Late afternoon at a dairy farm southeast england.
Handling live insects is difficult at the best of times. Here we were collecting Culicoides biting midges and mosquitoes using a trap with both blacklight and CO2 lures for use in live attraction studies. This meant early morning rises to ensure our caught insects were in the best shape possible when we got them to the lab.
Small insects desiccate quickly, so if collection first thing is not possible shade, damp surfaces and protection from the elements are crucial.