Spreading insects

Still in pursuit.
Familiar American entomologists all without exception starve insects in hydrocyanic acid (HCN) vapors. The advantage is that the stain does not need to be refilled - 1 time I put a few drops of chemical on the bottom, filled it with gypsum - and the stain works for 2-3 years. Very good zamarivat straight-winged, which from chloroform somehow turn red (pink), especially fillies. Among the disadvantages - not very fast soaking, especially in cold weather (I had to warm the stain in my hand), the danger to humans is high and it is difficult to get cyanide ("one photo of my mother-in-law is not enough" (c) anecdote)

In general, it is not necessary to keep insects in a cyanide stain for a long time - cyanide tans, it is difficult to straighten.
You can also use a crystal of sodium or potassium cyanide instead of drops.

Oh, by the way, there is a wonderful solvent #647. Almost any hardware store sells it. It is, in my opinion, based on butyl acetate. The smell is not sharp and blurs well, does not tan. So, if there is no ethyl acetate, you can not bother and buy at the hardware store.

To Bad Den
Can you tell me how you can avoid scratching moths when stabbing them? I would practice, but somehow I don't have a good idea of the process.

Gentlemen, maybe it's time to open a topic about staining? Otherwise, Bolivar will come right now and kick everyone with a cradle...

IMHO, zamor is closely related to the subsequent crackdown, so I give the green light to discuss it in this topic, but do not overdo it

To Bad Den
Can you tell me how you can avoid scratching moths when stabbing them? I would practice, but somehow I don't have a good idea of the process.

If you are interested , I described the process in detail here in the topic"Color loss - how to deal with it".

To Bad Den
Can you tell me how you can avoid scratching moths when stabbing them? I would practice, but somehow I don't have a good idea of the process.

In short, I squeeze out a drop of ammonia, so that it hangs a little on the sting of the needle (but not too big, so as not to fall when shaking - I can't help myself, when doing fine work, my hands start to shake ) and bring the insulin as close as possible to the butterfly, sharply stick it between the chest and abdomen, obliquely so that the needle enters the chest and the ammonia gets on the muscles and nerves. The butterfly only flutters its wings slightly, but does not beat. Then I just push on the plunger of the insulin pump, injecting a little more ammonia. But not very much, just a drop or two, otherwise yellowness may appear on the wings, especially in light moths. Everything, you can either put it in the stain, for reliability, or immediately on the mattress
2 Helene
Me this method, by the way, D. Milko showed.

2 Helene
, by the way, D. Milko showed me this method.

And to me - Volodya Dubatolov (my chief of science). And Milko may have taught him. Or vice versa

More from Fabre goes

the difficulties that you are discussing I understand to inject ammonia or other crap especially large insects, which are often in the middle zone and not much, but all sorts of small species....? And what do you say about chloroform? I have been using it for many years and there are no complaints, no one gets dubbed from it, the color does not lose, they die quickly...
About the priparacii butterflies. I myself prefer to straighten out immediately, after being caught, even on multi-day trips. Dry butterflies, especially the smallest species, are no longer fresh after soaking in any way, and spreading is harder. And so immediately after the stain-on the crucifixion)) It's easier to work with.
Pancake...I still have Saturnia from French Guiana not straightened(( And all by the fact that there are no raspyalok for such large species!

dabb
Glue together yourself from styrofoam. Yes, they are not eternal, but it is better than nothing.

Yes, I know, I already have them made of styrofoam, I'm just molting, and I have huge raspyalki for one-time use in scrap metal, well, it's certainly a matter of time, sooner or later I'll straighten everything out))

To Nilson
, there are usually no problems with spreading beetles, just the " butterfly people "opposed themselves to the"bug people". They say we have "plowing", and you have so, entertainment...
Well, people began to look for difficulties to complain, and at the same time exchange techniques.
But in general
, I do not impose my own method of composing material, I just came to a conclusion over the years.that it's more convenient for me.
And at the expense of losing color in alcohol, but if you throw it alive... Those who change color, such as ladybirds, should be killed in a different way.
PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS!!!
It is necessary to kill with dry heat. In a bubble in the ashes of a fire, boiling water or just a flame. Just need a skill, because beetles can "boil" and swell beyond recognition.

I absolutely agree-bugs are not just spread out.I can sometimes work on one copy for an hour or two or even more to give it the best possible symmetry( quite filigree work, especially if not a large view) . It is not necessary to throw beetles in boiling water, 70 degrees is enough. After boiling water, the tendrils and other thin limbs become too fragile and can easily break when straightened.

Why throw it in boiling water ? Store the material in alcohol with the addition of glycerin and everything will be straightened out. I can say that Staphilinidae preserved in this way are easily spread and dissected even after 5-6 years.Checked repeatedly.

Butterflies, especially large nocturnal ones, can be conveniently treated with ordinary acetone-quickly, efficiently, and cheaply.

Another small but important note-alcohol collections should only be stored in the refrigerator at +5_7 In this form, insects do not discolor for many years. I worked with 20-25 year old materials and was pleasantly surprised by their safety. My own first alcohol collections after 5 years have already significantly discolored, without storing them in the cold.

To soak the beetles.
I pour warm water and add detergent-faerie is perfect. This is so that all dirt is washed away and over time the die does not become greasy. And I leave it for a day - let it soak. Then I glue it.
But there are nuances:
1. Stain with ethyl acetate and only. Other poisons often make the limbs inflexible and a symmetrical mount is out of the question.
2. Oddly enough, but different families (genera) have different flexibility and, as a result, better or worse mountability.
In my seven years of experience, I noticed:
The most conveniently mounted ones are black - bodied ones (especially Tenthyriini). Dermestes. Curculionidae. Scarabaeidae
The majority of" gemmoid " beetles were ground beetles (more often harpalins)
Maybe of course the hands do not grow from there, but this is my subjective opinion.

1. To spread butterflies on multi-day trips.

Before the trip, make special straighteners - how to explain it... In general, the usual straightener, but with a lid. The lid is a high rectangular box made exactly according to the shape of the straightener and should fit snugly on the straightener, while having enough height to fit the inserted pins under it. In this case, the straightener closed with a lid is a rectangular bar, so to speak.
The lid can be glued together, for example, from a thick, 2 mm cardboard. The straightener is made of styrofoam.
The butterfly caught during the day is spread out in the evening and the straightener is closed with a lid. After that, you can carry the straightener directly with the drying material in a regular bag or backpack.
Of course, if there are large fees, then there will not be enough time or straightening for all the material. But the most interesting specimens can still be spread out fresh in this way, without the risk of later spoiling them during subsequent soaking/straightening.
Of course, making such straighteners with lids is a hassle. But for those who care about the quality of the material - IMHO a great way.


2. To store / spread the collected butterfly material.

Helene wrote:
"In principle, on the mattress they are therefore stored without straightening: for the sake of compactness with ease of access. And not just beetles. Here are butterflies - an inconvenient group, you have to spread them all (except for those that are for recoil)."

RAZNOUSTYH butterflies can be spread without straightening, "podraspravlyat".
The starved butterfly is pricked on an entomological pin, then the label is pricked, then the butterfly is placed on the straightener in such a way that the wings, having come into contact with the straightener, themselves spread as far as possible (you can help with tweezers), so that both the front and rear ones are clearly visible. At the same time, no more operations are performed, the butterfly is left to dry. In this case, it is better to use straighteners not ordinary ones, but special ones cut out of elastic porous plastic (such as polyurethane foam). The wings on this material do not slide so much and do not slide back so much (we do not fasten them with anything).
If the butterfly impaled on the pin has already naturally spread its wings, even if they are lowered down, then stick the pin in the foam (in entom. box) and let it dry quietly there.

The straightened butterflies from the straighteners are also placed in entomological boxes later. Due to the fact that the wings are not fully spread, and usually at some angle lowered down, butterflies can be placed very tightly. At the same time, the defining features are clearly visible in most cases. It is also convenient to find and extract the necessary instances later. If necessary, they can be soaked and further straightened. This method is especially good for micra - a huge number of copies are placed in one box. Yes, and each "mole" can be quite safely taken for a pin, there is no risk that when removed from cotton wool, whiskers and paws will fly off. Again, the label always stays with her.
Disadvantages - a larger occupied volume than in envelopes or on mattresses, as well as the consumption of pins.

I myself do not use this method, I have small fees, I keep them in envelopes. The method was shared by Yu. I. Budashkin. He has countless such boxes with butterflies spread out.

3. How to avoid ruffling a butterfly.

Use tweezers. A small pair of tweezers with flat wide sponges!

For collecting, for example, a dustpan from the walls - a double needle from a sewing machine (or two ordinary needles connected together) with a handle attached to it-is the perfect way! Also, some dustpans can be collected from the walls or even from the sheets directly with tweezers. Just a little training.
When collecting dustpans (hawkmoth, etc.) with a net - as soon as the butterfly is in the net, abruptly "collapse" the net, grabbing the butterfly with it, then as quickly as possible grab it directly through the net with tweezers or at least with your fingers. Grab as best you can, that's not the main thing. The main thing is to do it as quickly as possible, so that after it comes into close contact with the grid, it does not have time to move around in it. In this case, a bald spot is formed on the back, alas. In general, you need a little training here. After you have grabbed it, prick the scoop with ammonia and then remove it as carefully as possible with tweezers.

This post was edited by okoem - 03.12.2006 03: 10

There were also similar thoughts about transport straighteners, since if you go on an expedition for a few days, you want to straighten out some specimens that can then be damaged or that easily lose color when soaked. Leave it better on bags and mattresses - the method with pricking does not seem to me reliable for subsequent straightening, for me personally it is important to have a well-straightened ex, so that it is as little worn as possible.

Night fishing, if you want to straighten it out immediately after returning, you can put it in a box with cotton wool, put a copy between the cotton wool, and pour a little vinegar on the cotton wool. So the exo won't dry out and get worse by the time it's unfolded (of course, I don't think you can store it like this for months). I didn't use the method itself, only from the stories of a friend, although I wanted to try it, but I didn't have to.

The method with impaling is primarily suitable so that when large multi-year collections are made, hundreds and thousands of butterflies, they can have quick and easy access to any instance. I.e., in principle," straightened " butterflies in this form are stored for "life", if you can say so:- ) And if a few instances are then disposed of for any purpose, then these are separate, isolated cases.
This method is generally used for storing scientific data. For those who collect exactly the collection that can be displayed, this is probably not very suitable.

This post was edited by okoem - 03.12.2006 21: 42

Here I think, how to mount a female firefly in a collection? Stick on the dies-I'm afraid that when they dry, they will shrink and eventually fall off. If you prick - then where? There are no wings. Right in the middle of the abdomen? In the chest, you definitely can't - it's so thin that a pin will fall apart...

first let it dry, then on the die. If punctured, then in the abdomen, closer to the pronotum

I have 2 female Lampyrus noctiluca glued just on the dies.
[attachmentid()=15597]

I throw female fireflies in strong alcohol after being caught. There they harden and, oddly enough, spread their legs themselves. Then you can stick them on or send them to a pin. They are easily punctured, and nothing falls apart. And the most important thing is that they remain plump as alive

Thank you for your tips. I will try to stick on a long die, as in the photo Bad Den'a.

I want to say about the cases with the half-dead that I also sin with this. It is because of the complexity and eternal lack of time. If the trip is on one day or on the last day of a long trip, I moisten the triangles slightly with water, and after filling them, I pack them wrapped in a wet handkerchief in an airtight plastic box (I use boxes from hard drives). When you get home, these boxes are placed in the refrigerator door. In the future, you can gradually spread out fresh material. The main thing is not to overdo it for too long - they can become moldy. In general, in such XXXX conditions, the small pink hawk moth remained alive for 13 days.

A question about the crackdown.

How to position the legs of a pricked beetle? It is more convenient and more beautiful when the front ones are forward, the rest are backward, but the safety will suffer. Fit it under your body? Then a purely technical question - how to achieve this? I tried several times, but somehow it didn't work: - (

In general, beetles are spread out, but usually the legs are not pushed under the body, but spread out so that they can be seen, but so that they are close to the body - do not stick out too much. The safety of the material is your accuracy. In general, I don't know how you straighten it, but I personally pin it on a pin, pin it on styrofoam (until the beetle and styrofoam come into contact), and then fix the legs, antennae, and head with pins that are pinned on styrofoam.

I did the same, but in this version it was impossible to bend it. Thanks for the reply.

How much time do you need to keep daytime butterflies on the spread? Only by experience!

I keep it for a month, and in general, the longer the better. It is desirable that the straighteners stand in a dark place, then the butterflies will not fade.

I did the same, but in this version it was impossible to bend it. Thanks for the reply.

It is not necessary to bend the limbs under the body of an insect - firstly, such a collection loses in aesthetics, and secondly, it is often necessary to consider the structure, for example, of a leg or a mustache, and it is much easier to do this if they are spread out, and not knocked down in a compact bundle under the insect.
As RippeR correctly noted, the safety of the material primarily depends on your accuracy.

The Entalex user's collection can serve as a role model in spreading insects - its photo can be seen at the end of the first page of the topic " Which of the squads is most interesting to you?"

This post was edited by Necrocephalus - 18.01.2007 23: 31

How much time do you need to keep daytime butterflies on the spread? Only by experience!

Soaked butterflies are removed after 3-4 days, even hawkmoth have time to dry, sometimes fresh ones have to be kept for 2-3 weeks

Sergeich:
I totally agree. I spread out the butterflies and that's how it goes. Fresh ones, especially pigeons, cost about a month (this year there was an amazing example-Glaucopsyche alexis pigeons stood all summer + about a month of spring (May))
Soaked butterflies are ready in 2-3 days. What is strange is that large butterflies-hawkmoth, birdwing, papilio, parnassius, Saturnia dry less, and toltogolovki, golubenki dry longer. The latter is better to hold for five days or more.. for prevention purposes..

Yes, especially such "prevention" is needed for thickheads and yolks (especially fresh ones!): sometimes, at first glance, the copy seems dried up, and when you take it off, the wings drop. Soaked specimens of other species also dry for about 3-4 days.

A question about the crackdown.

How to position the legs of a pricked beetle? It is more convenient and more beautiful when the front ones are forward, the rest are backward, but the safety will suffer. Fit it under your body? Then a purely technical question - how to achieve this? I tried it several times, but somehow it didn't work out :-(

In my opinion, it is best to soak beetles with ethyl acetate. Tested by practice. In this case, they are not dubeyut. Later, even after a few years, the dried beetle can be easily spread out without much difficulty. Naturally, after the appropriate "bath".
There are separate groups of beetles that are almost always "clumsy" in spreading.
Everyone has their own technique of spreading (like people's handwriting). Ideally, the legs and antennae should be visible (taxonomic value), but also minimally protruding, since there is a high risk of breaking all this off during various manipulations. Sticking beetles on pins or sticking them on dies is a philosophical question. On pins - it is more practical and convenient to determine, on dies-more a tribute to fashion and a commercial component. I pin large and medium-sized specimens, small glue on the dies.

Pictures:
  Car_4.jpg — (77.34к) 23.01.2007 — 06.02.2007

Everyone has their own technique of spreading (like people's handwriting). Sticking beetles on pins or sticking them on dies is a philosophical question. On pins - it is more practical and convenient to determine, on dies-more a tribute to fashion and a commercial component. I pin large and medium-sized specimens, small glue on the dies.

Your handwriting is perfect, worthy of imitation! ! As for sticking all the beetles in a row-I agree-this is a temporary fashion. I believe that all Coleoptera, which can be pricked without risk of damage, should be pricked-so it is more beautiful (in my opinion), and more practical, and more visual.

Here's the story:
I found a butterfly, Hadena compta, lying on the grass, already dead, but perfectly fresh. I assumed that it had been killed by a spider or some other arthropod hunter. As usual, I put it in the stain, in a bag, and brought it home; then for a while it lay in the freezer with the other butterflies, waiting to be unpacked... After a few days, I straightened it out-it was straightened easily, without soaking. She stood on the stretcher for about a month, along with others caught on this day. And when I took it off the straightener, it turned out that everything was dry except for her. But her wings immediately shifted towards their natural position, and when the tip of a pin examined the abdomen, wings, legs, etc.for mobility, it turned out that almost all the joints that should be mobile in a living specimen remained as mobile in a dead one (frozen, frozen, dried). The head, legs, wings, and abdomen (the latter somewhat wrinkled) are almost as easily bent and folded as in a freshly caught specimen. Only the proboscis and antennae give the impression of dried up.
Now the actual question is: what does not allow the butterfly to dry out and how to dry it and give it a collector's look?
All of the above applies to another specimen, also found dead in the grass, but practically fresh (Idaea emarginata).