HOW TO KNOW THE INSEOS 



Figure C2. Straight pirjiing greatly 



ixiuroves the appearance of a 



collectiorL, 



If one is doing much pinning 

 he Tvlll soon learn to gaupre 

 this distance very accurately 

 with his eye and vjill need to 

 use the pinning block with 

 only an occasional specimen 

 to hold his standard uniform. 

 The pinned specimens m.ay very 

 conveniently be stuck tempo- 

 rarily at the back of the pin- 

 ning stand until the locality 

 labels are ready to be put on 

 them. 



Butterflies and moths 

 should not be touched with the 

 fingers as that removes many 

 of the scales. Handle them 

 with forceps. 



Figure 23, 3e sure the pir 

 is started straight; then 

 go ahead. 



Some longer soft-bodied Insects 

 have a tendency to droop when pinned. 

 A small card or folded piece of paper 

 may be run up on the pin to support 

 the specimen in a m.ore natural posi- 

 tion until it dries. After the speci- 

 men is thoroughly dry the support 

 should be removed, Never use more 

 than one pin in a specimen. Beginners 

 sometimes put two pins in walking 

 sticks or other long bodied Insects. 

 They cannot be moved v/ithout breaking. 

 Bulky Insects such as large grass- 

 hoppers are sometimes slit open on the 

 ventral side of the abdomen with sharp 

 pointed scissors and the contents re- 

 moved. The cavity is then filled with 

 cotton. This prevents discoloring of 

 spec Im.ens . 



Cardboard points (See Fig. 24) 

 used for mounting tiny specimens may 

 be spread out on the pinning stand 



and pinned rapidly. The soft balsa wood permits starting the 

 pin through the wide end of the point without bending it. The 

 pin is then transferred to one of the encircled holes and pushed 

 through the balsa board until the pin point touches the table 

 top. This leaves the paper point at just the right height on the 

 pin. These pinned points may be placed in rov;s along the back of 

 the pinning stand in readiness for mounting sm.all specimens. 



One may somewhat Improve the looks of a collection by spread- 

 ing the legs and antennae of large beetles and other Insects be- 

 fore they have becomie rigid. The experienced collector, however, 

 usually tries to fold legs and antennae close enough to the body 

 of the specimen to diminish the chance of their being broken. To 

 do a really intelligent Job of mounting, the collector needs to 

 know the characters used for identification of a specimen and to 

 leave these uncovered If possible. 



Insects so small or fragile as likely to be broken or dis- 

 figured by pinning should be mounted on cards or points. Points 

 should be cut v.ath a point punch from heavy white paper or they 



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