# TAMU insect collection



## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

Couldn't find the previous link for this topic about the insect collection so gonna add a new topic here. This is the Texas A&amp;M annual insect collection event held last Saturday, wanna share some of dried specimens here. This year i finally remember to bring my camera!! Lot of pics hopefully you won't fall to sleep half way going through this  Due to the size limit here pic size been reduced. Anyone like to see an enlarge version of any particular pic please PM me no problem.

Here we go....










































Now i am not sure about this one...the bottom right one resemble _Zoolea sp._ instead











More pics on next page


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)




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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

This long stick looking mantis is slightly above 6 inches.











The large mantis on bottom right is a good size of 5 inches


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

Now the third specimen on the bottom appear to look like a stick insect ???


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

Another closer look at the questionable "mantis"... it is from Texas?! boy if that is true i have to relly think of how many species of mantis exist in Texas.































That is the largest bark mantis i have ever seen...a good 3.25 inches!


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

My son is showing off a live Texas unicorn mantis to a visitor... good to see a live one after looking at all the dead specimen  






My son checking out some beetles with a bug friend of mine David.






Endless row of cabinets storing all kinds of bug.... TAMU has about 2.3 millions specimen of all kind of insects that is properly labeled with bar code, GPS location, method of catching, etc pretty neat stuff, and probably millions more that is lying around waiting to be identified, and that's about time when my camera's battery ran out...bummer!!


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## Birdfly (Jan 14, 2008)

Stunning Yen, although just the tip of the ice burg :lol: I must admit i like the one you say is just over 6inches, looks like _Archimantis_ species ?. Some crazy insects there even the little phasmid  

That (questionable one) looks like a _Tenodera_ sp .


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

Birdfly said:


> Stunning Yen, although just the tip of the ice burg :lol: I must admit i like the one you say is just over 6inches, looks like _Archimantis_ species ?. Some crazy insects there even the little phasmid  That (questionable one) looks like a _Tenodera_ sp .


Thanks Gary, yeah there are many more boxes of mantis i didn't remove from cabinet for more pics. But mantid is the smallest section there as far as i know. Quantity of beetles collection basically dwarfed every other insects in TAMU's entomology dept. Here is the link where i put the pics of other insects http://www.usamantis.com/TAMU08OTH.html

Didn't really read everything on the (fine print) label but remember the long stick insect is from Cameroon.

This questionable "mantis" (pic below) may not be a mantis at all but it is in the mantodea section for sure. Pretty sure it is not of _Tenodera sp._


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## Christian (Jan 14, 2008)

The large one may be _Macrodanuria elongata_. The Texas "mantid" is clearly a phasmid.


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## Birdfly (Jan 14, 2008)

:lol: I didnt even look at the phasmid in the photo, i just assumed we were talking about the _Tenodera_(cant see _Tenodera_ on label?) look a like above it :lol: 

Cheers Christian, would that be an African species ?


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## Birdfly (Jan 14, 2008)

I am quite surprized to see how big those _Chearododis_/_Asiadodis_ types are too, the pronotal shield is massive on the second one!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/yen...TAMU2008/m6.jpg

Thanks for sharing Yen


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## Christian (Jan 14, 2008)

Those ones are all _Choeradodis_, the female shown belongs to _Ch. rhombicollis_.


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## Morpheus uk (Jan 14, 2008)

Thier one of my all time fav must haves, amazing array of insects there!


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

Birdfly said:


> :lol: I didnt even look at the phasmid in the photo, i just assumed we were talking about the _Tenodera_(cant see _Tenodera_ on label?) look a like above it :lol: Cheers Christian, would that be an African species ?


Ah ok i get confused too with all the pics Gary  The long stick like mantis is from Africa, Cameroon stated on the bottom layer label (the one with bar code) not visible from the photo.



Birdfly said:


> I am quite surprized to see how big those _Chearododis_/_Asiadodis_ types are too, the pronotal shield is massive on the second one!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/yen...TAMU2008/m6.jpg
> 
> Thanks for sharing Yen


Yes they are all of _Choeradodis _as Christian mentioned. Not problem took me a while to upload all the pics but glad you like it.


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## Gurd (Jan 14, 2008)

some great pics there Yen

thanks for uploading them


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## Rick (Jan 14, 2008)

Very nice. Some of those have seen better days though.


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## Mantida (Jan 14, 2008)

Wow. So many mantids! Too bad I couldn't attend.  

Seeing so many dead mantids makes me squirm in my seat.


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## macro junkie (Jan 14, 2008)

WOW.so many


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## yen_saw (Jan 15, 2008)

Rick, thanks for moving it to the correct section.



Mantida said:


> Wow. So many mantids! Too bad I couldn't attend.  Seeing so many dead mantids makes me squirm in my seat.


They do this every year during winter break (or a week before the spring semester begins), last Saturday open house was their 20th consecutive year and i am sure they will do it next year.

On another topic, i met a biologist from McKinney who runs a natural science &amp; wildlife sanctuary museum there, he is also looking to set up an insectarium and you might be able to help. McKinney is not too far away from where you are. his website is www.heardmuseum.org, if you need his contact please PM me.



macro junkie said:


> WOW.so many


Yeah too many MJ, my eyes get all sore and crossed looking at all those tiny little mantids


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## joossa (Jan 15, 2008)

WOW. Lots of mantids!

I am surprised to see how many specimens are so poorly pinned/spread.


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## yen_saw (Jan 15, 2008)

Yeah is a shame, mantis is not the interest obviously as you can see even phasmid being labeled in mantid section. Beetles on the other hand were nicely presented, it is probably easier to preserve a beetle than a mantis, frequent removal of the display box is also causing all the broken legs and wings on the mantis specimen.  bummer.....


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## macro junkie (Jan 16, 2008)

yer..aint there other way or is this how u suppose to do it&gt;?


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## Orin (Jan 16, 2008)

Great batch of photos Yen! Would you be allowed to get vernier calipers close enough to get reasonable measurements on say, the biggest _B. borealis _or the five or six inch mantids next open house?

It look like that _Oligonicella mexicana _male ate the head off the one next to him. :blink:


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## yen_saw (Jan 16, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> yer..aint there other way or is this how u suppose to do it&gt;?


I had done some pinned collection for mantis before, it is time consuming if you want to keep a nicely display specimen, especially with insect like mantis. Positioning of the mantis alone take a week at least. I like to have one set of the wing strecthed out too, as the pic below.







Here is one of the ghost mantis specimen at least 2-3 yrs ago. (I haven't thought of the wing display yet)








Orin said:


> Great batch of photos Yen! Would you be allowed to get vernier calipers close enough to get reasonable measurements on say, the biggest _B. borealis _or the five or six inch mantids next open house?It look like that _Oligonicella mexicana _male ate the head off the one next to him. :blink:


Thanks Orin. I don't have a vernier caliper. Actually I didn't even bring a ruler, but a guy had a swiss knive set with a steel ruler where he measured that long African stick mantis to be 6 inches. I didn't take the picture with the measurement toegther as he took his "ruler" away by then. He also measured one of the large green mantis around 5+ inches too before leaving. i didn't measure any of the _B. borealis _but none of them were very long, my guess is around 4 inches, although i have seen a live one that is longer.


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## joossa (Jan 16, 2008)

Hey Yen, I remember that picture from when I barely began researching how to spread and pin. It was very helpful. I agree that it is time consuming... not to mention that you have to be dexterous. In the end though, it is well worth it.

Personally I like spread both set of wings. Some of my specimens look awesome with the full-wing display. I guess it is more standard to spread only one wing set, though. For observational purposes.


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## francisco (Jan 21, 2008)

HELLO Yen and all

Nice pics and nice collection!!!!

The large mantis might be a Heretochaeta sp (poss H strachani) It looks a lot like the one I had a few years back.

I also see lots of Phasmids mixed in the mantis boxes.

regards

francisco T


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## Christian (Jan 21, 2008)

> The large mantis might be a Heretochaeta sp (poss H strachani) It looks a lot like the one I had a few years back.


This specimen is by no means a _Heterochaeta_. I've already IDed it as _Macrodanuria elongata_. Even if the label was false and it is from E Africa, it clearly belongs to the Danuriini. _Heterochaeta_ looks different.


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## yen_saw (Jan 21, 2008)

joossa said:


> Hey Yen, I remember that picture from when I barely began researching how to spread and pin. It was very helpful. I agree that it is time consuming... not to mention that you have to be dexterous. In the end though, it is well worth it.Personally I like spread both set of wings. Some of my specimens look awesome with the full-wing display. I guess it is more standard to spread only one wing set, though. For observational purposes.


Yeah it is the old photo joossa, thought of keeping the dead one in pinned collection but realized it was impossible when my mantis collection gets out of hand. Glad it helped. Spreading both set of wings certainly makes the specimen looks nicer and larger too  if you still looking for dead specimen let me know i have been giving many dead specimen away.



francisco said:


> HELLO Yen and allNice pics and nice collection!!!!
> 
> The large mantis might be a Heretochaeta sp (poss H strachani) It looks a lot like the one I had a few years back.
> 
> ...


Thanks FT, if you plan to visit Texas let me know the curator in TAMU let me visit the collection room anytime as long as It doesn't interfere with the class work there.


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## OGIGA (Jan 22, 2008)

Oh my goodness, Yen! I have never seen so many mantises at one time! Thanks for sharing these with us.  Awesome!


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## yen_saw (Jan 29, 2008)

Hi Calvin, no problem, are you back to state?

I will bring some dried specimen to TAMU and hope to see the small mantis section expand next year.


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## Hypoponera (Jan 30, 2008)

Hey Yen,

Any chance you could send me a blow up of the L. minor try? I'm always looking for more photos/info on the native ground mantids!


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## OGIGA (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm still out but I'll be back in just a few days.


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## yen_saw (Feb 2, 2008)

Hypoponera said:


> Hey Yen,Any chance you could send me a blow up of the L. minor try? I'm always looking for more photos/info on the native ground mantids!


Mike, i sent you the uncut version, you sould see more detail of each L. minor in that pic. Hope that help.


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