Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects

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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS.

BY

C. V. RILEY, M. A., Ph. D.,

Honorary Curator of the Department of Insects, U. S. National Museum.

Part F of Bulletin of the United States National Museum, No. 39
(with one plate).

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

1892.

CONTENTS.

	Page.
Introductory	3
Manual of instructions for collecting and preserving insects	5
Characteristics of insects	5
Scope and importance of entomology	6
Classification of hexapods	8
Order Hymenoptera	12
Order Coleoptera	14
Order Lepidoptera	16
Order Hemiptera	17
Suborder Thysanoptera	18
Order Diptera	19
Suborder Aphaniptera	20
Order Orthoptera	21
Suborder Dermaptera	22
Order Neuroptera	22
Suborder Trichoptera	23
Suborder Mecoptera	23
Suborder Neuroptera	23
Suborder Platyptera	24
Suborder Plecoptera	25
Suborder Odonata	25
Suborder Ephemeroptera	25
Suborder Thysanura	26
Collecting	26
General considerations	26
Collecting apparatus	29
The sweeping net	29
The water net	31
Water dip-net	32
The umbrella	32
The beating cloth	33
The umbrella net	34
The sieve	35
The chisel	36
The trowel	36
The collecting tweezers	36
The brush	37
The fumigator	38
The haversack	38
The lens and microscope	39
Collecting Hymenoptera	39
Collecting Coleoptera	42
General directions	42
Winter collecting	43
Spring collecting	44
Myrmecophilous and Termetophilous species	44
Spring flights of Coleoptera	44
Beach collecting	45
Attracting by lights	45
Traps	45
Freshet	45
Summer collecting	46
Collecting under stones	46
Collecting in rotten stumps and logs	46
Collecting in dying or dead trees	47
Beating living trees, shrubs, and vines	47
Sweeping	47
Collecting on mud and gravel banks	48
Collecting aquatic beetles	49
Collecting at the seashore and on sandy places	49
Collecting dung beetles	49
Night collecting	50
Fall collecting	50
Collecting Lepidoptera	50
Collecting the adults	50
Collecting the early states	53
Collecting Hemiptera	54
Collecting Diptera	55
Collecting Orthoptera	57
Collecting Neuroptera	58
Pseudoneuroptera	58
Neuroptera	59
Killing and preserving insects	60
First preservation of living specimens	60
Killing specimens	61
Alcohol	61
Chloroform and ether	62
Cyanide of potassium	63
Other agents	65
Special directions for different orders	66
Entomotaxy	67
Care of pinned and mounted specimens	67
Insect pins	67
Preparation of specimens	68
Pinning	69
Mounting on points	70
Mounting duplicates	73
Temporary storage of specimens	74
Envelopes for Lepidoptera, etc.	74
Directions for spreading insects	75
A new apparatus for spreading Microlepidoptera	76
Spreading Microlepidoptera	77
Relaxing	79
Inflation of the larvÆ of Lepidoptera	80
Stuffing insects	82
Dry preservation of Aphides and other soft-bodied insects	82
Mounting specimens for the microscope	84
Preparing and mounting the wings of Lepidoptera	86
Preservation of alcoholic specimens	88
Apparatus and methods	88
Vials, stoppers, and holders	89
Preserving micro-larvÆ in alcohol	92
Preservative fluids	93
Alcohol	93
Alcohol and white arsenic	93
Alcohol and corrosive sublimate	94
Two fluids to preserve form and color	94
Glycerin	94
The Wickersheim preserving fluid	94
Labeling specimens	95
General directions	95
Labels for pinned specimens	95
Labeling alcoholic specimens	97
Cabinet for apparatus	98
Insect boxes and cabinets	98
General directions	98
The folding box	98
The cabinet	100
The Lintner display box	101
The Martindale box for Lepidoptera	104
Horizontal versus vertical arrangement of boxes	104
Lining for insect boxes	104
Arrangement of insects in the cabinet	106
Systematic and biologic collections	106
Economic displays	106
Labeling collections	107
Museum pests, mold, etc	108
Museum pests	108
Remedies	109
Naphthaline	109
Bisulphide of carbon	110
Mercury pellets	110
Carbolic acid	110
A means of preserving insects in dry, hot countries	110
Mold	111
Verdigrising and greasing	111
The rearing of insects	112
General directions	112
The breeding cage, or vivarium	112
Detailed instructions for rearing	115
The root cage	118
Other apparatus	119
The insectary	120
Directions for packing and transmitting insects	121
Notes and memoranda	123
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