How To Make an Insect Collection 



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Fig. 1. A scientific collection of insects. 



Note: This booklet is designed to replace 

 Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects 

 by Dr. A. li. Klots which is now out of print. 

 The current publication is a co-operative affair 

 written by members of Ward's own staff. The 

 preliminary work was done by Mr. Richard L. 

 Post before he left Ward's to resume his graduate 

 studies at Oregon State College. It is intended 

 primarily to give instruction in entomological tech- 

 nique and methods to the less experienced col- 

 lector. We do not desire to be dogmatic in our 

 presentation and our readers are urged to remem- 

 ber these are suggested methods only since each 

 individual will develop his own special variations 

 and technique as he becomes more experienced. 



Why Collect Insects? 



If a hostile race of men attacked this 

 country every year, doing damage to nul- 

 lify the labor of a million workers, if they 



injured and destroyed our crops, infected 

 us and our domestic animals with fatal dis- 

 eases and even attacked our homes, ex- 

 traordinary measures would be taken to 

 ward off these attacks. Yet this is what 

 insects do to us, often without our realizing 

 the extent of their depredations. 



It is true that the harm done by some 

 insects is somewhat offset by the good other 

 insects do in supplying man with products 

 he can use, by pollenizing flowers and by 

 helping to keep in check man's insect foes, 

 but this is not sufficient to over-balance the 

 harm done. About 75% of all known liv- 

 ing species of animals are insects, in fact 

 about 650,000 different species have been 

 described. In view of the size and im- 

 portance of this group and the incalculable 



