Preserving and Pinning

[nepenthes]

Not sure where to post this or if this will get a bunch of flaming cause I know some of you guys like to bury you're offed pets.

Do any of you guys Like Preserve you're spiders, centipedes, insect pets? Ive been getting into it and was wondering if any one else did it? So far Ive only done it with a few ant species, but Ive wanted to do something bigger, and a little more exotic.

Heck if you're little bugger offs it and you don't mind, You can PM me and we will talk.

If any one has any collections all ready post a picture of your's! Heres mine I just put together I'm waiting for the real supply's to get here from Bioquip. so I'm using make shift items for now! Then more insects will go in so I don't waste my time and have to re do it all.

;P

 

[Scarp172]

Well it's a start, right? I have a large collection that I started when I was younger and am now re-doing and attempting to soften and re-spread some of my larger Lepidoptera, but I can't get to it for pictures at the moment. I do have two small suggestions for you if you are just getting started with an entomological collection- 1) find a book (I believe there's one called Amateur Entomology or something close to it that's a good place to start) that tells you where to pin, how to pin, how to label, collecting ideas, spreading ideas and such- it pays to do it right the first time, though it does take more time. 2) if you glue a piece of white posterboard to the top of your foam mounts it looks nicer. I personally preserve my larger "offed" specimens (T's, Scorps) in resin and their exuviums in Riker mounts (great for mantids and Lepidoptera too) Hope this helps and also that others on the boards are courteous enough not to flame your post.
-Steve

 

[nepenthes]

Thanks, I know some Myrmecologists that I talk to on a forum are just giving me some information who are telling me what to do and how I should do it but ill look into you're book thanks!

I was just worried that people were kinda "close" to their pets and would be offended that I asked and thought to do something like this!

 

[AviculariaLover]

Just do some research, you will be able to find plenty of information online and in books on how to properly pin and label specimens. Good choice with bioquip, I use their stuff, and so does the entomological museum here. I havent pinned any insects I have kept as pets (except for some butterflies and moths I have raised just for my collection) but I have a jar of dead mantids, as well as other various dead insects I either kept or found that I havent gotten around to softening to pin and type up information for. I woulndt be against preserving a pet especially if it expired from natural causes.

Here are my butterflies and moths, have added a few more since then... I have been working on this collection since I was a little kid. Dont take too many each year, just really nice ones.

my shelves

 

[nepenthes]

Whats that one top row third from the right? Just curious. I'm not so into butter flys and moths but Just the Weird looking insects and things along those lines. Nice collection though.

 

[xelda]

Sounds like a fun project. The only problem is that bugs that have died naturally usually don't preserve as well because they're still rotting. They end up turning discolored, smelly and whatnot. At least, that's how it's been for me with bigger specimens.

 

[Scarp172]

If you have it in captivity and it dies in your care, the key (with larger specimens) is to get it in the freezer quickly. For most things it's dry enough here that I can let them dry out on the spreading boards and they do just fine (Giant Sphinx moths for example forgive me for forgetting their name at the moment!). Bioquip is definately good stuff! And @ Aviclover-Gorgeous collection! I love the acrylic mounts.
-Steve

 

[AviculariaLover]

nepenthes - the little blue one? Just a commmon eastern blue.

scarp - Thanks, I love the boxes, they make the insects so nice to display, and they also have little nubs in the corners so they can stack nicely, makes it really easy to store them or display them. They are from bioquip as well.

This summer I plan on extending my collection to different orders, perhaps get some project ideas from my professors.

Anyone here have experience with using chemicals to kill insects? Any tips or suggestions? Or is it good enough to just put things in the freezer. Im wondering what would be quicker and therefore present less damage to the insect during the process.

 

[nepenthes]

Ive seen people use fumigation strips, what I do Is I just pour plaster let it dry and put alcohol in a good sized jar, well thats what I was told to do.

 

[xelda]

If you have it in captivity and it dies in your care, the key (with larger specimens) is to get it in the freezer quickly. For most things it's dry enough here that I can let them dry out on the spreading boards and they do just fine (Giant Sphinx moths for example forgive me for forgetting their name at the moment!). Bioquip is definately good stuff! And @ Aviclover-Gorgeous collection! I love the acrylic mounts.
-Steve

Good point. I'll have to try that.

 

[gunslinger]

Ethyl acetate is often used to kill specimens for preservation, and can be purchased from BioQuip, or if you want to go the more generic route, pure Acetone (Nail Polish Remover from Wal Mart) also works rather well.

(if you do use Nail Polish remover try to get pure acetone, and not something with fancy perfumes or color additives)

 

[nepenthes]

Ive found one thing, Female Reproductives are stronger and last longer than Workers, While I had workers survive seconds in alcohol. I had their Reproductive queen last at least 3-4 min's in alcohol. I'm also getting some Pogonomyrmex queens from New Mexico! In Alcohol though.

Ive also gotten the board and pins and things

 

[Mr. Mordax]

If you're looking to preserve something a bit larger than an ant, I soaked my deceased H. laoticus scorpion in pure acetone for about three days before letting it air-dry. His abdominal region sort of collapsed on itself after the acetone removed all the bodily fluids, but you can't tell if you look at him from the top, and he dried out nicely. He just smells a little funny is all.

 

[roach dude]

im just wondering if those butterflies are wild caught?????

 

[AviculariaLover]

Yup, all wild caught in NY state, except for the sphynx moth which I sneaked back from a vacation on St. Croix, and the polyphemus moth was found in connecticut

This past summer was a sucky one for butterflies, I have a few at home still on spreading boards I need to finish up with. I plan on focusing on smaller butterflies and moths that I don't yet have in my collection. The big pretty ones get too easy after a while

 

[roach dude]

to be honest.. i realy dont think thats cool.. so i dont know what that face if for
Animals and insects and buttterflies should be studied and preserved, in the wild, not pinned onto a bit of polistyrean. I think this is wrong. weather those species are endangered or not, you are helping them on their way!

 

[nepenthes]

Ok, so I can understand if you are talking about endangerd species, that are almost on the brink of extinction, but butterflies that rank in the millions, taking one out is wrong? I really dont see what the problem is now if you were taking 15-20 specimen just for you're self i could see where one would get upset. But its not like hes just killing them for fun. It is a good way to ID specimen any way. Kind of hard to get up close to an insect and study certain features if its alive. I know this with ants, you cant ID them unless you preserve them or you have some kind of device to contain them in. Unless its a very obvious species. But when you are looking at species like Lasius for example it could get a little tricky.

Roach Dude I'm curious how do you keep animals as pets, that contradicts what you are saying, they should be out in their natural habitat. I'm assuming you have some kind of T' or lizard (display picture)

 

[AviculariaLover]

I agree that insects are best studied in the wild. My collection was something my dad started me with when I was a little kid, he had collected butterflies when he was a child. I don't kill everything I see, I much prefer to watch, or to catch, keep, and release. However, I admit the thrill of the hunt was addicting. I am currently in a university studying entomology (undergrad). I have been having second thoughts about my collection as yes, it was merely for personal satisfaction. I am now considering adding my specimens to my university's collection where they could be useful, which is the second largest in Canada. I will no longer take insects merely for pleasure but for research, I hope to start working on a project this summer, perhaps with the butterflies and moths of my area, but I'm still not sure exactly what my focus will be. I was thinking perhaps a survey of the species of butterflies/moths that I can find in certain habitats, perhaps studying the effects of human intervention (populations on farms vs. backyards vs. mostly wild areas). So I would end up taking specimens, yes. But no longer for nothing. And I know that people will have differing opinions on whether this is ok, but if I am going to be in the entomology field, this is what I will be doing. And, in my opinion, just about any way we go about getting more information on insects is worth it, in order to better inform the rest of the world about them.

And trust me, none of my specimens are endangered. And I have only added a couple specimens per year to my collection the past few years, most of my collecting was done when I was about seven to thirteen years old. Now I mostly like to photograph insects.

How do you feel about university collections, used for research? There is a vast wealth of information that can be gained from dead specimens, as well as doing research in the field. You cannot do genetic testing, or tanonomic work without voucher specimens. There is much to be said for studying evolutionary relationships by studying anatomy. Something I started as a child is now carrying over as I grow older to become something important. If anything, hey, at least I got some practice

 

[AviculariaLover]

And by the way, I'm a girl

 

[nepenthes]

nothing wrong with being a girl! Thats way cool, wish i could meet a girl who wasn't weirded out by my insect interest. I think if it was possible to photograph an insect fast and easy it would be possible for less live collecting to be done. simply collect photograph and release!

I love taking photos too but the species get kind of bland once you have done it in a semi suburban area after a while. hopefully when i graduate i can find a nice warm vast insect fauna to photograph along with what ever else i would do, (want to major in photography)