• Insect collection
• Insect specimens

How to make insect specimen

The methods for making specimens can differ slightly depending on the producer, but the same principles, such as that detailed structures should not be hidden by glue or other body parts, applies to all specimens.

Specimens should be easy to use and have a low risk of damage. It is better if the specimen has aesthetic value.

Most insects are stored as dry specimens, but if the body is too soft or dry and might be damaged, an immersion specimen can be used. If it is required to store it permanently or observe it in detail with an optical microscope, make it into a slide specimen.

How to make specimen

How to make labels

The importance of labels cannot be overstated. To create and manage insect specimens is to obtain useful biological information through them; a specimen without labels, regardless of its beauty and rarity, cannot have any value in taxonomical research and is merely a dead insect.

Label containing specimen information

• They must be simple, succinct, and easy to read.
• The arrangement of data on the label must be logical, and should not be erased during management of the specimen.

Therefore, indelible ink or computer printing should be used on the label. Computer printing is convenient because subscripts, smaller letters, and multiple operations are available, and multiple works can be performed at once. If indelible ink is not available, write on it cleanly with a pencil. Alcohol specimens need extra care, as the label needs to be submerged in alcohol with the specimen.

Biological information that should be recorded on the label

• Basic information recording should be simple and exact.

Collection site, collection date, collector, host plant name (in case of parasitic predators such as Neochrysocharis formosa or Tachinidae, host animal), and other related biological information (e.g. “forming a gall,” “parasitic on a larva,” or “harmful to stored corn”) should be written on it.

Place name

• Should be as specific as possible and arranged in size order.

Information other than geography, such as coordinates and altitude, is helpful. When using abbreviations, a certain criteria should be considered to avoid confusion later, and periods should be placed after them.

Collection date

• Record in order of day/month/year to avoid confusion.

The date and year are recorded in Arabic numbers and the month is Romanized. When there is a concern about confusion in Romanizing the month, use an English abbreviation. For example, August can be recorded as “VIII” or “Aug.”

Name of collector

• Write the name of the collector.

Abbreviations can be used, but a full name is preferable (for example, Kil-Dong Hong is preferable to K. Hong). If the collector belongs to an organization and plans to store the specimen with the organization, its name should be written on an appropriate location of the label. The host should be written as exact as possible, and if it is identifiable, it is better to record its scientific name. The collection method can be recorded if necessary, and write biological information such as habitat and host on a separate label and fix it to an insect pin. The label should contain the maximum amount of information by itself. For an identifiable insect specimen, the identifier and identification date should be written with its scientific name; write on a new label paper and fix it together with the insect pin or in an easily noticeable location separately. For international communication of research activity, it is encouraged to write the scientific name along with the Korean name if possible, and describe all other information in English.