Collecting and Preserving Insects

A well curated collection is a thing of beauty, something to be proud of. You will spend much more time than you realize to produce a finished insect collection. The easiest part of making a collection is the actual process of collecting specimens. The most time consuming parts are mounting and labeling. Then comes identification, no small challenge.

There are numerous articles discussing aspects of insect collecting, curating specimens and preserving collections. Entomology reference books usually have a section devoted to these topics. I present here an overview of the subject. The article is in PDF format. You may view it with Acrobat Reader and print it, or save it to your computer for future viewing and printing. Collecting and Preserving Insects (PDF Format)

While you may purchase insect collecting supplies from a variety of biological supply companies, it is possible to make many of the item you will use. For instance, plastic containers such as yogurt containers, cottage cheese containers and 2 liter coke bottles make very effective pitfall traps.(photo)

There are many types of bait that you can use in your traps. Some of the easiest to acquire are dung, fermenting bait (malt, molasses, fruit), and decaying fruit (watermelon rinds, cantaloupe). Traps placed in the right habitat, at the right time, can be very productive (see results).

Many small insects fly close to the ground and are seldom collected. An inexpensive yet highly effective trap consists of (Saran Wrap) stretched between 2 stakes, with a collecting pan of sopay water underneath. Flying insects hit the Saran and fall into the water. Be sure to check this daily as there is no preservative, and specimens will begin to decompose quickly.

Save the habitat
Collectors tend to destroy much of the habitat while searching for insects. Ripping a log apart pretty much demolishes that microhabitat. Turning over rocks and logs is destructive, but if these are put back in place, damage may be reduced. It is far better to sample a small portion of a log, a bracket fungus, a toadstool, saving some for later investigation and also for habitat preservation for insects that might be using them.