Euthanizing Insects -it is necessary to euthanize butterflies and moths immediately after collecting them, so they do not damage delicate parts such as wings or antennae.
Pinning Insects -Pinning insects is one of the basic skills you will need to learn when putting together your insect collection.
Spreading Moths & Butterflies -Butterflies and moths have unique patterns on both forewings and hind wings. Therefore it is essential to properly pin these specimens so the patterns on the wings can easily be seen.
Preserving Insects in Alcohol- Insects like Caterpillars, Damselfly nymphs, Cave Crickets, Beetle Larvae, Crustaceans, Spiders, Centipedes, Millipedes and other Arachnids should be preserved in alcohol. Here's how...
Storing & Rehydrating Insects -After collecting and euthanizing your specimens it is important to store them properly so they do not get damaged.
Pointing Insects- Majority of insects you will find are very small and numerous and if you focus on the small insects you will collect more species, thus increasing the size and diversity of your collection.
Labeling Insects -Labeling insects is the most important part of setting up an insect collection. Specimens are useless without proper labels indicating where and when your specimen was collected.
Making Slide Mounts - Some arthropods such as springtails & mites are so small they need to be mounted on slides.
