Stephanidae are usually rare in  collections. However, this may be related to the lack of efficient collecting techniques for the group. Sweeping, Malaise traps, and  light traps usually yield a low number of stephanids, even in areas where they are known to be abundant (pers obs. and pers. comm. with collectors). Neither the literature nor in labels of 3000 museum specimens examined by the senior author, have  any  record of Stephanidae collected with yellow pan traps, an effective trapping method for many Hymenoptera (Masner 1976; Noyes 1989).
     During a collecting trip to St. Catherines Island (Georgia, USA), September 18-25, 1996,  we set 155 yellow and 39 blue pan traps (Solo™ party plates and bowls), on ground level with water / detergent as a collecting medium. The traps were used for three days, in two sites: (1) an open area (oak savanna) with grassy vegetation, surrounded by oak-pine forest (112 yellow, 15 blue),  and (2) a shaded area at the edge of oak-pine forest, with many fallen branches and dead trees scattered around (43 yellow, 24 blue). Site 2 was chosen as a probable habitat for Stephanidae, usually found on or around dead standing or fallen trees (Gauld 1995, and pers. obs.).  On the first day 3 specimens of Megischus bicolor (Westwood) (Stephanidae) were collected in blue pans on site 2. After that, the 15 blue traps from site 1 were transferred to site 2, resulting in a total of 43 yellow and 39 blue pan traps. No stephanids were caught on the second day, and four more female M. bicolor were collected in blue pans on the third day.
     The fact that all stephanids were collected only in blue traps strongly suggests a preference of that color to yellow., and that the use of blue pan traps can be an effective trapping technique for these insects. This is in agreement with Kirk's (1984) observation that white or blue pan traps work as well as, or better than yellow in attracting predators and parasites not associated with foliage. Preference for white and blue was also observed in Encyrtidae and Pompilidae (Weseloh 1986; Berglind 1993), and in  females of Andrena limnanthis (Andrenidae) (Leong and Thorp 1995).
 

We thank St. Catherines Island  Foundation (American  Museum of Natural History, New York, NY) for providing funds for research on the island, and to Mr. Royce Hayes (St. Catherines Island, GA) for his valuable assistance.

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