Curation, as considered here,
the pinning, labeling and storing of insect specimens, is an art, a virtuosity.
In my humble opinion, a dying art. Curation, like a lot of things we attempt,
is a skill one can only improve by doing. Of course, one must first be able to
discern what a well curated specimen is.
In prior posts, I
emphasized the importance of accurate, concise specimen data. Whether you
collect for the science, the desire to discover new species and add to the
knowledge of distributions, biology, and taxonomy, or, you collect for the
aesthetics, the intrinsic beauty of a drawer or schmitt box of tiger beetles or
butterflies, without reliable data the specimens are scientifically worthless.
As they say, it depends on which side of the fence you’re on. Most of us are
aware of and avoid those collectors who intentionally provide vague
cryptic data with their specimens in an attempt to protect collecting sites
from other potential collectors, for monetary gain, or merely to boast they
have the largest series of a particular species.
Since my collecting efforts
are primarily for coleoptera, here, and in following posts, I discuss how to properly pin (colloquially
referred to as “mount”) those types of specimens. For other insect orders,
Orthoptera, Lepidoptera or Odonata for example, the reader should explore the
internet for relevant websites explaining the pinning conventions for those
specimens.
A “mounting or setting board” is a
small piece of high density, closed-cell foam at least 1-inch in thickness. Rectangular
pieces of blue or pink foam insulation are ideal. However, other types of foam
insulation will work, even pieces of foam packing used to brace computers,
televisions, and other electronics during shipment will do in a pinch.
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| Image credit: NaturePlus Beetle Blog |
Cover the setting board
surface with a sheet of bond-type copy paper (recycle those printing debacles from the trash). The purpose of which is to prevent
the tarsal claws of specimens clinging to the surface of the insulation and
breaking off when removing the dried, set specimen.
Insect pins are like brushes
to painters - buy quality. There has been considerable debate on which are the
best insect pins especially since the classic Elephant brand is no longer being
produced. I do not recommend trying to pinch pennies here. Since the demise of
Elephant brand, I have been using and recommend the “Koštál” brand produced in
the Czech Republic.
Insect pins are about
1.5-inches (37 mm) in length and graduated according to gauge (= thickness) by
a series of numbers, 000 - 7. The lower the number, the smaller the gauge.
Always use proportionately sized pins to the specimen being pinned. That is, a
number one or two pin would be suitable for a small buprestid or tiger beetle;
a number three for a large cerambycid.
The pins are available in two finishes or coatings: black enameled or
stainless steel. Stainless steel are recommended for use in humid
tropical climates as a rust deterrent; not much of a concern here in the
southwest. Their cost is usually a few dollars more per pack of 100 than the black enameled.
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| Image credit: theskepticalmoth.com |
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| Minutens |
For very small beetles (<
5mm), I prefer the “double mount” method using minutens, short pins, 12 mm in
length, without heads. The specimen is pinned as usual (through the upper right
elytron), then inserted into a small rectangular piece of poly foam, preferably
plastazote. Pinning requires a certain amount of patience and dexterity while
working under a microscope or optivisor.
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| Image credit: purdue.edu |
Of course, there is the
traditional “point” method using some type of adhesive (PVA glue or clear
fingernail polish) to attach the specimen to the tip of a small paper triangle. Depending on the amount of adhesive used, the mount may be problematic.
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| Double-mount pinning method for very small Coleoptera |
I do not advocate the use of “glue
boards” (Aufklebeplattchen), a European method of mounting specimens, mainly because once the
specimen is glued in place, it is impossible to examine beneath the specimen that may
have diagnostic characters (connate abdomeres, apical ridges,
trochanter setae, emarginate mentum, etc.). To do so, you would have to relax and remove the glued specimen from
the board, ... is that really something you would want to
attempt with a series of specimens?
So then, for the average beetle specimen, here are the basics needed.
I suggest a pair of “vial forceps” for removing specimens stored in alcohol.
Continued ...
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| Vial forceps from BioQuip.com |
© Delbert La Rue 2014. All Rights Reserved.
