Anyone else insect collect?
I've been storing insects in small vials
For about 2 years now keeping them in store bought 50% isopropyl alcohol
And it's been doing a fine job preserving them
Just interested in seeing photos of yours
> tarantula hawk; southern california
I'll attempt to keep posting my best ones
>Large woodland beetle; collected near lake arrowhead
More impressive in person I'd admit
Largest beetle I've ever seen
Hard to get a good photo
>decently large jumping spider
About an inch long
>>2126046
P. audax?
Where did you pick up the vials?
Do you catch them and suffocate them?
think you may have just sparked a new hobby for me op
>>2126059
Also is it easy to get them into the jar? Looks like the hole might be a little tight. uguu~~
>>2126048
I have not technical knowledge of these specimens
Only kept approximate knowledge of where I found them
>>2126059
>>2126060
I was fortunate enough to work in a animal hospital 2 years ago
And I stock piled up on discarded vaccine vials and used medicine vials
Usually is a tight fit....and I'm slowly running out of the larger vials.
I use a syringe to negative pressurize
The vial and fully fill with alcohol/remove air bubbles
>>2126075
>dragon fly
As to how I kill them
I usually just drown them in alcohol
But I recall I froze the dragon fly as to not damage it necessarily
And I probably have 200+ small vials still
Not sure how many of the larger ones
>>2126079
Thanks for the replies.
Looking at Amazon for vials.
What mL vials are you using? The one with the beetle looks like 30-ish
I've always wanted to start a collection of insects but I wasn't sure how to store them neatly, this is a brilliant idea.
The only insect I even have is a dobsonfly on a shelf among some animal skulls I found. The thing is EXTREMELY frail, I feel like a gust would shred it apart.
>>2126079
And as a bonus
>dragon fly nymph
That's I'm trying to raise up to adult hood
I've had it for 4 months now
>>2126034
I have 2 insect boxes and 2 stored in resin,
A made a dragon fly paper weight thing, but I need to buff the shit out of it and get rid of the scratches on the outside.
>>2126059
Freezer is the best.
Any other way and they can damage themselves trying to escape. Butterflies especially.
>>2126084
Link me if you find any
As for the beetle jar it seems more like 50-60ml in comparison to a labeled 10ml one
I similarly tried desiccating it works decently if you have a small plastic container with some of those "do not eat" moisture removing beads/packets
> Small Shorecrab
I find that marine invertebrates tint the hue of the alcohol yellowish
>>2126089
If you're able to upload images of them I'd love to see them
Ahh yes insect boxes!
My prized possession
> Siccifolium leaf insect
Got it on amazon, came in from Thailand, cost me ~25 us dollars
My very first experience with preserved insects (technically an arachnid) was a small scorpion resin keychain I bought at a amusement park
I have a few other resin specimens here and there
Been doing this for a uni assignment, may continue it as a small hobby it's pretty fun
>>2126034
spent most of last summer ether in a stream or lab collecting or IDing stream macroinvertebrets for water quality internship. learnd alot and sort of got me into stream ecology.
for preserving we used a 90% ethanol, 1% glycerin mix. the glycerin just preserved the specimens a little if it ever dries out.
>>2126130
Does anyone have any links or tips regarding this subject? Want to learn more about entomology
Anyone know a good place to buy them? I've been trying to find a Allotopus rosenbergi and a few other beetles and moths.
>>2126086
Jesus Christ that thing is cute.
I actually preserve mine in hand sanitizer. The alcohol keeps them preserved and the gel keeps them suspended and posed. It's kind of neat. I don't have any particularly interesting specimen right now, but as soon as my girl here dies you can bet it's what I'm doing with her.
For those of you who freeze to kill; Aren't you worried about ice crystals damaging the specimen? I'd be worried about them being really brittle after thawing and drying out. I've been collecting for a couple years now and I've pretty much always used a little makeshift acetone gas chamber for everything but butterflies and moths, which I do freeze for the reason previously stated.
>>2126034
Howd you find a tarantula hawk? id run like a bitch if i saw one of those. I love in california and have never seen one
>>2129045
Believe it or not it was just outside my house digging in the grass
I didn't know what it was so I placed my foot on it
And told my brother to get a cup and piece of paper
Doubt I'd be that close if not for ignorance....
>>2128192
very would recommend
Not hard to find if you live near a river or lake
I feed it sowbugs
Working on building my collection. I have a bunch of dried specimen and some preserved in alcohol, but I think this little thing is pretty neat, even though paper wasps are super common.
>>2129368
Actually I'm going to do the same thing with cicada and cicada nymph here soon when they emerge.
>using alcohol to store insects
I can understand for things like slugs and caterpillars but why not just dry and frame them?
I had a shit ton but I eventually got bored of framing them so I have a jar just filled to the brim with loose dead insects somewhere.
>>2126034
Do you also stab hookers?
>>2126086
Are you going to add this one or will it be some sort of pet
>>2129536
Most dry up completely fine unless you're leaving them in a wet, moist environment. I've mounted 10+ mammal skins and now that takes effort in persevering them. Unless they are soft and squishy like caterpillars, you don't have to worry about rot or mold at all. Alcohol and such will eventually suck their color away similar to that of sun exposure.
>>2129382
not all insects mount well and mounts take up a lot of space. though I've only preserved things like this for lab and work where we have to keep a lot of specimens over longer periods of time
>>2129536
no you want to be using alcohol and the higher proof the better as if there is to much water you will get rot and that is a god awful smell.
>>2129595
Don't see why I would.
>>2129610
It's been a pet for quite a while now
I'll release it as it becomes airborne
It deserves to majestically fly
Just caught some Sphaerites glabratus. Does anyone know where i can buy Lucanus cervus or Oryctes nasicornis within europe? or any beetles for that matter?
>>2126034
I've tried, but failed largely because of my lack of supplies. I have lots of dried specimens, though, and I'll eventually start up a preserved collection. Flies are my main interest as far as dead specimens go.
Most of my collection is alive, and I think that's much more fun.
>>2126086
Close up of this guy with kawaii face shooped on when?
>>2130988
Hello. I hope I can use this thread to share my bug notes. If not, I dont mind moving on.
Gregor's big day is coming very soon, the weather is now consistently warm, even here in the north. I admit trepidation; he has lived such pampered safe life, but in captivity. I feel he should be free to make his own fate. However in the back of my head, I worry that I am sending him to a premature death; I've become attached to him and realize most roaches probably don't die of old age. The world is very hard, especially on little things.
I also realize he has no sense of captivity in the abstract; the limitations on movement don't seem to bother him. In fact, he seems to like a familiar environment, so I am torn. I just can't reconcile that he would otherwise spend his life as a free-born creature in captivity. It just feels wrong.
Meanwhile, my sickly yellow-jacket does not appear to be improving or getting worse; its confusing. (I call her "Bee" even though its a yellow-jacket.) Two years ago I also took in a sickly yellow jacket that apparently came out of hibernation and it didn't end well. It was especially hard on me emotionally, because a previous sick bee I took in did recover and was a real emotional boost when I needed it (a true bee). The next one seemed to be improving, then suddenly went downhill fast. Worst of all, she seemed to die in torment. She buzzed as hard as she could in some sort of fit, even remembering how desperate it sounded hurts to remember. And then she died.
I personalized how my own life had changed from the one that lived to fly free and the next one that died, and it was very, very personally hard on me. Even recounting here, I have had to stop typing to recover...
>>2131393
Anyways, every day I give Bee some fresh roast beef, two drops of water, and one drop of orange juice mixed with one or two drops of water. I vent the habitat twice a day, and shade it fully at night. During the day, I set her by the window to see and feel the sun, with a section shaded if she wants to retreat to the shade. During the day, she spends most of the time closest to the window and vent holes.
There is no clear pattern to give a prognosis. She occasionally climbs and mounts the sides vertically, most other times she simply sits horizontally, seemingly torpid. But sometimes she is quite awake, cleaning herself but otherwise still.
I was momentarily uplifted the other day because she was marching around quite strongly, but then she went back to just sitting. She simply is not active consistently. One of the things that bothers me is that she never buzzes her wings. She doesn't even try to fly, unlike a healthy yellow-jacket would even in captivity.
I don't know what else to do. I don't expect she will get better, so all I can do is make her comfortable and safe as much as I can. I haven't been able to get a clear list of alternate foods for an adult yellow jacket other than "meats".
>>2131394
... On the bright side, I had a baby jumping spider visit the other day, descending from the ceiling light. I put him in a jar and left him out quick, since I figure a baby spider needs to eat often, and I dont interpose in predator diets. I thought it was neat that he found his way to the ceiling bulb, knowing he didn't know the difference between a light bulb or the sun. It made me realize he would climb to the sun if he could, and I though "what a brave little animal".
Well, that's all for now. I doubt I will get back tonight, but will try to check back this weekend. I appreciate any tips that will help Bee recover or at least be comfortable.
Here is the little bee that lived and gave me such joy four years ago, a Lasioglossum zephyrum.
I like bugs because I relate to them, humble anonymous critters in hard world, and they give me something to care for.
G'nite. I think I will give Gregor some ice cream this evening, I hope life can always be this easy for him. Sorry if I sound a little discombobulated. Just a heck of a memory wore on me.
>>2129595
kekd hard
Well, today's the big day for little Gregor. Freedom is about 7 or so hours away. I admit its going to be hard. He is perhaps the most cheerful little animal friend I have ever tended, and I will miss him far more than I ever thought I could miss a bug, since he taught me so much more than I ever expected about the capacity for a bug to have personality.
Some might say he can't have personality, which means I am imagining it. And if that's the case, I wonder how much I've imagined about human personalities. /An/ and Roach have given me a lot to think about on the subject of "Is Gregor really there, or like most relationships between people, is it mostly just what one imagines, assumes and interprets?".
Its hard not to blubber thinking about him leaving. I have selected an urban area where there should be plenty of urban waste food about and little to draw pesky sparrows that may spot him who normally flock in the more traveled areas of the city.
He should have a few months of life left, if he is left alone. I like to think there is at least a chance he will find a mate. (which is a weird thing to wish for, considering the consequences).
Bee continues to dotter about, not really improving nor apparently getting worse. I just gave her some more OJ mixed with water and a bit of fresh beef. I could swear I see her regurgitating fluid like some sort of cud. I just can't figure her out. I sure wish I could see her try to fly again but its just not in her for some reason, and I dont know what else to do.
Well, I'll check back later tonight perhaps. This is more emotionally trying when sharing the experience with others than I imagined. Thank you /an/, for giving me a place to share.
Happy trails, little Gregor.
Well, this is the last of the Gregor files. Little Gregor Roach is finally free after nearly four months of captive care.
Today at approximately 14:00, ROACH1, the official roach transport, docked with Gregors habitat, just like I would do with changing his habitat with a clone for cleaning. But instead of many levels of cardboard hidey holes stacked with toothpicks, ROACH1's interior was one long single piece of cardboard to enable visibility so I could see if he was present, while allowing him a sense of shelter during the trip.
After working up some nerve to cross the dock, Gregor entered ROACH1 and the hatch sealed behind him. Inside he found rations for the trip: a bit of beef, a wedge of strawberry, some peanut butter, a drop of banana ice-cream, some fresh water, and of course, a bit of donut.
The ambient temperature outside was above 80F as it has been for several days and forecast for next week. Storm warnings were in effect but none were detected on radar. The launch of ROACH1 was GO...
>>2132832
...At 17:45 ROACH1 launched, (which is to say put in a small shopping bag on my way downtown for a strawberry Frappuccino) and boldly went were thousands of roaches had gone before, the alley behind three pubs and two diners.
There was a small thicket of weeds next to a stone wall by the pubs and I opened the lid. All day Gregor was bright-eyed and bushy tailed from sensing happenings afoot. I pulled the cardboard out, and instantly Roach scrambled out and high-tailed it into the weeds, and for the first time I saw him not as Gregor, but just another wild animal galloping over the leaves, running simply in natural fear of an event he did not understand for anything that looked like safety. He wasn't Gregor anymore, he was no pet. He was just a roach barreling as fast as he could away to the unknown...
>>2132833
... I will miss him more than I care to admit. In the last few days, he made me think about freedom and captivity, comfort versus liberty. I don't think he could concieve of freedom and captivity. Shielded from the cold for over three months, he was pampered and attended, given complex habitats as puzzles and various terrain challenges to keep strong. And I don't think he seemed particulary bothered by the limitations of the environment.
And it made me think about what we perceive as free. We are always captive to our bodies and the universe, true. We can never really leave either. But moreover, we are captive to our routines, our own expectations, what we settle for in a big world. People are often born and live their whole lives in one town, and perfectly content with it. We have many choices that we simply do not make. Sometimes we dont see them. Often, we choose to ignore them...
>>2132834
... So I dont think little Gregor knew he was captive. But he did know something big had changed. He is in a new world now, with endless, endless choices.
And I think that's the way it should be.
Thank you /an/ for giving me a place to share the most lovable creature, a little roach I took in from the cold, and the most cheerful pest/pet I ever had.
Be blessed, all.
This is really cool. I really wanna start preserving insects and other animals. You guys should make a beginners pastebin or something to teach people the basics of preserving insects
I also wanna start collecting because "Wanna come to my house and see my preserved insect and fetal animal collection?" will probably get a lot of guys to come home with me when I go to the bar. Probably
not bad op but i cant see a girl seeing that and wanting to carry my child afterwards so no
>>2126034
>motherfucker has two of what cazadors are based on, TH's are ornery mother fuckers
>caught one on a random happenstance
Good job I guess, damn dude.
>>2132836
Getting feels from a story about a cockroach. Fucking /an/.
>>2132836
Thank you so much for this story. It was beautiful.
Godspeed, my friend, and may Gregor live happy and free.
>>2131004
7/10, needs anime eyes but you're almost there.
>>2134907
And thank you for the kind words, I do appreciate it. Be blessed, all.
Wait y'all niggers use vaccine and saline jars? I can get them from my job. Are they worth selling? Or are they largely useless
>>2135305
If made out of glass and with rubber stoppers you'll find someone to take them off your hands
