The Collection, Preservation,
and Identification of Insects
Texas A&M University Entomology © 2000
Presented by
Donald W. Tuff, Ph.D.
Master Gardener Entomology Specialist
Collecting Equipment
Commercial Resources
• Bio Quip
• Gempler’s
• Ward’s Scientific
• Carolina Biological
Supply
Materials and Supplies
for
Field and Laboratory
BioQuip Products, Inc.: Equipment, Supplies, and Books for Entomology, Ecology, and
Related Sciences.
2321 Gladwick St., Rancho dominguez, CA 90220
(310)667-8800. www.bioquip.com.
[email protected] Collecting Insects
Locating Insects
• on plants (leaves, flowers, bark)
• in decaying matter
• under rocks, leaf litter
• in homes, garages, sheds
• in food or clothing
• in/on water with nets
• on animals
• black lights, camp lights, mercury vapor lights around stores and gas stations
• See Jaques, H.E. 1947. How to Know the Insects. WM.C. Brown, Pub. For collecting
hints and techniques.
Collecting Insects
Basic equipment
needed
• sweep net
• aerial net
• aquatic net
• forceps
• pitfall traps
• killing jar
• killing agent (ethyl acetate)
Preserving Insects
Materials needed
• “relaxing jar” for dry specimens
• insect pins (#s 2,3,7)
• Labels (acid free card stock)
• permanent black ink pen
• box / container
• vials (pill vials with tight cap)
• Alcohol (75% ETOH preferably)
• Magnifier (10X-20X hand lens)
• light
Preserving Insects
Once collected:
• place in killing jar
• allow insect to die
• once dead, pin as soon as possible so legs
and wings can be positioned easily
Detailed pinning instructions
• pinning block / support
• spreading board
Preserving Insect Specimens
Preservation of Hard Bodied Insects
earwigs, dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers,
katydids, roaches, mantids, true bugs, tree hoppers
planthoppers, cicadas, beetles, moths &
butterflies, scorpionflies, dobsonflies, true flies,
ants, bees, and wasps
• specimens <1/4” mounted on triangular points
• specimens >1/4” pinned with #2 or #3 pins
• large, robust specimens pinned with #7 pins
(pinned and dried with appendages visible)
Preservation of Soft Bodied Insects
springtails, silverfish, aphids and scale insects,
web spinners, termites, lice, barklice, thrips, fleas,
and other small or soft-bodied specimens that are
easily crushed
• Specimens placed in glass vial with 75% ethyl alcohol or
isopropyl alcohol. Insert label with data in #2 pencil or a
permanent ink. A screw-cap vial with a tight fitting lid is
preferred for permanent collections.
• Many small insects such as springtails, lice, fleas, thrips,
bedbugs, and bat flies are cleared and then permanently
mounted in balsam on microscope slides.
Insect Pin Positioning
Wing Spreading Board and
Plaster of Paris Killing Jar
A Good Specimen Needs Data
Upper label: Gives collection location of specimen
• State and County
• Nearest town, road or other easily identifiable
feature (GPS if available)
• Date collected (5 Dec.1980 or XII-5-1980)
• Collector’s name
(An additional label may note how the specimen was
collected (i.e. in, on, under), accession #, host data)
Lower label: Scientific name, describer’s name, and
date identified
Identifying Insects
Printed Resources
• Extension publications
• Field guides
- Peterson series
- National Audubon
Society series
- Simon and Schuster’s
series
- Gulf Publishing
- Kaufman series
• Textbooks
• Technical journals
Other Useful References
Arnett, Jr., R.H. 2000. American Insects. CRC Press.
Beirne, B.P. 1955. Collecting, Preparing and Preserving Insects.
Publication 932. Canada Dept. of Agriculture Publ.
Gullan, P.J. and P.S. Cranston. 2010. The Insects, an Outline of
Entomology. 4th ed. Wiley-Blackwell Publ.
Jaques, H.E. 1947. How to Know the Insects. 2nd ed. W.C. Brown
Publ.
Triplehorn, C.A. and N.F. Johnson. 2005. Borror and Delong’s
Introduction to the Study of Insects. 7th edition. Brooks/Cole Publ.
Identifying Insects
Electronic Resources
Web-based information
• Extension Service
• Universities
• Private Industry
• Professional Societies
• BugGuide.net
• Texasento.net
Entomology at TAMU
http://insects.tamu.edu/
Identifying Insects
Human Resources
• Local Pest Control Service
• County Agent
• Extension Specialist
• Entomology Department at a
University - curator
Extension Identification Service
• Submission form and insect sample is submitted
• A Master Gardener specialist and the local
county agent examine and compare with labeled
specimens (if available), text photos, and keys…
• If no clear identification can be determined, the
extension agent may forward the insect to the
District Entomologist or other local resource
person (Universities, private consultants or
industry) for identification.
Packaging Insects for Shipment
• Send samples frozen, chilled, or stored in
alcohol (postal regulations are significant
for items shipped in flammable fluids)
• Special packaging for dried/pinned
specimens
• Send specimens of various life stages
Sending Insects in Envelopes or
Plastic Bags is Not Acceptable
A smashed specimen is going
to be really difficult to identify!
Packaging Insects for Shipment
• Use hard plastic or glass vials
• Buy a supply of plastic containers for this purpose
• Pill bottles – may leak and should be rinsed
• Camera film containers – okay
• Put bottles in much larger box with packing
materials around it
• Kill insects by freezing or in
alcohol
• Send overnight
• Label contents on outside of
container
