Hylobius adults, for example, are more likely to be observed in the morning or on overcast or rainy days. The opposite is true for the two Galerucella species and Nanophyes marmoratus. The first item once you arrive at a sample quadrat will be to search for insects. Be alert when approaching a quadrat and watch for adults. It will be impossible to observe eggs or larvae of root feeders or of flower feeders.
Insect abundance has to be assessed using adult counts.
For the leaf-feeders it is possible to count adults, eggs and larvae. The two Galerucella species can not be separated in the field, therefore, they will be counted together. The most useful approach is a combination of counts using fixed time intervals. Use a 1 minute total search time for each species released and for each life stage. It is recommended to do the field work with 3 people observing the sample quadrat from different sides.