An apparatus for separating soil arthropods in litter

Abstract

The utility model relates to a litter separation technical field, a separation device of soil arthropod in litter, including the decomposition box, the cavity inside fixed mounting of decomposition box has the separation component that can separate litter, the inner wall fixed mounting of decomposition box has the light source component that can irradiate separation component, the top wall fixed mounting of decomposition box has heating component, the separation component includes litter placement funnel, the top end of communication pipe is inserted and is installed at the discharge gate department of litter placement funnel, the bottom end of communication pipe is inserted and is installed in the inside of middle layer filter box, the collection bottle bolt installation is at the bottom end department of middle layer filter box, the utility model discloses through by the litter placement of upper layer litter placement layer, the middle layer filter layer is the built -in breathable screen of middle layer filter box, the lower layer collection layer is the collection bottle collection soil arthropod that falls down from screen, the top LED lamp provides the illumination, the spiral pipe heater heats, and combine the double drive mechanism of light -proof, heat -proof, improve separation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of litter separation technology, and in particular to a device for separating soil arthropods from litter. Background Technology

[0002] Litter, also known as dead matter or organic debris, refers to all organic matter produced by aboveground plant components and returned to the earth's surface within an ecosystem. It serves as a source of matter and energy for decomposers, maintaining the ecosystem's functions. Soil arthropods in litter contain thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid insecticide. Due to its high organic matter content, thiamethoxam may remain in litter for a prolonged period through adsorption. It may also migrate through rainwater runoff or soil animal activity, thus affecting the exposure risk of soil arthropods. Long-term exposure to low concentrations of thiamethoxam residues may affect the reproductive capacity, growth, development, and immune function of soil arthropods in the litter and soil layers, thereby altering their population dynamics and ecosystem functions.

[0003] After sampling, the light- and heat-avoidance properties of arthropods are usually taken advantage of. A wide-mouthed bottle filled with two-thirds alcohol is placed under the funnel of the separation device, so that the arthropods fall into the bottle due to their light-avoidance properties. However, this separation process requires continuous light exposure for 48 hours, which is inefficient when research time is tight or when a large number of samples need to be obtained quickly.

[0004] In addition, different species of arthropods differ in their activity habits and sensitivity to light and heat. Some species may have smaller activity ranges, higher sensitivity to traps, or be able to avoid trap areas, resulting in an incomplete sample range that cannot accurately reflect the true structure of the soil arthropod community. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing the following technical solution: A device for separating soil arthropods from litter includes a decomposition chamber with an opening in the top wall of the decomposition chamber, a separation component for separating litter fixedly installed inside the cavity of the decomposition chamber, a light source component for illuminating the separation component fixedly installed on the inner wall of the decomposition chamber, and a heating component fixedly installed on the top wall of the decomposition chamber. The separation assembly includes a litter placement funnel, a connecting pipe, a middle filter box, and a collection bottle. The litter placement funnel is fixedly installed on the inner top wall of the decomposition chamber and located directly below the opening. The top end of the connecting pipe is inserted into the outlet of the litter placement funnel, and the bottom end of the connecting pipe is inserted into the inside of the middle filter box. The collection bottle is bolted to the bottom of the middle filter box. The light source assembly includes LED lights, which are installed on both sides of the inner wall of the decomposition chamber and on both sides of the litter placement funnel. The heating assembly includes a cover and a spiral tube heater. The cover is fixedly installed on the top wall of the decomposition chamber, and the spiral tube heater is fixedly installed inside the cover and located directly above the opening.

[0006] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the bottom end of the connecting pipe is a three-way pipe, the bottom end of the connecting pipe is inserted into the cavity of the middle layer filter box, the top of the middle layer filter box is provided with a sealing cover, the bottom of the middle layer filter box is fixedly installed with a material collection funnel, and a screen plate is fixedly installed between the middle layer filter box and the material collection funnel.

[0007] As an improvement to the above technical solution, a viewing window is rotatably installed on one side of the disassembly box, and mounting holes are opened on the top wall of the disassembly box, with the mounting holes located on both sides of the opening.

[0008] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the LED light is provided with an external mounting box, which is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the disassembly box. The bottom plate of the cover is fixedly installed with a second fixing bolt, which is fixedly installed inside the mounting hole.

[0009] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the outer wall of the middle filter box is provided with light-absorbing holes, and the top of the litter placement funnel is provided with a first fixing bolt, which is fixedly installed inside the mounting hole.

[0010] As an improvement to the above technical solution, the middle filter box is composed of a breathable mesh plate around its perimeter.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. This utility model comprises an upper litter placement layer consisting of a litter placement funnel and a connecting tube. The top opening of the funnel is fixed to the top wall of the decomposition chamber, and the bottom of the funnel is connected to the connecting tube. It is used to place litter samples containing soil arthropods, guiding the samples downwards through the funnel and connecting tube. The middle filtration layer is a filter box with a built-in breathable screen, allowing soil arthropods to move downwards through the screen while blocking litter debris or large particles for initial separation. The lower collection layer is a collection bottle connected to the bottom of the middle filtration box by bolts, which is detachable for sampling. It collects soil arthropods falling from the screen for subsequent classification and identification. The top light source is a light source assembly with LED lights symmetrically installed on both sides of the inner wall of the decomposition chamber, located on either side of the litter placement funnel. This system provides uniform illumination, with a heating system consisting of a spiral tube heater fixed inside the cover. It heats and decomposes the air inside the chamber through thermal radiation, while LED lights simulate a strong light environment, driving arthropods to move towards the darker areas below. The spiral tube heater provides localized heating, creating a vertical temperature gradient that induces arthropods to migrate to the lower collection bottles in the lower temperature zone. This combined light and heat avoidance mechanism significantly improves the separation efficiency of arthropods from litter, shortens the experimental cycle, and reduces human error through a standardized separation process, improving the repeatability and scientific validity of experimental results. It achieves efficient and precise separation of soil arthropods from litter, providing reliable technical support for ecological research and is used in soil ecology studies of the impact of thiamethoxam residues on arthropods. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the separation component of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the middle filter box structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the light source assembly of this utility model; Figure 5 This is an unfolded view of the heating component and disassembly box of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the top of the disassembly box of this utility model.

[0013] Reference numerals: 1. Disintegration box; 11. Viewing window; 12. Opening; 13. Mounting hole; 2. Separation assembly; 21. Waste disposal funnel; 211. Light absorption hole; 212. First fixing bolt; 22. Connecting pipe; 23. Middle layer filter box; 231. Sealing cover; 232. Collection funnel; 233. Screen plate; 24. Collection bottle; 3. Light source assembly; 31. Mounting box; 32. LED light; 4. Heating assembly; 41. Cover; 411. Second fixing bolt; 42. Spiral tube heater. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following provides a more detailed description of the utility model. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the utility model.

[0015] Please see Figure 1-6 This utility model provides a technical solution: A device for separating soil arthropods from litter includes a decomposition box 1, an opening 12 on the top wall of the decomposition box 1, a separation component 2 for separating litter fixedly installed inside the cavity of the decomposition box 1, a light source component 3 for illuminating the separation component 2 fixedly installed on the inner wall of the decomposition box 1, and a heating component 4 fixedly installed on the top wall of the decomposition box 1. The separation assembly 2 includes a litter placement funnel 21, a connecting pipe 22, a middle filter box 23, and a collection bottle 24. The litter placement funnel 21 is fixedly installed on the inner top wall of the decomposition chamber 1 and is located directly below the opening 12. The top end of the connecting pipe 22 is inserted into the outlet of the litter placement funnel 21, and the bottom end of the connecting pipe 22 is inserted into the inside of the middle filter box 23. The collection bottle 24 is bolted to the bottom end of the middle filter box 23. The light source assembly 3 includes LED lights 32, which are installed on both sides of the inner wall of the cavity of the decomposition chamber 1 and are located on both sides of the litter placement funnel 21. The heating assembly 4 includes a cover 41 and a spiral tube heater 42. The cover 41 is fixedly installed on the top wall of the decomposition chamber 1, and the spiral tube heater 42 is fixedly installed inside the cover 41 and is located directly above the opening 12.

[0016] In this embodiment, the upper litter placement layer consists of a litter placement funnel 21 and a connecting pipe 22. The top opening 12 of the funnel is fixed to the top wall of the decomposition chamber 1, and the bottom of the funnel is connected to the connecting pipe 22 for placing litter samples containing soil arthropods. The samples are guided to flow to the lower layer through the funnel and the connecting pipe 22. The middle filtration layer is a middle filtration box 23 with a built-in breathable screen, allowing soil arthropods to move to the lower layer through the screen, blocking litter debris or large particles of impurities, and achieving preliminary separation. The lower collection layer is a collection bottle 24 connected to the bottom of the middle filtration box 23 by bolts, which can be disassembled for easy access. Sampling is performed to collect soil arthropods falling from the sieve for subsequent classification and identification. The top light source is the light source component 3, with LED lights 32 symmetrically installed on both sides of the inner wall of the decomposition chamber 1, located on both sides of the litter placement funnel 21, providing uniform illumination. The heating system is the heating component 4, with a spiral tube heater 42 fixed inside the cover 41, which heats the air inside the decomposition chamber through thermal radiation. The LED lights 32 simulate a strong light environment, driving the arthropods to move to the dark area below. The spiral tube heater 42 provides localized heating, forming a vertical temperature gradient, which induces the arthropods to migrate to the lower collection bottle 24 in the low-temperature zone. Specific workflow: Sample placement: Place the litter sample containing soil arthropods into the litter placement funnel 21, turn on the LED light 32 and the spiral tube heater 42 to create a strong light and high temperature environment in the decomposition chamber 1. Due to their light- and heat-avoidance characteristics, the soil arthropods move to the lower layer through the connecting tube 22, are filtered by the middle layer filter box 23, and fall into the collection bottle 24. Turn off the light source and heater, and after the device cools down, disassemble the collection bottle 24 to obtain the separated arthropod sample.

[0017] Beneficial effects: Combining light- and heat-avoidance mechanisms, this method significantly improves the separation efficiency of arthropods from litter, shortens the experimental cycle, and effectively filters impurities through a breathable middle layer sieve, ensuring high purity of collected arthropod samples and reducing subsequent classification workload. The light source and heating system are independently controllable, simulating different environmental conditions such as light intensity and temperature gradients, making it suitable for various ecological research scenarios. The simple modular design, with detachable funnels, sieves, and collection bottles, facilitates sample loading, cleaning, and reuse, reducing experimental costs. Standardized separation procedures reduce human error and improve the reproducibility and scientific validity of experimental results, achieving efficient and precise separation of soil arthropods from litter. This provides reliable technical support for ecological research and is applicable to soil ecology studies of the impact of thiamethoxam residues on arthropods.

[0018] Specifically, the bottom end of the connecting pipe 22 is a three-way pipe, and the bottom end of the connecting pipe 22 is inserted into the cavity of the middle filter box 23. The top of the middle filter box 23 is provided with a sealing cover 231, and the bottom of the middle filter box 23 is fixedly installed with a material collection funnel 232. A screen plate 233 is fixedly installed between the middle filter box 23 and the material collection funnel 232.

[0019] In this embodiment, the bottom end of the connecting tube 22 is a three-way tube structure. The main interface at the top end is inserted into the outlet of the upper litter placement funnel 21 to guide the litter sample downwards. The three interfaces at the bottom end are all vertically inserted into the cavity of the middle filter box 23, increasing the difficulty of the trap area and ensuring that the sample falls accurately into the sieve area. The top sealing cover 231 of the middle filter box 23 is designed to be snapped and disassembled, which facilitates cleaning the sieve, replacing the sieve plate 233, or repairing the internal structure. It has good sealing performance to prevent sample leakage or external contaminants from entering during the experiment. The three-way tube at the bottom end of the connecting tube 22 is vertically inserted into the cavity to ensure that the sample is evenly dispersed on the surface of the sieve plate 233. The cavity volume is large enough to avoid sample accumulation that could cause sieve blockage. The bottom collection funnel 2... 32. The funnel-shaped design accelerates the aggregation of arthropods to the collection bottle 24, reducing residue and shortening the separation time. The funnel outlet and the interface of the collection bottle 24 are tightly connected by threads to prevent sample escape. The sieve plate 233 is fixedly installed between the middle filter box 23 and the collection funnel 232. The sieve aperture is 1-2mm, designed according to the body shape of the target arthropods. The material is stainless steel to ensure that it will not deform after long-term use. It filters debris, soil particles and other impurities, allowing only arthropods to pass through. The sieve plate 233 is installed horizontally to prevent arthropods from getting stuck in the sieve holes due to gravity or airflow. The middle filter box 23, sieve plate 233 and collection funnel 232 can be disassembled independently for convenient experimental operation.

[0020] Specifically, a viewing window 11 is rotatably installed on one side of the decomposition box 1, and mounting holes 13 are opened on the top wall of the decomposition box 1, with the mounting holes 13 located on both sides of the opening 12.

[0021] In this embodiment, the viewing window 11 is rotatably connected by a hinge on one side, supporting an opening angle of 0 to 90 degrees. The viewing window 11 is made of highly transparent and impact-resistant plexiglass to ensure clear observation. The mounting holes 13 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the opening 12 on the top wall of the decomposition chamber 1 to ensure balanced installation of the light source assembly 3 and the heating assembly 4. They are usually circular holes with a diameter of about 5-10 cm. The migration strategies of arthropods under light- and heat-avoidance conditions can be observed through the viewing window 11 to analyze their environmental adaptability. The position or intensity of the light source and heater can be flexibly adjusted using the mounting holes 13 to study the effects of different environmental factors on the separation efficiency of arthropods.

[0022] Specifically, the LED light 32 is provided with an external mounting box 31, which is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the disassembly box 1. The bottom plate of the cover 41 is fixedly installed with second fixing bolts 411, which are fixedly installed inside the mounting hole 13.

[0023] In this embodiment, the mounting box 31 of the LED lamp 32 is a long strip-shaped box with a slot inside for fixing the LED lamp 32. The mounting box 31 of the LED lamp 32 is made of high temperature resistant and good insulation engineering plastic to ensure that it will not deform during long-term use and has good heat dissipation performance. The cover 41 is made of stainless steel. Four second fixing bolts 411 are evenly distributed around the bottom plate of the cover 41 and are fixed to the mounting hole 13 by nuts or self-locking structure to prevent the cover 41 from loosening due to vibration or thermal expansion during the experiment and to ensure the stable operation of the spiral tube heater 42.

[0024] Specifically, the outer wall of the middle filter box 23 is provided with light absorption holes 211, and the top of the waste placement funnel 21 is provided with a first fixing bolt 212, which is fixedly installed inside the mounting hole 13.

[0025] In this embodiment, light-absorbing holes 211 are evenly distributed on the four sides of the outer wall of the middle filter box 23. The holes are small in diameter and circular in shape to prevent arthropods from escaping. The migration strategies and behavioral patterns of arthropods under light-protected conditions are studied through the dark area formed by the light-absorbing holes 211. The standardized fixing of the first fixing bolt 212 and the second fixing bolt 411 ensures the stable operation of the litter placement funnel 21 and the cover 41, reducing experimental errors. Specifically, the middle filter box 23 is composed of breathable mesh panels around its perimeter.

[0026] In this embodiment, the middle filter box 23 is surrounded by breathable mesh panels on the front, back, left and right sides to ensure all-round gas exchange. The breathable mesh panels allow air to circulate, maintain the gas balance in the middle filter box 23, and at the same time intercept arthropods to prevent them from escaping to other areas of the decomposition box 1.

[0027] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it.

Claims

1. A device for separating soil arthropods from litter, comprising a decomposition chamber (1), characterized in that: The top wall of the decomposition box (1) has an opening (12), a separation component (2) for separating fallen objects is fixedly installed inside the cavity of the decomposition box (1), a light source component (3) for irradiating the separation component (2) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the decomposition box (1), and a heating component (4) is fixedly installed on the top wall of the decomposition box (1). The separation assembly (2) includes a litter placement funnel (21), a connecting pipe (22), a middle filter box (23), and a collection bottle (24). The litter placement funnel (21) is fixedly installed on the inner top wall of the decomposition box (1) and located directly below the opening (12). The top end of the connecting pipe (22) is inserted into the outlet of the litter placement funnel (21), and the bottom end of the connecting pipe (22) is inserted into the inside of the middle filter box (23). The collection bottle (24) is bolted to the middle filter box (23). At the bottom of the layer filter box (23), the light source assembly (3) includes LED lamps (32), which are installed on both sides of the inner wall of the decomposition box (1) and on both sides of the litter placement funnel (21). The heating assembly (4) includes a cover (41) and a spiral tube heater (42). The cover (41) is fixedly installed on the top wall of the decomposition box (1), and the spiral tube heater (42) is fixedly installed inside the cover (41) and located directly above the opening (12).

2. The device for separating soil arthropods from litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom end of the connecting pipe (22) is a three-way pipe. The bottom end of the connecting pipe (22) is inserted into the cavity of the middle filter box (23). The top of the middle filter box (23) is provided with a sealing cover (231). The bottom of the middle filter box (23) is fixedly installed with a material collection funnel (232). A screen plate (233) is fixedly installed between the middle filter box (23) and the material collection funnel (232).

3. The device for separating soil arthropods from litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: A viewing window (11) is rotatably installed on one side of the decomposition box (1), and an installation hole (13) is opened on the top wall of the decomposition box (1), with the installation hole (13) located on both sides of the opening (12).

4. The device for separating soil arthropods from litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The LED light (32) is provided with an installation box (31) on its exterior. The installation box (31) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the disassembly box (1). The bottom plate of the cover (41) is fixedly installed with a second fixing bolt (411). The second fixing bolt (411) is fixedly installed inside the installation hole (13).

5. The device for separating soil arthropods from litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the middle filter box (23) is provided with light-absorbing holes (211), and the top of the litter placement funnel (21) is provided with a first fixing bolt (212), which is fixedly installed inside the mounting hole (13).

6. The device for separating soil arthropods from litter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle filter box (23) is composed of breathable mesh panels on all four sides.

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