GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS
Collection Requirements:
 Representatives from 12 different insect orders
 Representatives of 40 different families
Each individually, properly prepared, labeled unit counts as a specimen (i.e., a vial of 200 termites
counts as 1 specimen). Improperly labeled specimens do not count. At least 90% of the specimens in
your collection must be collected and prepared by your efforts (not other members of the class; but
specimens collected by family and friends count as your effort).
Each Order is worth 2.5 points; each family is worth 1 point. The collection will also be graded on
overall presentation (20 points), and a mini collection due October 12th (10 points). Undetermined but
properly preserved specimens do not count toward your final specimen tally. You do not have to
identify specimens to family if you only want credit for the order. In order to receive a full credit (100
points) for this portion of your grade, you must meet the requirements above.
Grade Breakdown:
30 Points
40 Points
20 Points
10 Points
100 Points
2.5 Points for each Order
1.0 Point for each Family
Overall Presentation
Mini Collection (Due October 12th, 2009)
Mini Collection:
1. This will be due October 12th. No late exceptions.
2. 5 insects:
a. Two pinned insects properly labeled and identified
b. One pointed insect properly labeled and identified
c. One specimen in alcohol properly labeled and identified
d. One Lepidoptera properly mounted, labeled and identified
Collection assembly recommendations:
1. Collect frequently: You should start collecting immediately. DO NOT WAIT! Mounting
and labeling of specimens takes time, and should be done carefully and properly.
2. Preserve ASAP: Mounting specimens is best done the same day as collecting. Specimens can
be placed in the freezer until mounting.
3. Always field label (date locality, etc…) at every step. Do not rely on your memory for this
information. Carry a small notebook with your name, the date, and detailed information for
locality, host, and method of collection.
4. Apply permanent labels as you attempt to sort and identify specimens. Don’t put off labeling
until last! Arrange your insects to be labeled in a box, and type your labels in the same
sequence as your specimens. This makes the procedure relatively quick.
5. Identify: First arrange your specimens into orders (quick sight id them – you can detect errors
later). Then begin identifying them to family. Identify as many as you can at first and put off
the hard ones until later.
6. Collection inventory: Begin preparing your inventory as soon as practicable. Excel is good
for this purpose. Do not include anything on your inventory until it has been properly labeled
and preserved. Note bonus taxa on your inventory. Provide a count of the total number of
orders, families, and specimens on your final inventory.
7. Final collection arrangement: Physically arranging the final collection requires a surprising
amount of effort. Arrange families in phylogenetic sequence. Refer to the book and your notes
for information regarding arrangement.
Collection Materials:
Use the best materials available to insure the long-term preservation of your specimens. Be ware that
specimens such as butterflies and large moths are pretty, but tend to take up a lot of space in your
collection.
Killing jars: Will be provided for you. Or can be made from any glass jar with a good seal tight lid.
Plaster of Paris can be bought from any craft store. Ethyl acetate will be provided for you.
Insect nets: Will be provided for you.
Aquatic nets: We will use in class.
Collection equipment: forceps (will be provided for you), aspirator, knife, etc. you will need to get if
you want them.
Pins: use good quality pins: Stainless steel is better than black (but a bit pricier). Use # 2 or # 3 gauge
pins whenever possible. Each student will be provided with pins to get started.
Labels: Labels are easy to produce in Microsoft Excel. Though other programs can be used.
 Paper: Use 100% cotton rag, 36lb. (32lb. is ok), acid free paper.
 Size: As a rule 8 x 12 mm. Labels should be 3-5 lines of text.
 Typeface: In Excel – use the default point size of 10 and print at 40% size). Times New
Roman is preferred.
 Printing Method: Use a laser printer. Texts from other printers or Xerox copies are not stable
in alcohol, and may fade over time.
Point glue: Use PVA or Gelva. Accept no substitutes. Available in lab.
Alcohol: For most purposes, 70 to 80% ethyl alcohol (EtOH) works best, but the specifics vary among
insect groups. Available in lab.
Vials: I recommend (but do not require) vials with polyseal lids. These can be purchased from
BioQuip.
Pen: Micron “Pigma” pens (~$3.00) that do not wash away in alcohol.
For temporary purposes, you can use a pencil in the field and change when you return to the lab.
Boxes: For our purposes, the folding of cardboard boxes will suffice. If you plan on keeping your
collection, you will eventually want to invest in display drawers (e.g. Cornell drawers) with good seals.
Always protect your specimens from dermestids by keeping your specimens in closed boxes with moth
crystals (be careful with moth crystals, as they are harmful if inhaled or swallowed).
The Insect Collection:
The insect collection is 100 points of your total grade for this course. By completing the collection, the
student gains experience (both real world and applied) in collecting techniques, preserving, labeling,
identifying, and classifying insects. It also exposes students to insects as living organisms, each with
specific and often unique behavioral, seasonal, ecological, and environmental characteristics. In
addition, it allows the students to become familiar with the local insect fauna.
A. Collecting strategies and suggestions:
Assembling the insect collection can require an enormous amount of time, and must be initiated as
soon as possible. It is advisable to collect vigorously and frequently in the early fall, before the first
frost. Insect populations decline rapidly after cold weather. Be sure to retain all material collected.
This can serve as a reserve in case more material is needed near the end of the semester. Wherever
possible, collect insects in a series (several specimens of the same taxon) to demonstrate variation
within a species (between individuals or sexes). Also, collect in as many habitats and use as many
techniques as possible.
Small, terrestrial insects are most easily collected with an aspirator. It is very important that you do
not overlook (or avoid) collecting small insects because there are many families with only small
representatives.
B. Backlogged insect samples
Specimens that you are unable to process immediately can be retained in alcohol, dried, or in a freezer.
Each method of preserving samples has different advantages and disadvantages, and specimens of
different families survive some methods better than others. Dried specimens should be placed in a
cardboard container with moth crystals to deter dermestids (or store in the freezer). Small specimens
can be easily pointed after they are dry, but larger specimens will need to be “relaxed” before they are
pinned. Always clearly label backlogged specimens with collecting data (date and locality).
Never trust collecting data to memory alone. You will forget!
C. Relaxing specimens
Dried material can be relaxed for pinning at a later date by placing it in a high humidity environment (a
large jar or container with moist paper towels works well). 24 hours is usually sufficient. Do not leave
them in the container for too long, as they will mold. Dried specimens that have been relaxed are
generally more brittle, therefore it is best to pin the specimen while it is still fresh.
D. Collecting time vs. sample processing time
It is very important to recognize that although students will need to spend a great deal of time
collecting insects to meet the collection requirements. However, you will need to spend far more time
mounting, labeling and identifying the specimens. It is easy to collect well over 1000 specimens in a
single black light sample, or obtain 200-300 specimens in an hour of sweeping, but it will take several
weeks of daily effort to mount these specimens and more to identify.
E. Trading specimens
Trading specimens among students currently taking ENTO 316 is permissible under the following
constraints:
1. The label must identify the actual collector as well as the place and date of collection
2. Only families are eligible for trading; trading orders will not be permitted.
3. Traded material can account for NO MORE THAN 10% of your collection. Trading provides
the opportunity to acquire additional families of insects and is another reason for collecting and
saving as many specimens as possible, in series, especially unusual insects which can be used for
bargaining at a later date. You should also key out all of the traded specimens to confirm that
they are correctly identified.