample, and deliver several sharp blows with a stick to the stem of the foliage in order to knock the invertebrates off. Depending on the size of the organisms being sampled, they can then be collected with a pooter or a pair of fine forceps. Beating is not effective for sampling flying insects such wasps, bees, flies, and adult Lepidoptera, but it is a good method for rapid sampling of wingless and poor-flying invertebrates such as caterpillars, spiders, ants, stick insects, thrips, and true bugs.