Asa
Well-known member
I doubt there is enough to really account for the effort.
Shipping dead stuff
- Thread starter OGIGA
- Start date
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Horatio
Well-known member
So the steps for preservation of an insect are (correct the mistakes anyone!)
1. Upon death - freeze it until you have time to empty it (?) or
empty it immediately- (does everything come out from the head etc. or is it just the abdomen that gets emptied?)
2. Then stuff it with cotton to maintain shape
Then... :?:
What am I missing/or am I missing anything?
Does anyone use potato flour for clean-ups?
OGIGA - you could use gloves and do it on newspaper or wax paper. I guess, though, you have to be the type of person who is willing and able to do this sourt of stuff. And be okay if you are not that type of person. I had to dissect a cat and shark for my first year vertebrate zoology. It seemed no matter what science class I was in, we were doing some sourt of dissecting, come to think of it. In ornithology lab, everyone got a different bird species (mine was a Maggie). Hey, you posted the mantid body parts, right? That wasn't a molt, was it? :?:
1. Upon death - freeze it until you have time to empty it (?) or
empty it immediately- (does everything come out from the head etc. or is it just the abdomen that gets emptied?)
2. Then stuff it with cotton to maintain shape
Then... :?:
What am I missing/or am I missing anything?
Does anyone use potato flour for clean-ups?
OGIGA - you could use gloves and do it on newspaper or wax paper. I guess, though, you have to be the type of person who is willing and able to do this sourt of stuff. And be okay if you are not that type of person. I had to dissect a cat and shark for my first year vertebrate zoology. It seemed no matter what science class I was in, we were doing some sourt of dissecting, come to think of it. In ornithology lab, everyone got a different bird species (mine was a Maggie). Hey, you posted the mantid body parts, right? That wasn't a molt, was it? :?:
Freezing is needed only when you can not prep the specimen immediately. Plus, you must allow the froozen specimen to defrost fully before you work on it. A froozen mantid breaks just as easily as a desicated one.
Male mantids do not need to be gutted, only the females do. You will only remove the contents of the abdomen. Do not attempt to remove the contents of the head or thorax. Filling the abdomen with cotton is an option.
Once the abdomen has been worked on, pin and pose the mantid. Then allow to dry. I live in a desert. So air drying is very quick. If you live in an area with high humidity or need the specimen dried faster, you can use an oven. Just keep it at the lowest temp possible and watch it closely!
Once the specimen is dry, add the identification label and put in a display case. And your done.
Male mantids do not need to be gutted, only the females do. You will only remove the contents of the abdomen. Do not attempt to remove the contents of the head or thorax. Filling the abdomen with cotton is an option.
Once the abdomen has been worked on, pin and pose the mantid. Then allow to dry. I live in a desert. So air drying is very quick. If you live in an area with high humidity or need the specimen dried faster, you can use an oven. Just keep it at the lowest temp possible and watch it closely!
Once the specimen is dry, add the identification label and put in a display case. And your done.
