A
beating net, also known as
beating sheet,
beat sheet or
beating tray, is a device used to
collect insects. It consists of a white cloth stretched out on a circular or rectangular frame which may be dismantled for transport. The beating tray is held under a tree or shrub and the foliage is then shaken or beaten with a stick. Insects fall from the plant and land on the cloth. They can then be examined or collected using a
pooter. Advanced beating trays have a conical net, a screen, a sleeve and a choke which can be released letting the insects fall into a container. The insect beating net was devised by
George Carter Bignell.