Citizen science in entomology: Establishing and maintaining insect detection networks in at-risk habitats

Insects are influential in agriculture and the health of native ecosystems. Nevertheless, funding for monitoring, even of economically influential species, has been in decline. Citizen scientists are now being recruited by agencies such as the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources to balance this financial shortfall. However, information regarding correct recruitment and management practices in citizen science has often been observational and subject to speculation. In an effort to investigate the validity of the conventional approaches, a detection network was established to monitor for economically significant insect species in Minnesota. Half of the potential participants were solicited with invitations highlighting the importance of insects generally, with the alternative half receiving invitations highlighting direct financial effects. Potential recruits were invited to submit their findings online. Those who opted to submit were also asked to completed surveys that addressed their motivations for participation. Half of the volunteers were randomly assigned to a feedback treatment to determine if feedback had an effect on the incidence of repeat submissions. Volunteers were evaluated on the basis of the quality and applicability of their submissions.