Front matter

STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION

HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE INSECTS

H. H. ROSS

Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION George Sprugel, Jr., Chief

Circular 39 Urbana November, 1966 (Eighth Printing)

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STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION

John C. Watson, Chairman; Thomas Park, Ph.D., Biology; L. L. Sloss, Ph.D., Geology; Roger Adams, Ph.D., D.Sc., Chemistry; Robert H. Anderson, B.S.C.E., Engineering; Charles E. Olmsted, Ph.D., Forestry; W. L. Everitt, E.E., Ph.D., Representing the President of the University of Illinois; Delyte W. Morris, Ph.D., President of Southern Illinois University.

NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION, Urbana, Illinois SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF George Sprugel, Jr., Ph.D., Chief Herbert H. Ross, Ph.D., Assistant Chief Robert O. Watson, B.S., Assistant to the Chief

Section of Economic Entomology

William H. Luckmann, Ph.D., Entomologist and Head

Willis N. Bruce, Ph.D., Entomologist

Ronald H. Meyer, Ph.D., Associate Entomologist

James E. Appleby, Ph.D., Associate Entomologist

Robert D. Pausch, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist

Ralph E. Sechriest, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist

Delmar Broersma, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist

Joseph V. Maddox, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist

Edward J. Armbrust, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist

Dannel McCollum, B.A., Technical Assistant

Gregory P. Marsh, B.S., Technical Assistant

Sue E. Watkins, Junior Scientific Assistant

H. B. Petty, Ph.D., Entomologist in Extension[1]

Stevenson Moore, III, Ph.D., Entomologist in Extension[1]

Roscoe Randell, M.S., Technical Assistant in Extension[1]

Clarence E. White, B.S., Technical Assistant in Extension[1]

Stanley Rachesky, M.S., Technical Assistant in Extension[1]

D. E. Kuhlman, M.S., Technical Assistant in Extension[1]

Amal C. Banerjee, Ph.D., Research Associate[1]

Jean G. Wilson, B.A., Research Associate[1]

Ranu Banerjee, B.A., Research Assistant[1]

Ayten Hatidoglu, B.S., Research Assistant[1]

Keun S. Park, M.S., Research Assistant[1]

Keturah Reinbold, M.S., Research Assistant[1]

Section of Faunistic Surveys and Insect Identification

H. H. Ross, Ph.D., Assistant Chief and Head

Milton W. Sanderson, Ph.D., Taxonomist

Lewis J. Stannard, Jr., Ph.D., Taxonomist

Philip W. Smith, Ph.D., Taxonomist

Leonora K. Gloyd, M.S., Associate Taxonomist

Wallace E. LaBerge, Ph.D., Associate Taxonomist

Robert T. Allen, M.S., Technical Assistant

Bernice Sweeney, Technical Assistant

Bess White, A.B., Technical Assistant

John D. Unzicker, Ph.D., Research Assistant[1]

Section of Aquatic Biology

George W. Bennett, Ph.D., Aquatic Biologist and Head

William C. Starrett, Ph.D., Aquatic Biologist

R. W. Larimore, Ph.D., Aquatic Biologist

David H. Buck, Ph.D., Associate Aquatic Biologist

Robert C. Hiltibran, Ph.D., Associate Biochemist

Donald F. Hansen, Ph.D., Associate Aquatic Biologist

William F. Childers, Ph.D., Assistant Aquatic Biologist

David L. Thomas, B.S., Research Assistant

Maryfran Martin, Technical Assistant

Claude Russell Rose, Field Assistant

Dennis Dooley, Field Assistant

Charles F. Thoits, III, B.A., Research Associate[1]

David Krulac, Project Assistant[1]

Section of Applied Botany and Plant Pathology

J. Cedric Carter, Ph.D., Plant Pathologist and Head

J. L. Forsberg, Ph.D., Plant Pathologist

Robert A. Evers, Ph.D., Botanist

Robert Dan Neely, Ph.D., Plant Pathologist

E. B. Himelick, Ph.D., Plant Pathologist

Walter Hartstirn, Ph.D., Assistant Plant Pathologist

D. F. Schoeneweiss, Ph.D., Assistant Plant Pathologist

David Russell Vance, Technical Assistant

Robert J. Slattery, B.S., Technical Assistant

Robert S. Perry, B.S., Technical Assistant

Betty S. Nelson, Technical Assistant

Sylvia P. Brockstein, M.S., Technical Assistant

Section of Wildlife Research

Glen C. Sanderson, Ph.D., Wildlife Specialist and Head

F. C. Bellrose, B.S., Wildlife Specialist

H. C. Hanson, Ph.D., Wildlife Specialist

Richard R. Graber, Ph.D., Wildlife Specialist

Ronald F. Labisky, M.S., Associate Wildlife Specialist

William R. Edwards, M.S., Associate Wildlife Specialist

William W. Cochran, JR., Assistant Wildlife Specialist

Robert E. Greenberg, M.S., Research Assistant

Helen C. Schultz, M.A., Technical Assistant

Lucinda Janis, Technical Assistant

Robert D. Crompton, Field Assistant

Ronald Duzan, Laboratory Assistant

Mary Ann Johnson, Laboratory Assistant

William J. Francis, Ph.D., Research Associate[1]

Jack A. Ellis, M.S., Research Associate[1]

James A. Bailey, Ph.D., Research Associate[1]

Gerald G. Montgomery, M.S., Research Associate[1]

William L. Anderson, M.A., Research Associate[1]

George B. Joselyn, M.S., Research Associate[1]

Gerald L. Storm, M.S., Field Ecologist[1]

Ronald L. Westemeier, B.S., Research Associate[1]

Stanley L. Etter, M.S., Research Assistant[1]

Robert E. Hawkins, B.S., Research Assistant[1]

Jeffrey C. Hanson, M.S., Research Assistant[1]

Keith T. Dauphin, Project Assistant[1]

Section of Publications and Public Relations

Owen F. Glissendorf, M.S., Technical Editor and Head

Robert M. Zewadski, M.S., Associate Technical Editor

Nancy K. Ginzel, B.S., Assistant Technical Editor

Wilmer D. Zehr, Technical Photographer

William L. Taylor, Technical Assistant

Technical Library

Doris F. Dodds, B.A., M.S.L.S., Technical Librarian

Patricia F. Stenstrom, B.A., M.S.L.S., Assistant Technical Librarian

CONSULTANTS: Herpetology, Hobart M. Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Zoology, University of Illinois; Parasitology, Norman D. Levine, Ph.D., Professor of Veterinary Parasitology and Veterinary Research, University of Illinois; Wildlife Research, Willard D. Klimstra, Ph.D., Professor of Zoology and Director of Cooperative Wildlife Research, Southern Illinois University; Statistics, Horace W. Norton, Ph.D., Professor of Statistical Design and Analysis, University of Illinois.

This paper is a contribution from the Section of Faunistic Surveys and Insect Identification. (33711—10M—10-66)30

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Where to Collect 1

What to Use 2

Nets 3

Killing Bottles 6

Aspirators or Suckers 9

Sifter 12

Berlese Funnel 12

Equipment for Collecting Aquatic Insects 16

How to Handle Unmounted Specimens 17

Temporary Cases 17

Relaxing Boxes and Jars 19

How to Mount and Preserve Specimens 20

Preservation by Pinning 20

Spreading Board for Moths and Butterflies 24

Preservation in Fluid 26

How to Label the Specimens 26

Housing the Collection Permanently 27

Insect Boxes 27

Precaution Against Pests 27

The Insect World 28

How to Identify Specimens 34

Synopsis of Illinois Insect Orders 35

Primitive Wingless Insects 35

Diplura 36

Protura 36

Collembola 36

Microcoryphia 36

Thysanura 38

Primitive Winged Insects 38

Ephemeroptera 38

Odonata 38

Folding-Wing Insects 40

Cursoria 42

Isoptera 43

Orthoptera 43

Dermaptera 44

Plecoptera 45

Zoraptera 45

Corrodentia 45

Phthiraptera 45

Mallophaga 47

Anoplura 47

Thysanoptera 47

Hemiptera 48

Megaloptera 52

Neuroptera 52

Coleoptera 53

Hymenoptera 54

Mecoptera 55

Trichoptera 57

Lepidoptera 58

Diptera 60

Siphonaptera 61

Relatives of Insects 62

Isopoda 62

Amphipoda 62

Scorpionida 64

Pseudoscorpionida 64

Phalangida 64

Araneida 65

Acarina 65

Diplopoda 66

Chilopoda 67

The State Insect Collection 67

Reports on Illinois Insects 69

Useful Books 70

How to Ship Specimens 70

Where to Buy Supplies 71

Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois, Ch. 127. IRS, Par. 58.22.

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Illinois streams are a source of many insects of interest to the amateur collector. Shown here is the Salt Fork River, south of Oakwood.

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HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE INSECTS

H. H. ROSS

With rather simple equipment, the amateur as well as the trained entomologist can make a worthwhile collection of insects.

The making of such a collection may have educational and recreational as well as scientific values. Developing this hobby is one of the finest ways for students, especially those in agricultural districts, to become acquainted with the large number of injurious and beneficial insects that they encounter about the home and in the fields. High school classes in biology find excellent laboratory material in the many insects available for rearing and study. Both old and young collectors find a great deal of pleasure in working with the showy and beautiful insects, such as beetles, moths, and butterflies; the satisfaction derived comes both from having relaxation from the day’s work and from making real contributions to scientific knowledge. Many entomological museums welcome the opportunity to examine carefully prepared and labeled collections. These collections supply distribution records for insect species, in addition to other information of value to technical entomologists. Also, the amateur collector profits from his contact with specialists who can help him identify his specimens and advise him at any stage of his work.

It is hoped that this circular will show how easy it is to make a start in insect collecting and will give the student helpful ideas on how and where to begin.