The minimum equipment necessary to collect insects consists

T2
MOUNTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS
The.implesl uay to pin an irrscct is to hold jt belween lhe thumb
^"i io*H'"'g"i o'ne hind an.l irrsert the pin $.ith lhe other hand'
AJJ specimens
"i and labels Puf on a pln should bc at a unlrorm
i;ehi; ihi. i" most easily accompliihed tith a pinning block
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How insects are pinned. The black spots show the location of tle
oin inilr" ."." o' Fies (A), beer les , B i bugs ' C grasshopper' rD),
ilrasonfli.s and drmselBies (P), and leathopl,ers. lroghopperc, and
-
PlanthoPPers (F)
Ag
A
"1vt
4 i'N
l\v\
Prnninq blocls. These mcy be made of a re' langrrlar pe'e.ol
roodrA) orone shaped likeslPps(Bl, qilh holesdrllled to l "8'
aJi,r-in.-AJGrpruiing a speciiren on a pin inse'r the pio in.rhe
i-in. hole unril it rou.hes bottonr The 56 in hole is used ro
posirion the local;ly date Iabei on Ihe-pin. and the r8-rn nole ro
positjon a serond label. Il there ls one'
MOUNTINC AND IRESERVTNG TNSECTS
Mount the insect about an inch up on the pin. With large-bodied
insects there should be enough of the pin above the insect to permit
easy [anonng,
Sagging of the abdomen of a pinncd insect (liLc a dragonfly) can
be prevented in the following ways: (1) by sticking the pinned
specimen onto a vertical surface, rrith thc abdomcn hanging dorvn,
and leaving it there until the abdomcn dries; or (2) by placing a
srnali piece of carclboard on the pin, just under and supporting the
insect, and leaving it there until the insect dries;or (3) by supporting
the sagging abdomen with crossed pins, the abdomen resting
in the angle \l'here the pins cross.
A sheet of cork. balsa wood, or other soft material is useful for
the temporary storage of pinned specimens until they can be sorted
and placed in boxcs.
Mounting Small Insects on Pins. Insects hard-bodied enough to
mount dry but too srnall to pin are usually mounted on "points."
Points are small triangular pieces of cardboard, about 8 mm. long
and 3 or 4 mm. wide at the base; the pin is put through the base
of the point and the insect is glued to the tip. Points can be cut
with scissors or punched out with a special punch (obtainable from
a supply house), or they can be purchased lrom a supply house.
Mounting small insects on points. A, beetle, dorsal side up; B,fly,
left side up; C, beetle rnor"te,] ,]o.sat side up, nttached bj'its'sidi
to the bent down tip ol the point.
fnsects put on points should be glued so that the body parts to
be examined in identifvins the insect are not obscured. The best
position for an insect ii on its right side, with the head away from
the pin (B, above), FIat insects that may be diffrcult to mount on
their side are usually mounted dorsal .ide up at the exlreme lip
ot the pourt.
Place an insect that is to be put on a point at the edge of a blocL,