In studies on the life histories and habits of root maggots and their predators in Prince Edward Island, a method was required by which larvae and puparia could be separated uninjured from soil. The flotation methods described recently by Lafrance (1) and Read (2) for collecting puparia were unsuitable because of the stirring or pressure mechanisms, which often injured the insects. A new apparatus lacking these mechanisms was developed and provided a rapid and efficient method for separating many kinds of insects from sandy, loam, or clay loam soils.