How to Make an Insect Collection
Making an insect collection can be a great summer hobby or a school science project. While a collection typically can't be completed in one day--finding all of the insects you need may not be possible--a good collection can be completed over time and with patience. With a good identification book, you'll be amazed at the different insects in your own backyard.
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Things You'll Need
- Cotton balls
- Rubbing alcohol
- Mason jar with lid
- Pencil
- Styrofoam board
- Tweezers
- Pins
- Insect identification book
- Paper
- Pen
Instructions
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1
Dip the cotton balls into the rubbing alcohol so they are saturated. Place the soaked cotton balls into the bottom of the Mason jar followed by a few dry cotton balls.
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2
Search for insects for your collection and place them into the jar and close the lid. Collect as many insects of different varieties as you need in the same jar.
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3
Mark a small grid on your Styrofoam with a pencil so you know where to place each insect to keep them separated. Leave larger areas of grid at the bottom for larger insects.
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4
Remove the insects from the jar with tweezers and place them on the Styrofoam. Hold an insect centered in its square of the grid, then pierce it through the center of the body with a pin to hold it in place.
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5
Look up your insect in the book and write the insect's common name, genus and species on a small strip of paper. Stick a pin through each end of the paper and pin it to the Styrofoam directly below the insect.
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Tips & Warnings
A typed listing of the insects looks cleaner and more professional than a handwritten identification. For added interest, keep a journal of your insects that includes where you found them, what time of day it was, or if they were flying or resting to get a bigger picture of your insects' lives.
Do not push the pin completely through the insect when mounting it on the board. With the pin in the board there should be space between the insect and the pinhead, otherwise you could crush your specimen.
