Insects are complex and fascinating creatures. Many people delight in preserving the bodies of dead insects. These are usually kept for scientific purposes of study or identification, or simply as a personal hobby. Whether you found the body of the insect outside your home or killed it on purpose, there are various ways to preserve the body. Soft-bodied insects - caterpillars and larvae for example - are usually preserved in ethyl alcohol. Hard-bodied insects - especially butterflies, moths and beetles - are preserved through the use of special pins.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Store Bugs in Ethyl Alcohol
Step 1. Fill a jar halfway with ethyl alcohol
The alcohol will preserve the insect's body and prevent it from decaying, drying out, or breaking into pieces. The jar should be a little larger than the insect. Using too large a jar for this purpose would be a waste of alcohol.
- Usually ethyl alcohol is a 70% solution - it should be enough to keep your insects. Even less diluted alcohol - for example 80% or 85% - can be a great option as some insects keep better in stronger alcohol.
- Some insects that should be stored in stronger alcohol are: spiders, scorpions, earthworms, and small insects such as lice and silverfish.
- Make sure the glass jar has an airtight lid and does not have any cracks in it.
Step 2. Find a dead bug
Remember that the insects that are usually preserved in ethyl alcohol are the soft-bodied ones. You could find it anywhere: on a window inside your home, around your home or in a spider web. It is good to find a body that is still in good condition: if the insect has been dead for a few days and its body is already decomposing and falling apart, storing it will be less effective.
You can also decide to catch insects yourself in various ways: for example by trapping moths and butterflies in a net. While some may object to the ethics of killing an insect simply for the purpose of preserving it, traps are an effective way of ensuring you have a large number of dead insects available
Step 3. Identify the insect and apply a label
When storing insects, it is important to know which specific species you are dealing with. This part of the process is especially important if you are keeping them for scientific reasons. The label should show the taxonomic genus, the species of the insect, the place and date of the discovery and finally the name of the person who recovered it. Glue the label to the outside of the jar.
There are many useful websites that can help you identify a dead insect. Try checking on InsettiItaliani.org. If you can't find help online, try contacting an entomologist in your area
Step 4. Carefully dip the insect into the jar
Proceed gently and handle the insect with extreme caution: the body is very fragile and can break easily. It is good to use a pair of tweezers to avoid breaking or damaging some parts of the insect using your fingers.
If the insect has a sting (bees, wasps) or if it is a poisonous insect, wear latex gloves while handling the body
Step 5. Fill the rest of the jar with ethyl alcohol
Do this only when the insect's body has reached the bottom of the container and remember to pour the alcohol slowly - doing it too quickly could damage the insect or break parts of its body.
- Close the jar, seal it, and then put it away in a safe place. If you are thinking of starting a large insect collection, dedicating an entire surface to the jars might be a good idea.
- Store jars away from food, children and animals.
Method 2 of 3: Store Bugs in Hand Sanitizer Gel
Step 1. Fill a jar two-thirds full with disinfectant gel
As with ethyl alcohol, the disinfectant will help preserve the insect's body and prevent it from breaking down or decaying. However, unlike alcohol, the density of the disinfectant gel will cause the insect to hover in the middle, making the jar more pleasing to the eye and making the contents easier to see.
Use a jar that is large enough to hold the insect, but that doesn't require too much disinfectant gel to fill
Step 2. Place the dead bug on the disinfectant gel
Avoid handling it directly - use a pair of tweezers to move it. Carefully push the insect's body into the gel until it hangs inside.
- If you are suspending a delicate insect, such as a bee or wasp, be sure not to break its wings as you push it into the gel.
- Many large hard-bodied insects - butterflies, for example - can be difficult to store in the disinfectant gel as this can break parts of the body. While gel is a great way to preserve other hard-bodied insects, look for some that don't have protruding, particularly delicate wings or antennae.
Step 3. Simmer the jars to get rid of air bubbles
To remove unsightly blisters from the disinfectant gel, fill a deep pan with 3 to 5 centimeters of water. Bring it to a boil and then add the jars (always two-thirds full of disinfectant gel, with the insect resting on top) into the pan and let them simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure you remove the lid from the jars, otherwise they will explode!
- Avoid spilling water into jars - it may weaken or dissolve the disinfectant gel.
- Many people find the air bubbles in the gel unsightly and consider them a distraction from clearly observing the insect, but if they don't bother you, you can skip this step.
Step 4. Fill the jar with gel
Once you've removed the container from the boiling water and allowed it to cool down to room temperature, pour more disinfectant gel over the insect's body until the jar is full. Once done you can move the insect into the pose you want using tweezers. Attach a label to the outside of the jar, close it tightly and the storage process will be complete.
These jars can be handled by children (with adult supervision) and are excellent for museums or outreach events
Method 3 of 3: Tap the Bugs
Step 1. Purchase insect pins and polyurethane foam panels
These insect pins are a specific variety of pins that are made of hardened steel and are approximately 3 centimeters long. They are particularly narrow, so as not to damage the body of the insect. Any type of foam (or cork) board will do as long as it is dense enough (so that the staple bug can't fall off).
- Insect pins and foam boards can be purchased at a DIY store or through retailers that specialize in biology-related products. The pins and panels can also be purchased from online retailers and also on Amazon.
- Using a cork board instead of a foam board is a popular option.
Step 2. Stick the body of the insect with a pin
The most effective way to keep hard-bodied insects like cockroaches and cockroaches is to use these pins. Insert the thorax (the section that is in the middle of its body) of the dead insect and insert the pin until it is about two thirds of the depth of the body: the goal is to be able to lift and handle the pin without touch the insect.
If you are tapping a beetle, insert the pin in the middle of the right elytrum
Step 3. Create a tag for the insect
Determine their taxonomic genus and species and print them clearly on a strip of paper. It also notes the date and place of the discovery and the name of the individual who collected the insect. Some collectors also note details regarding the environment in which the insect was found, for example: "recovered while eating a leaf", "found under a trunk", etc.
Step 4. Attach the bug and the label to the panel
Simply press the pin until it is about an inch deep in the panel. Make sure you don't move or break the body of the insect during this process. Then, using tape or thumbtacks, place the label under the body.
- If you plan to develop a large collection it might be a good idea to start with a large foam or cork panel, so that you have enough space to expand it.
- Protect stapled bugs by storing them in a display cabinet or set of drawers, or even in a wooden cigar box.
Advice
- Do not expose insects to direct sunlight to prevent them from losing color.
- Never breathe the fumes of ethyl alcohol directly.
- Always wash your hands after handling insects.
