Specimen preserving

[regalpaws]

Does anyone have a favorite specimen preservation technique or a mixture that works well for you?
What equipment did you get started with for alcohol preservation and dry pinning?
Just an fyi, I wouldn't be killing my specimens. I hike a lot and often find some that I'd like to preserve.
Thanks!

 

[A cave cricket]

What I do is once I have my specimen I put it in alcohol in the freezer for about a week, then I take it out position it then pin.
(First )

 

[Ponerinecat]

Standard 0-1 insect pins, cardstock, a bit of foam, and an airtight container are generally all you need to start pinning. Larger sized pins for larger specimens help. Smaller specimens may be worth pointing, so either invest in a point cutter or get a really good pair of scissors. Wet preservation is a bit more tricky, you'll need airtight plastic vials that don't melt when in contact with alcohol, alcohol of choice in the right concentration (I prefer ethyl,) and some sort of syringe/pippete. Plenty of other stuff out there to make it easier as well; glycerol, for example, helps keep specimens from getting too brittle, and formaldehyde can be used to set specimens where decomposition has already started.