Preservation of dry specimen of the insect
a. Procedure
1. Killing of insects
● Insects that are intended to be pinned and stored dry are best killed either in a
killing bottle or tube containing a volatile poison, or in a freezer.
a. Freezing
- The specimens are carefully placed into a portion of the freezer where they will
not be damaged.
- Leaving invertebrates in the freezer for prolonged periods of time however may
damage the specimen.
- They are to be freezed only long enough to render them immobile.
b. Killing bottles
2. Fixation
● After the collection of specimen fixation is performed.
● Fixation of biological specimens involves the coagulation of cell contents into insoluble
substances with the purpose to prevent autolysis and the degradation of tissue.
● Formalin is generally the preferred fluid for fixation and is widely used.
3. Spreading and setting
● Spreading involves holding the appendages away from the body while the specimens
are drying.
● Legs and antennae can be held in semi-natural positions with pins and the wings can be
opened and held out horizontally on a setting board using pieces of tracing paper,
cellophane, greaseproof paper, etc.
● Setting boards can be constructed from pieces of polyethylene foam or soft cork glued to
sheets of plywood or Masonite
● Moths, butterflies, lacewings and dragonflies set with both pairs of wings spread,
whereas Grasshoppers, cockroaches, mantids, stick insects and occasionally bees are
set with only one pair of wings extended.
4. Pinning
● Specimens should be mounted only when they are fully relaxed
● Macropins — these are stainless steel pins, mostly 32–40 mm long, and come in a
range of thicknesses and with either a solid or a nylon head
● Pinning involves inserting a macropin, of appropriate thickness for the insect’s size,
directly through the insect’s body
5. Carding
● Insects (especially beetles) are then carded, which involves gluing each specimen,
usually by its venter, to a rectangular piece of card through which a macropin passes
● Carding is not recommended for adult insects
● After that card is placed in a display box for displaying purpose.
Preservation of wet specimen of the insect
a. Procedure
● Killing and relaxing of animal
● Fixation
● Storage in a bottle, jars vials, or trays.
b. Types Of Specimens (Nagorsen and Peterson, 1980)
● Entire fluid-preserved animals Purpose:(for studying anatomy and histology; fluid
preservation may change the fur colour)
● Study skins with skulls / partial skeletons(some bones in skin) Purpose: for
studying colour, hair quality and moulting patterns.
● Mounted skins with partial or entire skeleton (some bones may remain in the
skin, dependant on the method of preservation) or freeze-dried specimens.
● Entire skeletons, for instance for studying anatomy, geographic variation or for
age determination.
1. Preservatives and their usage
a. Formalin(Fixative mostly)
- Usage:
● It is used for vertebrates only.
● It is avoided for long-term storage since it is acidic and difficult to handle.
● Mostly formalin is used where colour is important since alcohol dissolves most
colours almost immediately.
● It penetrates more rapidly and internal organs remain in better condition.
- Procedure
● Dilution conc.
● Formalin(100%) = water saturated with 40% formaldehyde.
● 10% formalin = 4% formaldehyde(Used for preservation) 2% formalin with
seawater for small specimen.
● Mix one part concentrated formalin to nine parts water.
● Fill about two-thirds the bottle’s volume with 10% formalin.
● As formalin is acidic, it should be buffered by adding a pinch or two of sodium
bicarbonate.
- Warning:
● Inhalation of formalin fumes is harmful & causes extreme discomfort to nose and
eyes.
● Contact with fluid causes severe irritation to the skin
● Contact with sore or raw spots results in extreme pain. It is a carcinogen. The
hand should be rinsed after usage.
● Storage: It should be kept in safe, water-tight, spill-proof bottles, e.g. pep-bottles,
It should always be clearly labeled.
b. Industrial Alcohol (for both fixing and storage)
- Usage:
● Alcohol is usually not used for killing and fixing vertebrates.
● But of course used for long-term storage
● The Colour of the specimen is lost immediately.
● A teaspoonful of glycerine in a quart of alcohol helps to preserve natural colors
and to keep integuments flexible.
● Alcohol usually comes in the 95% concentrated form.
● For long-term preservation, 70-75% strength is used.
- Warning:
● Alcohol is usually safe to handle, It can cause irritation to the skin in cases of
prolonged contact.
● Always rinse hands with water after working with alcohol.
● Industrial alcohol is toxic and should never be drunk.
● Alcohol is highly flammable.
● Never work with this fluid in the vicinity of open flames.
● It is rapidly evaporation, and receptacles holding it should be securely covered
at all times, and not be opened unnecessarily
