The Malaise Trap: Its Utility and Potential for Sampling Insect Populations

Slightly over three decades have elapsed since Malaise (1937) first published plans for the insect trap now bearing his name a stationary mesh tent with open sides, a central baffle, and a top-mounted collecting apparatus (Fig. 1). A non-attractant device, the Malaise trap is based upon the observation that most flying insects hitting an obstacle respond by flying (or crawling) upward (and thus into captivity). In recent years, the Malaise trap has become increasingly popular among insect taxonomists and collectors as a means of augmenting catch and collecting rare or ephemeral representatives. Many variations have been developed (e.g., Townes, 1962; Gressitt and Gressitt, 1962; Marston, 1965; Chanter, 1965; Butler, 1965), most aimed at making the trap more portable and/or efficient for collecting a particular insect group. To date, however, the Malaise trap has received little notice among other biologists, although it would appear to have considerable potential in almost any field study involving flying insects, and particularly in ecological investigations

Historic Trends in the Levels of Georgia's State and Local Taxes

This is a report on general trends in Georgia's state and local taxation over the period 1985 to 2007. FRC Report 20

The Wasps. Howard E. Evans and Mary Jane West Eberhard, with drawings by Sarah Landry. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1970. vi, 265 pp. Paper, $3.45.

Excerpt: This pocket-sized book is indeed a high point in recent entomological literature. Concisely written, and including a remarkable amount of new or recently published information, The Wasps is essentially a comparative natural history of these fascinating animals. Only the higher or aculeate wasps are covered, a fact not clear from the title. After a brief survey of the Hymenoptera, five chapters follow: two on solitary species, two on social wasps, and a fascinating final chapter treating the diverse and often intricate biotic relationships of wasps. The book is generously illustrated, with 122 figures about equally divided between ph~tographs and drawings; several photographs of tropical social wasps appear here for the fmt time. The University of Michigan Press is to be commended, as the book is virtually free of typographical errors, and the photographic reproductions are of the highest quality

Potential Impact of the Great Plan on Georgia's Tax Administration - Brief

This brief examines local property tax and sales tax implications for tax administrators. FRC Brief 16

Tax Revenue Volatility and a State-Wide Education Sales Tax - Brief

This brief examines issues of revenue source stability raised by proposals to shift K-12 education costs from local property taxes to a state-wide sales tax. FRC Brief 10

Unusual Sex Allocation in a Solitary Parasitoid Wasp, \u3ci\u3eSphaeropthalma Pensylvanica\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae)

Sphaeropthalma pensyluanica reared from cocoons of the organ pipe mud dauber, Trypoxylon politum from Georgia over several years yielded only adult males. Possible explanations for this sex-biased emergence from this host are (1) obligatory heteronomous heterotrophy, in which the two sexes develop on entirely different hosts; (2) differential mortality in the immature stage, with female larvae dying during development; and (3) facultative size- dependent sex allocation, with female eggs laid only on hosts smaller than T. politum

Retail Proximity and Residential Values or Do Nearby Stores Really Run Down Property Values?

Common knowledge tells us that locating retail sites near houses will run down the house's value. This common knowledge has lead to highly segregated land use patterns and automobile dependency. But, does locating near a store really adversely affect residential values. In this study we find that it is true for only very short distances - about 200 to 300 feet. After that, for about a quarter of a mile, proximity to stores - contrary to popular wisdom - actually increases residential value. Working Paper 07-2

Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law: A Policy Guide to the Evaluation and Use of Tax Allocation Districts

Within the past five years, eleven separate tax allocation districts (TADs) have been created in the metropolitan Atlanta region. Currently, policy-makers in the City of Atlanta are considering the use of TADs to finance the proposed "Beltline" project. While TADs are a powerful tool in a localities' economic development arsenal, these policies are not without cost and not without risk. The sudden surge in popularity of this economic development tool generally has not been accompanied by any systematic assessment or set of policies to guide their evaluation or their use. Thus, this report sets out to familiarize local policy makers with:* How TADs work;* The potential benefits of TADs;* The potential risks and costs associated with TADs and how these might be distributed across different stakeholder groups; and* Policies to help minimize costs and risks

Replacing All Property Taxes: An Analysis of Revenue Issues - Brief

This brief discusses the amount of revenue needed to replace all the property taxes in Georgia. FRC Brief 17