July 26–27, 2025. A field trip was held by the Master in Pest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The activity was conducted at Pondok Alam Merapi, Pakem District, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This trip was part of the Practicum in Insect Taxonomy and Systematics course by Dr. Prayogo Probo Asmoro, which aimed to provide master’s students with hands-on experience in recognizing, identifying, and observing various types of insects in their natural environment. The activity was attended by students, lecturers, and practicum assistants.
Day one. Students departed from the Faculty of Agriculture, UGM, at noon. Upon arriving at the practicum site, the team was selected to set up various insect traps. Each type of trap was strategically chosen to target specific insect groups: color sticky traps were employed to catch winged insects that are active in the plant canopy, pan traps were used for capturing pollinators like bees and flies, and pitfall traps were placed to collect ground-dwelling insects. Additionally, light traps were utilized to attract nocturnal winged insects. During the night, the team conducted observations using Malaise traps, which successfully captured a diverse array of leafhoppers and moths.
Final day. Morning exercises began to boost immunity and health, allowing for a more energetic start to the day. Next, a trekking trip to the Turgo Hill area was conducted to directly observe and collect insect samples using sweepnet and aspirator. Before concluding the activity, all the traps were removed to collect the trapped insects.
The day began with morning exercises aimed to enhancing immunity and overall health, providing participants with an energetic start. Following the exercises, a trekking trip to the Turgo Hill, attendees had the opportunity to observe nature and gather insect samples using tools like sweepnets and aspirators. To wrap up the activity, all traps were collected to retrieve the insects that had been captured by the trap one day ago.
The entire field trip proceeded smoothly and orderly, providing students with valuable hands-on experience in identifying insect diversity in their natural habitat. Beyond the academic aspects, the activity also fostered positive interactions, teamwork, and strengthened relationships among participants, assistants, and lecturers.
Author: Juan Bastian
Editor: Riya Fatma Sari
