HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE INSECTS 



13 



MOUNTING 



We come now to the methods of mounting and preserving. The 

 stock method is pinning. The almost universally adopted pin is IJ/^ 

 inches long and has a very small head. It varies in thickness from 

 extremely slender to as thick as an ordinary pin. The useful sizes 

 are from No. to No. 3. They are either plain "white" or enameled 

 black. Much is to be said for both with the voting probably in favor 

 of black. At any rate they should snap back when bent a reasonable 

 amount. A pin that bends easily and stays bent produces profanity. 

 Beetles are usually pinned through the right wing cover. All other 

 insects, when pinned, are pinned through the thorax. In the case 

 of flies it is well to pin a trifle to the right of the middle line as the 

 bristles on the back are important in taxonomy and one side of the 

 body should be perfect. True bugs should be pinned through the tri- 

 angular portion of the thorax which is between the wings. See Fig. 6. 

 Very small insects are usually mounted on the tip of paper tri- 

 angles, a medium-sized insect pin being stuck through the broad end 

 of the triangle. The triangles are of about as many sizes as there 

 are collectors. A ticket punch can be purchased which has a die suit- 

 able for cutting these triangles. 

 How^ever if they be cut out with 

 scissors or a sharp knife, such as 

 a razor, a variety of sizes and 

 shapes suited to different insects 

 can easily be made. The best 

 way is to cut tough, rather stifT 

 paper into strips about three- 

 eighths of an inch v/ide and then 

 snip off triangles from them by 

 making transverse cuts. It is 

 well to pin up a quantity of these 

 triangles in odd moments and 

 keep them on hand. ^Yhen 

 ready to mount, put a small bit of white shellac dissolved in alcohol 

 or of some good elastic glue on the tip of a triangle and touch it to 

 the under side of the thorax. Some difficulty will be experienced in 

 keeping the insect straight on the point, especially if the adhesive be 

 too thin. The triangles for ants should be fairly broad at the ''point," 

 and the front end of the abdomen as well as the thorax should 

 be supported. 



ZM 



Figure 7. Pins for mounting small soft-bodied 

 insects. 



