Pan-trap survey data from the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, 2017-2020

Data is collected by PoMS volunteers and staff from up to 75 1 km squares, during four visits each summer, aiming for one visit in each month from May to August. There will be gaps in the data where a square cannot be visited during a particular year or month. At each visit, five pan-traps are positioned in a transect across the 1 km square, and left in position for approx. six hours. The insects trapped are returned to the PoMS laboratory, where all insects are sorted into main taxonomic groupings and counted, and all bees and hoverflies are passed to taxonomic experts for identification to species level where possible. Data is entered using online forms that promote consistency in data formats. QA checks are carried out on any photos provided that show plants in flower in the vicinity of the pan-traps; bee and hoverfly identifications are cross-checked by multiple taxonomists for all rare and apparently out-of-range occurrences, plus a random sample of other occurrences.