46 

 microscope. With a pair of jewelers forceps, the elytra 



were lifted just enough to slip one side of the forceps 



underneath and the abdomen was grasped on a side. In this 



way, the specimen was held and the remainder of the body 



was not effected by the dissection to follow. 



The abdominal tergites (membranous) and underlying 

 muscle masses were separated from the visible sternites on 

 the side not held by the forceps. This was done with a 

 bent-tipped minuten attached to a small wooden toothpick. 

 Once loosened, the forceps were moved to hold only the 

 sternites of the side just separated, and the same 

 operation performed on the second side. After these 

 separations were complete the tergites and underlying 

 muscle masses were removed with a second pair of forceps. 

 This technique allows the visible abdominal sternites to 

 remain attached; the specimen appears intact. 



The removed muscle masses containing the genitalia, 

 and terminal segments of the abdomen, were cleaned and 

 cleared in a warm 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, 

 and the remaining unwanted tissues were removed manually 

 with forceps. The genitalia were rinsed in 70% isopropanol 

 or water and stored in glycerin in genitalia vials 

 associated with the appropriate specimen. Genitalia vials 

 are small plastic or glass vials that can be placed under 

 the pinned specimen, with the pin piercing the stopper. 



Detailed study of these genitalia rarely required more 

 magnification than the dissecting microscope allowed. The 



