Scott Bundy1 and Carol Sutherland2
1Department
of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and
Weed Science
2Extension
Plant Sciences
Getting Started
• Whether you’re required to make an insect
collection for class or you’re collecting insects
for your school’s FFA Arthropod Collection,
you’ll need some equipment and skills
• While you can make some of your collecting
equipment, other items are best purchased----or
SHARED with classmates
• Collecting & curating your insects will be a
valuable ‘hands on learning experience’
Getting Started
• Here are four very good sources for sturdy,
ready-made insect collection and monitoring
equipment; there may be more…..
•
•
•
•
Bioquip--- www.bioquip.com/html/catalog.htm
Gemplers--- www.gemplers.com/insect-monitoring
Great Lakes IPM--- www.greatlakesipm.com
Ward’s Natural Science--- www.wardsci.com/
What Equipment Could You Use to
Make an Arthropod Collection?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nets, Aspirator
Kill Jar or Freezer?
Lights or Black light?
Pins
Point punches
Alcohol vials
•
•
•
•
•
•
Insect Relaxing Chamber
Data labels
Pinning block
Spreading boards
Traps
Display boxes
While we say that ‘arthropods are everywhere’---you will have to
‘look everywhere’ at different times of day or seasons, using a variety
of tools and techniques for best results. Be careful; stay safe.
Collecting Equipment
Sweep net---for vegetation. Sturdy handle,
rim & bag. (Sweep like you’re mopping a
floor with a heavy mop.)
www.bioquip.com
Collecting Equipment
Aerial net for butterflies, dragonflies. Lightweight pieces; don’t snag net---it tears!
www.bioquip.com
Collecting Equipment
Use insect behavior to your
benefit when working with
sweep nets or aerial nets.
Once disturbed, most insects
will run or fly UP as soon as
you stop swinging the net.
Block their escape by flipping
the long ‘tail’ of the bag over
the rim. Now, reach for your
aspirator, vials or jar.
‘Tail’
Rim
Collecting Equipment
Suppose you net a stinging insect
or a very unusual specimen that
you can’t aspirate…then what?
You can transfer it into a vial or jar
by first holding the tail of the net up,
letting the insect fly or crawl upward.
Then insert the open jar through the
net opening. Manipulate the bag
and jar, catching the specimen inside
the jar until you can get the lid on.
‘Tail’ of net
Open
Jar
Open rim of net
Collecting Equipment
Aspirator
You can make an aspirator to
‘vacuum’ various small insects.
Use small diameter tubing, fine net
and a small, stoppered container.
The net is absolutely necessary to
keep you from sucking insects
into your mouth and lungs.
*
Suck on this
End of tubing
Choose a container 3-4” long with
A diameter of 1-1 ½”.
K Loeffelman, Univ Idaho, Bugwood.org
Collecting Equipment
• Sweep vegetation on
the ground like you’re
mopping a floor. Keep
open side of net facing
down at the end of a
stroke. When finished,
flip end of bag over
the rim; insects are
caught inside net fold.
Uga5359068
HF Schwartz, CO State Univ, Bugwood.org
Collecting Equipment
Sweep upright plants with repeated
strokes aimed upward. Start near the
bottom and work up.
NEVER USE YOUR AERIAL NET
TO SWEEP TREES OR SHRUBS!
They are too lightly constructed to
withstand this punishment.
Avoid sweeping spiny trees or shrubs,
like mesquite since the bag will tear
and the handle might break.
Collecting Equipment
Sweeping just above plants,
especially those in bloom,
might net insects flying away
from you. Use medium to
long strokes, flipping the end
of the bag over the rim when
finished.
This technique may work with
tall plants, too.
NE Rees, USDA-ARS-Ret, Bugwood.org
Collecting Equipment
Sweeping usually will catch a variety of
insects.
Avoid being stung by agitated bees and
wasps by quickly opening your net to
release them---then flipping the bag
over the rim again to keep other insects
for sorting.
Uga5359069
HF Schwartz, CO State Univ, Bugwood.org
Collecting Equipment
Once any bees, wasps or other
stinging insects are released,
you can rest the rim of the net
on your head, freeing one
hand to work your aspirator
and the other hand to
manipulate the net and insects.
Photo: Emsworthwaysides hampshire org uk
Collecting Equipment
D-net---aquatic vegetation on edges of ponds,
streams, lakes. Sturdy handle, rim, bag; net
in bottom. Smaller, cheaper versions are
used in aquaria.
www.bioquip.com
Collecting Equipment
Kill Jar
• Plaster of Paris
• Add acetone or ethyl acetate
• Add strips of paper towel or
Kleenex to cushion specimens,
absorb moisture
-----------•Put several bands of tape on
exterior of glass jar to ‘reinforce’
it; glass jar will shatter if dropped.
Plastic jars will dissolve if acetone
or ethyl acetate is used.
Also, see next slide for another method
Collecting Equipment
• Plan B: Skip acetone & ethyl acetate, put your DRY
specimens into small containers or ziplock bags
(don’t crush) and place them in the freezer over
night; thaw briefly & pin
• NOTE: Insects from higher
altitudes, colder climates & some
others may need to be frozen
for a week or longer; pinned
insects that ‘revive’ can go back, too
Traps, Trapping
• Traps can be very simple and inexpensive
OR they can be very elaborate and
expensive
• Here are some simple and inexpensive ideas
to try---variety and imagination can produce
interesting and unusual specimens
• REMEMBER: Safety is of the utmost
importance!!
Traps, Trapping
• Porch or Security Lights? Catch insects coming
to the light at night or before dawn (avoid ‘Bug
Lights’)
• Black lights? Use extension cord or battery for
power. Catch insects landing on nearby wall,
screen or sheet
Beat the birds
to your catch!
www.bioquip.com
‘Bug-Napper’ in use,
BioQuip Catalog
Traps, Trapping
• Odor Traps? Different smelly baits can attract
different species. Consider---rotting fruit, rotting
meat, very sweet scents (e.g. fabric softener,
detergent), etc.
• Put the bait on a disposable
plate & check it frequently
(an hour, perhaps several hours,
overnight, etc.)
Traps, Trapping
• Pitfall traps---can work well with different baits, or
sometimes no bait, trapping insects that do not fly readily.
• Use a large disposable container ; put smelly bait in the
bottom. Cover bait with screen for easier removal of insects
• Dig a hole deep enough so top of container is at ground
level; put a ‘roof’ over opening of container. Leave trap
overnight.
Small board ‘roof’ elevated over trap
• NOTE: Lizards or small
rodents can eat your catch
if you don’t check trap!
Soil level
Trap
Screen
Bait
Pan Traps
• Use disposable ‘party bowls’ in
•
•
•
•
•
several colors
Place sets of bowls (various colors) in
different parts of the habitat (shade,
sun, near animals, blooming plants,
etc.)
Put abt. 1” water + few drops of dish
detergent in each bowl
Leave traps several hrs or overnight--collect insects
Pin, point or pin & spread your catch
right away. Even butterflies and moths
will be useable!
Once You Have Some Insects,
You’re Almost Ready to Pin
• Practice pinning on some of your larger, more common
insects first---like grasshoppers, crickets, etc.
• Some larger beetles may have harder wing covers. Use a
larger pin here; guide pin carefully to prevent punching
out the legs
• Save smaller, delicate specimens, moths & butterflies
for later
Insect Pins
• Enameled or stainless steel---purchase these
• Available sizes---#000 to 7
• #00 for smaller, pinnable insects
•#2 or #3 should work for most common larger
insects; use these also
for ‘pointing’ smaller,
delicate insects.
NOTE: Smaller pins will
bend very readily
Pinning Insects---Caution!
• Insects dry rapidly, becoming very brittle
• If you try to pin a dry insect---the legs will
probably fall off---and worse
• If you cannot pin fresh specimens
immediately, you will need to soften them
or ‘relax them’
Relaxing chamber
• Clean, tightly-sealing container
• Moisten paper towel with 1:1 mixture of water &
rubbing alcohol; place in bottom of container
• Fold clean, dry paper towel to fit in container above the
moist towel. Carefully place insects onto dry towel.
• Check flexibility of insects daily. Be patient.
Pin Position---to the right of center
.
Diptera
Hymenoptera
For larger specimens!
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Orthoptera
Dermaptera
Lepidoptera
Hemiptera
Odonata
Pointing Small, Delicate Insects
Note card
Point punch, note card
Point in place on insect pin
Pointing Insects
glue
Use pinning block to pin the point first. Bend the very tip of the
point down, dot with glue. Glue point to insect’s right side. Again,
this works BEST if the insect is fresh or softened/’relaxed’.
Use Elmer’s Glue---effective, non-toxic, water soluble
This technique is used for insects too small or delicate to pin directly
Alcohol Vials?
• Used for specialized collecting:
•
•
•
•
immatures, nymphs, larvae;
most arachnids, non-insects
70% rubbing alcohol
Use screw cap vials with cap
seals---prevents evaporation
Drop fleshy specimens into
nearly boiling water; set aside to
cool. Heat treatment kills
internal microorganisms that
will blacken specimen.
Label with pencil or alcoholproof ink.
Content
Of vial
(It’s the larva of
A human bot fly!)
Data Label
State
County
Country (if needed)
City or
Regional info
Habitat/host data
Date
Collector
Labels can be printed by hand with a fine-point pen
or printed on a laser or ink-jet printer. Use 4 pt
type, no more than 6 lines long. Keep labels small
& neat. Other information can go on a second label.
Pinning Block
Use this tool to ‘space’ your fresh or relaxed insect high
on the insect pin. Most of the time, your data label will
fit underneath it and still be legible.
Spreading Board
• For Lepidoptera, Odonata
•Pin your fresh or relaxed
specimen first. Use screws on
either end of board to widen or
narrow slot where you will anchor
your pinned insect. Get some
extra pins & narrow strips of
paper for next steps.
See next slide…
Spreading Lepidoptera
1
Use one extra pin
to pull forewing
forward w/o
puncturing
it. Vein on
leading edge
is strong enough to
allow you to push wing forward
2
Hold wing
in place
with pin through
paper strip; repeat
for hind wing, pushing its leading edge
under trailing edge of forewing
3
Multiple pins can
anchor wings under
paper strips.
4
Let sit several
days-week. Remove
pins, paper, pin into
display.
Use extra pins
to support
abdomen, antennae
Forewings are
at right angles
to axis of body
Practice makes
perfect!
Housing Your Insect Collection
Protect it from:
-Dermestid beetles
-Other damaging insects, fungi
-Too much light, heat, moisture
-Handling or touching, shaking,
jarring, dropping
Housing Your Insect Collection
• Select a container with a tightly fitting lid;
container must be deep enough to hold pinned
specimens in a sturdy pinning surface; example
below shows a temporary storage box.
• Put pinned insects
in a box separate
from alcohol vials
(vials can leak or
break loose & roll)
Housing Your Insect Collection
• Here are some examples to consider
These specimens
are arranged by
Order
These specimens also
are arranged by Order
Labels are
legible but
a little long
Housing Your Insect Collection
• While this arrangement looks nice, what
happens if the alcohol vials ‘break loose’?
Housing Your Insect Collection
• Must have a tightly-fitting lid,
keeping out pests that will
destroy dry, brittle specimens
www.bioquip.com
These are commercially
available boxes. Box on
right is for permanent
museum display or storage.
Resources
Triplehorn, C.A. & N.F. Johnson. 2005. Borror
And DeLong’s Introduction to the Study of
Insects, 7th ed. Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Entomological Society of America:
www.entsoc.org