Purpose of review: This review provides an overview on the importance of characterising and considering insect distribution information for designing stored commodity sampling protocols.
Findings: Sampling protocols are influenced by a number of factors including government regulations, management practices, new technology and current perceptions of the status of insect pest damage. The spatial distribution of insects in stored commodities influences the efficiency of sampling protocols; these can vary in response to season, treatment and other factors. It is important to use sampling designs based on robust statistics suitable for the purpose.
Future research: The development of sampling protocols based on flexible, robust statistics allows for accuracy across a range of spatial distributions. Additionally, power can be added to sampling protocols through the integration of external information such as treatment history and climate. Bayesian analysis provides a coherent and well understood means to achieve this.