第1段

Collecting ants can be as simple as picking up stray ones and placing them in a glass jar, or as complicated as completing an exhaustive survey of all species present in an area and estimating their relative abundances. The exact method used will depend on the final purpose of the collections. For taxonomy, or classification, long series, from a single nest, which contain all castes (workers, including majors and minors, and, if present, queens and males) are desirable, to allow the determination of variation within species. For ecological studies, the most important factor is collecting identifiable samples of as many of the different species present as possible. Unfortunately, these methods are not always compatible. The taxonomist sometimes overlooks whole species in favour of those groups currently under study, while the ecologist often collects only a limited number of specimens of each species, thus reducing their value for taxonomic investigations.

第1段：
采集蚂蚁可以简单地将迷路的蚂蚁捡起来放入玻璃罐中，也可以复杂到完成对某一地区所有物种的详尽调查，并估计它们的相对丰度。所使用的具体方法将取决于收集的最终目的。对于分类学或分类而言，最理想的是长系列标本，来自一个巢穴，其中包含所有类型（工蚁，包括大工蚁和小工蚁，以及如有的女王和雄蚁），以便确定物种内的变异。对于生态学研究来说，最重要的因素是尽可能收集到尽可能多的不同物种的可识别样本。不幸的是，这些方法并不总是兼容的。分类学家有时会忽视整个物种，而倾向于研究中的物种群，而生态学家则通常只收集每个物种的有限数量的标本，从而降低了它们在分类学研究中的价值。

第2段

To collect as wide a range of species as possible, several methods must be used. These include hand collecting, using baits to attract the ants, ground litter sampling, and the use of pitfall traps. Hand collecting consists of searching for ants everywhere they are likely to occur.  This includes on the ground, under rocks, logs or other objects on the ground, in rotten wood on the ground or on trees, in vegetation, on tree trunks and under bark. When possible, collections should be made from nests or foraging columns and at least 20 to 25 individuals collected. This will ensure that all individuals are of the same species, and so increase their value for detailed studies. Since some species are largely nocturnal, collecting should not be confined to daytime. Specimens are collected using an aspirator (often called a pooter), forceps, a fine, moistened paint brush, or fingers, if the ants are known not to sting. Individual insects are placed in plastic or glass tubes (1. 5-3. 0 ml capacity for small ants, 5-8 ml for larger ants) containing 75% to 95% ethanol. Plastic tubes with secure tops are better than glass because they are lighter, and do not break as easily if mishandled.

第2段：
为了尽可能收集到尽可能多的物种，必须使用多种方法。这些方法包括手工采集、使用诱饵吸引蚂蚁、采集地面杂物样本以及使用落坑陷阱。手工采集包括在蚂蚁可能出现的地方搜寻。这包括地面上、石头下、木头或其他物体上面，地面上或树上腐烂的木头中，植被中，树干上和树皮下。如果可能，应从巢穴或觅食队列中收集标本，并收集至少20到25个个体。这将确保所有个体属于同一物种，从而增加它们用于详细研究的价值。由于一些物种主要在夜间活动，采集不应局限于白天。标本可使用吸管（通常称为吸虫器）、镊子、细湿毛刷或手指进行采集，如果已知蚂蚁不会螫伤人的话。将单个昆虫放入含有75%至95%乙醇的塑料或玻璃管中（对于小蚂蚁，容量为1.5-3.0毫升，对于较大的蚂蚁，容量为5-8毫升）。与玻璃相比，具有密封盖的塑料管更好，因为它们更轻，如果处理不当不易破碎。

第3段

Baits can be used to attract and concentrate foragers. This often increases the number of individuals collected and attracts species that are otherwise elusive. Sugars and meats or oils will attract different species and a range should be utilised. These baits Can be placed either on the ground or on the trunks of trees or large shrubs. When placed on the ground, baits should be situated on small paper cards or other flat, light-coloured surfaces, or in test-tubes or vials. This makes it easier to spot ants and to capture them before they can escape into the surrounding leaf litter.

第3段：
诱饵可以用于吸引并集中觅食者。这通常会增加收集的个体数量，并吸引那些平时难以捕捉到的物种。糖、肉类或油类能够吸引不同的物种，因此应该使用不同种类的诱饵。这些诱饵可以放置在地面上或树干和大灌木上。当放置在地面上时，诱饵应放置在小纸卡片或其他平坦、浅色的表面上，或者放在试管或瓶子中。这样可以更容易地发现蚂蚁并在它们逃入周围的枯叶堆之前将它们捕捉到。

第4段

Many ants are small and forage primarily in the layer of leaves and other debris on the ground. Collecting these species by hand can be difficult. One of the most successful ways to collect them is to gather the leaf litter in which they are foraging and extract the ants from it. This is most commonly done by placing leaf litter on a screen over a large funnel, often under some heat. As the leaf litter dries from above, ants (and other animals) move downward and eventually fall out the bottom and are collected in alcohol placed below the funnel. This method works especially well in rain forests and marshy areas. A method of improving the catch when using a funnel is to sift the leaf litter through a coarse screen before placing it above the funnel. This will concentrate the litter and remove larger leaves and twigs. It will also allow more litter to be sampled when using a limited number of funnels.

第4段：
许多蚂蚁很小，主要在地面上的叶层和其他杂物中觅食。手工采集这些物种可能很困难。收集它们最成功的方法之一是收集它们当时正在觅食的叶层，并从中提取蚂蚁。这通常是通过将叶层放置在一个大漏斗上的筛网上，并在一些热源下进行操作。随着上方的叶层变干，蚂蚁（和其他动物）向下移动，最终从底部掉落，并被收集在漏斗下方的酒精中。这种方法在雨林和沼泽地区特别有效。在使用漏斗时改进捕获率的方法是在将叶层放置在漏斗上方之前，通过一个粗筛网筛选叶层。这样可以集中杂物并去除较大的叶子和树枝。同时，当使用有限数量的漏斗时，这也能够采样更多的叶层。

第5段

The pitfall trap is another commonly used tool for collecting ants. A pitfall trap can be any small container placed in the ground with the top level with the surrounding surface and filled with a preservative. Ants are collected when they fall into the trap while foraging. The diameter of the traps can vary from about 18 mm to 10 cm and the number used can vary from a few to several hundred. The size of the traps used is influenced largely by personal preference (although larger sizes are generally better), while the number will be determined by the study being undertaken. The preservative used is usually ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, as alcohol will evaporate quickly and the traps will dry out. One advantage of pitfall traps is that they can be used to collect over a period of time with minimal maintenance and intervention. One disadvantage is that some species are not collected as they either avoid the traps or do not commonly encounter them while foraging.