Insect Collection Guidelines
1. This collection is required for ALL students in EFB 352
2. Your insect collection:
a. Must have at least 100 individual specimens (can include duplicates)
b. Must represent at least 15 insect orders
c. Must represent at least 50 insect families (75 for grad students)
d. Must represent 25 specific ecological categories
e. May include only adult stages
f. May include galls
g. Must be contained in a box with a removable cover
h. Must include proper mounting of specimens and labeling of insects
3. Every insect specimen must be identified as a member of one of these insect orders:
1. Collembola
15. Psocoptera
2. Protura
16. Phthiraptera
3. Diplura
17. Thysanoptera
4. Archeognatha
18. Hemiptera
5. Thysanura
19. Neuroptera
6. Ephemeroptera
20. Megaloptera
7. Odonata
21. Coleoptera
8. Plecoptera
22. Hymenoptera
9. Phasmatodea
23. Trichoptera
10. Orthoptera
24. Lepidoptera
11. Mantodea
25. Mecoptera
12. Battaria/Blattodea
26. Diptera
13. Isoptera
27. Siphonoptera
14. Dermaptera
 At least 50 insect specimens must be identified to the family level
4. The following 25 ecological categories must be represented in your collection:
1. Leaf chewing
14. Dung/Carrion inhabitant
2. Plant sucking
15. Predatory on other insects
3. Feeding on vertebrates
16. Fungus inhabitant
4. Parasitoid on other insects
17. Litter inhabitant
5. Aquatic as adult
18. Household pest
6. Dead wood inhabitant
19. Social insect
7. Nocturnal
20. Pollinator
8. Sound producing
21. Cryptic color
9. Aposomatic color
22. Soil dweller
10. Casemaker
23. Leaf roller or tier
11. Seed or fruit eater
24. Mimic
12. Aquatic naiad
25. Agricultural pest
13. Gall inhabitant
5. The collection box has no rules or guidelines other than having a removable lid. Boxes in
last year’s collections ranged from pizza boxes to a professional museum-quality drawer.
Most land somewhere in between, the choice is yours. I’ll give you suggestions the first
week of lab.
6. Although it is not required to spend a lot of money on equipment for this collection, the more
equipment you have, the easier it will be for you. Most things can be purchased, or made at a
lower cost. Items may be obtained from one of these supply houses, if so desired:
Wards Scientific
P.O. Box 92912
Rochester, NY 14692
(800) 962-2660
http://www.wardsci.com/
BioQuip Products (my personal recommendation)
17803 La Salle Ave.
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 324-0620
http://www.bioqiup.com/
Carolina Biological Supply
2700 York Rd.
Burlington, NC 27215
(800) 334-5551
http://www.carolina.com/
7. A limited number of nets will be available for use in the lab, but it is suggested that you have
your own. A net can either be purchased or made (broom stick, coat hanger, curtain, and
duct tape). There are directions on how to make a net on page six in the field guide we will
be using for the class (Peterson Field Guide to Insects - America North of Mexico by Donald
J. Borer and Richard E. White).
8. You will need a killing jar or other container with a tightly fitting lid in which to place your
insects once you have captured them. The container should have a wide mouth so that a
variety of sizes of insects can pass through without being damaged. Place cotton balls or
another type of absorbent material in the bottom of the jar (plaster of paris works fine). A
proper killing agent should be used, for example nail polish remover (acetone) or ethyl
acetate. The fumes from this material will ensure a quick kill of the insect and prevent it
from being damaged. Be especially careful with butterflies and moths. Make sure there is no
free liquid in the jar, as their wings become discolored and stain from contact with it. The
fumigant will need to be replenished according to the frequency of container opening. There
will be no kill jars available in lab so you must provide your own. If you are collecting over
the summer and you don't have a kill jar, then placing them in a freezer will suffice.
9. It is very important to keep an exact record of the location and date of when your insects
were collected. A specimen without this information is worthless. Be sure to keep track of
the following information about your insects:
a. Place collected
km east Jamesville
b. Where was the insect found? 5Onondaga
Co., NY: USA
On Acer saccharum
Family Saturnidae
(what type of plant, in a
6 June, 2005
J. Smith
burrow, under the litter, …
etc.)
c. Date collected
d. Name of collector
e. Also take a few moments to observe the behavior of the insect. How does it fly? Is it
eating? What is it eating? Is it interacting with other insects? With member of the
same species or different species? This information may be helpful in the later
identification of the insect.
Every specimen in your collection is required to have a data label. Usually, a separate, label
is made with identification info (family). The labels are stored below the insect on the insect
pin. They are spaced so you can easily read both labels.
10. Insects can be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag in your freezer until you are prepared to
pin them in the fall. Soft-bodied insects (aphids, mayflies, stoneflies, and others) should be
preserved in 70-80% ethanol in vials. EtOH can be bought at most drug stores (don't use
isopropyl). Each vial should contain representatives of one species only, collected at one
place at one time. Collection information should be placed inside the vials and written in
alcohol proof ink or pencil.
Feel free to start pinning your insects over the summer, or you can wait until class starts.
Most insect ID books give some tips on pinning the various orders. Insect pins are available
at the bookstore (Follet's) or one of the companies mentioned earlier. Butterflies and moths
start becoming brittle after about one and a half months in the freezer so you may want to
consider pinning them. They are the most difficult to pin and require a spreading board.
You can make a cheap spreading board by hollowing out a groove in a flat piece of
styrofoam.
11. You may use your field guide as a method of identification, but since it is a field guide, some
insects will not be found in it. Other material will be provided in lab to help you with the
harder to identify insects. More specific field guides are available, for example Peterson's
Guide to Beetles or Peterson's Guide to Butterflies, etc. I recommend that you avoid the
Audubon Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
12. First week of lab: Please bring in your killing jar. I will have some plaster of paris available
to make a kill jar to use for the semester. Also bring insect pins. We will be collecting
insects in Oakwood Cemetery and we will practice pinning techniques in the lab.