SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

Bulletin 67

DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING AND
PRESERVING INSECTS

BY

NATHAN BANKS

In collaboration with various members of the Bureau of Entomology.
Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1909

U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM

BULLETIN 67 PL. 1

Papilio asterias— Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Chrysalis.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
Bulletin 67

DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING AND
PRESERVING INSECTS

BY

NATHAN BANKS

In collaboration with various members of the Bureau of Entomology,
Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1909

BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Issued October. 7, 1909.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The scientific publications of the National Museum consist of two
series — the Bulletin and the Proceedings.

The Bulletin, publication of which was begun in 1875, is a series
of more or less extensive works intended to illustrate the collections
of the U. S. National Museum and, with the exception noted below,
is issued separately. These bulletins are monographic in scope and
are devoted principally to the discussion of large zoological and
botanical groups, faunas and floras, bibliographies of eminent natural-
ists, reports of expeditions, etc. They are usually of octavo size,
although a quarto form, known as the Special Bulletin, has been
adopted in a few instances in which a larger page was deemed indis-
pensable.

This work forms No. 67 of the Bulletin series.

Since 1902 the volumes of the series known as "Contributions from
the National Herbarium," and containing papers relating to the botan-
ical collections of the Museum, have been published as bulletins.

The Proceedings, the first volume of which was issued in 1878, are
intended as a medium of publication of brief original papers based
on the collections of the National Museum, and setting forth newly
acquired facts in biology, anthropology, and geology derived there-
from, or containing descriptions of new forms and revisions of limited
groups. A volume is issued annually, or oftener, for distribution
to libraries and scientific establishments, and in view of the impor-
tance of the more prompt dissemination of new facts a limited edition
of each paper is printed in pamphlet form in advance.

Richard Rathbun,
Assisant Secretary, Smithsonian Institution,
In Charge of the United States National Museum.

Washington, U. S. A., September 16, 1909.

INTRODUCTION.

The former work, prepared in 1892 under the direction of the late
Dr. C. V. Riley, served a most valuable purpose in showing beginners
the best methods of collecting and preserving insects. During the
years that have passed since its preparation many new methods have
been devised and studies conducted on entirely new lines. Therefore
it has been considered necessary to prepare an entirely new paper.
Many notes on methods of preparation of material have been culled
from the pages of the entomological journals, and several members of
the Bureau of Entomology have furnished items of value in their
special lines.

Practically every entomologist of much experience has developed
methods especially suited to his favorite group of insects, and agree-
able to his temperament. One can not expect that his methods will
be adopted entirely by others. Therefore in the following pages sev-
eral methods are usually given for doing a thing, and other ways are
doubtless familiar to many collectors. As a general rule patience in
collecting, care in the handling, and uniformity in the preparation of
specimens will result in a good collection. And a good collection is
the first requirement and the greatest inducement to study any
group.

Nathan Banks.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Characteristics of insects {

Importance of entomology 3

Classification 5

Thysanura 5

Collembola g

Platyptera g

Archiptera 7

Orthoptera g

Hemiptera ^2

Thysanoptera jg

Neuroptera ^g

Coleoptera yj

Strepsiptera 22

Trichoptera 23

Lepidoptera 23

Diptera 27

Siphonaptera 32

Hymenoptera 32

Collecting apparatus 37

Killing insects 50

Pinning insects 53

Spreading insects 5g

Labeling specimens g2

Storage of specimens g5

Mounting specimens on slides g7

Preparation of larvae g9

Preparing wings for study 71

Preservation of material in liquids 72

Special directions 75

Coleoptera 75

Lepidoptera gg

Hymenoptera qq

Diptera < 92

Hemiptera-Heteropt era 93

Hemiptera-Homoptera 94

Orthoptera gg

Neuropteroids 97

Special kinds of collecting 99

Insect boxes and cabinets 104

Arrangement of insects 1 1 10

Pests in collections U0

Rearing insects \ \o

Shipping insects [20

Collecting Arachnida and Myriopoda [22

Collections of insects I _>;

Periodicals and dealers 127

Obtaining and keeping track of literature Ijs

Bibliography [29

VII

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES.

1. Papilio asterias — Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Chrysalis Facing title.

TEXT FIGURES.

I'm-.'.'.

Fig. 1. Habrocyius tliyridopterigis, showing principal parts of an insect 1

2. Diabrotica 12-punctata, showing transformations: a, Beetle; b, egg;

c, larva; (/, end of larva; e, work of larva; /, pupa 2

3. One of the Thysanura or fishnioths, Lepisma saccharin' i 5

4. A springtail, Entomobrija languinosa 6

5. A white ant, Termes flavipes: a, Worker; b, male; c, e, f, stages of

female; d, soldier *>

6. One of the bird-lice, Goniodes falcicornis 7

7. A treedouse, Psocus venosus 7

8. A stonefly, Pteronarcys regalis 8

9. A dragonfly, Plathemis lydia 8

10. An earwig

11. One of the cockroaches, Blatta orientalis: a, Female; b, male; c, side

view; d, young 9

12. A Mantid, Vales townsendi 10

13. A grasshopper, Schistocerca amerlcana 10

14. The katydid, Cyrtophyllus perspicillatus 11

15. A mole-cricket, Scapleriscus didactylus 11

16. A tree-cricket, Orocharis saltator: a, Female; b, male 11

17. A Pentatomid bug, Stirelrus anchorago: a, Adult; b, nymph 12

18. The red-bug, Cimex lectidarlus 1 '■>

19. A Coreid bug, Leptoglossus opposilus 13

20. The chinch bug, Blissus leacopterus, a Lygseid 13

21. One of the Capsidse, Lygus pratensis 14

22. A Tingited bug, Gargaphiaangidata 14

23. Adult and young of a leafhopper or Jassid, Oncometopia later idix 15

24. A tree-hopper, or Membracid, Ceresa bubalus: a, Side view; b, top

view 15

25. The 17-year locust, Tibicen septendecim: a, With wings spread; b, with

folded wings; c, nymph 15

26. A plant-louse, Iihopalosiphum violx: a, Adult; b, wings; c, larva; <l,

nymph 16

27. A mealy bug, Dactylopius citri - ll>

28. The head louse, Pediculus capitis -- -- "•

29. One of the Thysanoptera, Thrips tabaci: a, Adult; b, antenna of same;

c, young larva; e/, full-grown larva 17

30. An ant-lion, or Myrmeleon 17

31. Myrmeleon larva 17

32. A lacewing fly, Chrysopa: a, Fggs; b, larva; c, cocoons; </, fly with left

wings removed L8

IX

X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

Fig. 33. Aground-beetle, C'alosoma calidum: a, Larva; b, adult 18

34. A ladybird, Megilla maculata: a, Larva; b, pupa; c, beetle 19

35. A rove- beetle, Philonthus 19

36. A soldier-beetle, Chaullognathusp>ennsylvanicus: a, Larva; b-h, parts of

larva enlarged; i, beetle 19

37. A click-beetle, Monocrepklius respertinus: a, Larva from side; b, larva

from above; c, beetle; d, pupa 19

38. A Buprestid, Chrysobothris femorala: a, Larva; b, beetle; c, head of

male; d, pupa 20

39. One of the Tenebrionidte or darkling beetles, Eleodes 20

40. A longicorn, Prionus laticollts 21

41. The Colorado potato "bug," Leptinotarsa 10-lineata: a, Beetle; b, larva

or grub; c, pupa 21

42. A chestnut weevil, Balaninus rectus: a, Top; b, side; c, head 21

43. The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar: a, Larva; b, beetle;

c, pupa 22

44. A lamellicorn, Pelidnota punctata: a, Larva; b, pupa; c, beetle; d,e,f,

enlarged parts 22

45. A caddicefly, larva and its case 23

46. A butterfly, Euptoieta claudia: a, Adult; b, caterpillar; c, chrysalis.. 23

47. A caterpillar: 1, head; 2, thorax; 3 to 10, segments of body; 11,

horn; 12, last segment; 13, true legs; 14, false legs or prolegs; 15,

anal claws 24

48. A Sphingid, Ampelophagam yron 24

49. The eight-spotted forester, Alypia octomaculata: a, Larva; b, enlarged

segment of same; c, "moth 25

50. A cutworm moth, Noctua c-nigrum: a, Moth; b, caterpillar 25

51. A Geometrid, Cleora pampinaria: a, Moth; b, c, caterpillar; d, pupa;

e, f, enlarged parts 25

52. A Sesiid, or clear-winged moth, Synanthedon pictipes: a, Moth; b, eggs;

c, caterpillar; d, pupa; e, pupa in case 26

53. A Tortricid moth and its caterpillar, Semasia nigricana 26

54. A Tineid moth, Tischeria maUfoliella: a, Moth; b, same, wings closed;

c, caterpillar; e, pupa; d, /, enlarged parts 27

55. A crane-fly, Tipula infuscata 27

56. The Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor: a, Fly; b, c, d, e, f, enlarged

parts 28

57. The yellow-fever mosquito, Slegomyia calopus 29

58. A Bombyliid fly, Spogostylum simson 29

59. A robber-fly, Erax bastardii: a, Perfect insect; b, pupa; larva shown

at side 30

60. One of the Trypetid flies, Trypeta lequali* 30

61 . A Tachina fly, Archytas piiiventris 31

62. A bot-fly, Cuterebra cuniculi 31

63. A blue-bottle fly, LucU'ia cxsar, a Muscid 31

64. A flea ." 32

65. A sawfly, Eriocampoides limacina: a, Fly; b, c, caterpillar or slug; d,

eaten leaves '. 33

66. A Chalcis-fly, Eupelmus limneriw 33

67. A Chalcis-fly, Spilochalcis marise 34

68. An Ichneumon fly, Eplualtes irritator 34

69. A Braconid fly, Meteorns hyphantrise, and its cocoon 35

70. A Cynips and its gall 35

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XI

Page

Fig. 71. A Mutillid or stinging ant, Sphvcroplitlmlmu orrlilrninlin 36

72. A fossorial wasp, Sphex ichneumoneuo 36

73. A white-faced hornet, Yespa maculala 36

74. A bee, Epeolus rernigatus 37

75. A butterfly net-frame 38

76. The Sanborn net-frame 38

77. The winding mallet 39

78. The Deyrolle sweeping-net: a, Net entire; b, frame; c, d, attachment

of frame and handle 39

79. A beating net, opened and attached to handle, with frame of same

folded 40

80. A water net 40

81. A small water dip net 40

82. An aquatic sieve net 41

83. A forceps net 41

84. The umbrella and its mode of use 42

85. A sieve: a, Wire netting 43

86. The Berlese collecting trap: A, Exterior receptacle containing water;

B, interior funnel; C, vessel having the bottom of metallic network;
_D, substance for examination; E, funnel for introducing the water;
F, small glass tube containing alcohol, where the insects are col-
lected, thi3 being connected to the apex of the funnel by a short
tube (a) of India rubber; G, feet supporting the apparatus; L, lamp
for heating; M, India rubber tube for carrying off the gas; N, faucet

for discharge 44

87. The Gillette trap light 46

88. The Brooklyn light trap 47

89. The collecting forceps 49

90. A pinning forceps 49

91. A belt for vials 49

92. A cyanide bottle with paper strips to give support to the insects 50

93. A pocket cyanide tube 51

94. A bottle with tube through the stopper 52

95. A chloroform bottle with brush 52

96. A pinning block 54

97. A beetle pinned 55

98. Micro-pin mounts, or double mounts: a, With a point; b, micro-pin

in cork; c, elbow pin; d, micro-pin in paper; e, micro-pin in side;

/, double point 56

99. Points for mounting insects 56

100. An insect punch for cutting triangles or points 56

101. Method of gluing beetle on paper point 57

102. A method of mounting duplicates 58

103. A moth, with wings spread 58

104. A spreading board 59

105. A spreading board for Lepidoptera 59

106. A needle for spreading insects 60 ,

107. Spreading pins: a, For large insects; 6, for Microlepidoptt in 60

108. A drying cage 61

109. The Busck box, for carrying spreading blocks for Microlepidoptera ... I i 1

110. Locality labels ,i:;

111. The paper envelope for Lepidoptera, and method of folding it: 1.

First fold; 2, second fold, etc - - 66

112. A balsam slide mount and jacket cover for same 67

113. A case for storing specimens mounted on microscope slides 68

XII LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

Fig. 114. A drying oven for the inflation of larvaj 69

115. A clip for holding caterpillars 70

116. The Marx tray for specimens in alcohol 74

117. The double Marx tray for specimens in alcohol 75

118. A Meloid beetle, Epicauta margumta 76

119. A weevil, Sphenophorus obscurus: a, Beetle; b, head; c, larva; d, pupa. 76

120. A longicorn beetle, Saperda cretata 77

121. A Chrysomelid beetle, Disonycha xanthomelsena: a, Beetle; b, eggs;

66, sculpture of same, highly magnified; c, larva; d, pupa; e,

newly hatched larva; /, segment of same 78

122. The rhinoceros beetle, Dynastes tityus 78

123. A clavicorn beetle, Silvanus surinamensis: a, Beetle; 6, pupa; c, larva;

d, antenna of same 79

124. A Chrysomelid beetle, Octotoma plicatula 80

125. The pea weevil, Bruchus jnsorum: a, Beetle; b, larva; c, pupa 81

126. A Buprest id beetle, Agrilus sinuatus: a, Larva; b, beetle; c, pupa... 82

127. A Carabid or groundbeetle, Clivina imj>ressifrons 82

128. A water-beetle, Dytiscus 83

129. A tiger-beetle, Cicindela limbala 84

130. A Silphid or carrion-beetle, Silpha bituberosa 85

131. A butterfly, Pontla oleracea, and its caterpillar 86

132. A butterfly, Uranotes melinus : a, Caterpillar; 6, chrysalis; c, d, but-

terfly 86

133. An Arctiid moth, Utetheisa bella 87

134. A canker-worm moth, Alsophila pomeiaria: a, Male moth; b, female

moth; c, d, enlarged parts 87

135. The saddle-back, Sibine stlmulea: Moth and its stinging caterpillar. . 88

1 36. The bag- worm, Tliyridopteryx ephernerxformis, female 88

137. A Pyralid moth, Pyralis farinalis: a, Moth; b, caterpillar; c, pupa;

d, e,f, details 89

138. A sawfly, Emphytus canadensis: a, Adult; b, larva; c, enlarged seg-

ment of larva; d, pupa; e, cocoon 89

139. Lysiphlebus depositing its eggs in the body of a grain-aphis 90

140. A f ossorial wasp, Ammoplrila nigricans 91

141. The larva of a musquito, Culex 92

142. The screw- worm fly, Compsomyia macellaria 92

143. A horsefly, Tabanus lasiophthalmus: a, Male; 6, female; c, pupa, d,

tail of same; e, larva 93

144. A ' ' kissing bug, ' ' Reduvius personalus 93

145. A water boatman, Notonecta irrorata 94

146. A water-bug, Nepa apicidata 94

147. One of the Fulgoridfe, Poiocera fuliginosa 95

148. One of the Psyllida3, Psylla pyricola 95

149. A scale insect, Chionapsis furfurus: a, Female scales; 6, male scales;

c, female enlarged; d, male enlarged 96

150. A walking-stick, Megaphasma denticrus 96

151. A grasshopper, Psinidia a7nphicornis 97

152. A western cricket, of the family Locustidae, Sleiroxys Irihneala 97

153. A Mantispa, with side view beneath 98

154. A Panorpa or scorpionfly 98

155. One of the Pom pi lid wasps, Priocnemis 99

156. One of the Syrphidse, Syrpltits ribesi: a, Fly; b, antenna; c, larva;

d, e, details 99

157. A Tachina fly, Trichopoda pennipes 100

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XI IT

Page.
Fig. 158. The saltmarsh moth, Isia Isabella, family Arctiidse: Moth and cater-
pillar 1 00

159. An ant, Monnmorium pharaonis: a, Female; b, worker 101

160. A wasp of the family Vespidaj, Polistes bdlicosus 101

161. A Scolytid or engraver-beetle, Xyleborus perforans, male and female. 102

162. Galleries of a Scolytid beetle, Pdyogenes cariniceps 103

163. a, A caddicefly, Macronema zebratum; b, a mayfly, Ilexagenia

bUineata; c, its larva 104

164. The Schmitt folding insect box, opened and showing arrangement

of insects 106

165. The U. S. National Museum drawer, showing arrangement of speci-

mens 107

166. Construction of insect cabinet drawer of the U. S. National Museum:

A, Cross-section of front; I>, same of side; C, view of front end of
side, two-thirds natural size, a, Bottom; b, cork lining; c, inside
strip forming naphthalene poison chamber; d, naphthalene poison

chamber; /, top; g, groove 107

167. Paper lining for insect box: A, A, Side and bottom of. box; B,

frame; C, open space; P, P, paper 108

168. A naphthalene cone Ill

169. A lamp chimney cage 113

170. An insect breeding-cage or vivarium 114

171. The improved base for breeding-cage 114

172. A breeding-cage for parasites 115

173. A root cage for rearing insects which live underground: <t, Frame

with slide removed; 6, movable slide; c, top view 116

174. Cage for rearing bark-infesting insects, fastened to tree 117

1 75. The Fielde ant nest: a, b, Glass base; c, c, partitions 117

1 76. The Needham aquatic cage 119

177. A mailing-tube: a, Tube; b, cover 121

178. A spider, Peucetia viridans 122

179. An orb-weaver, Argiope trifasciata: a, Male; b, female; c and </,

enlarged parts 123

180. A harvest-man, Liobunum ventricosum 123

181. A true scorpion, Centrums carolinianus „ 123

182. A false scorpion, Chelifer cancroides 124

183. The six-spotted mite of the orange, Tetranyclius 6-maculatus: a, From

above; b, tarsus; c, rostrum and palpus; d, tip of palpus: a, Greatly

enlarged; b, c, more enlarged; d, still more enlarged 124

184. A cheese mite, Tyroglyph us 124

185. The cattle tick, Margaropus annulatus ] 25

186. One of the gallmites, Eriophyes 1 25

187. The house centipede, Scutigera forceps 126

188. A millipede, Cambala annulata 126

DIRECTIONS FOR

COLLECTING AND

INSECTS.

PRESERVING

By Nathan Banks,

■ Custodian of Arachnida, U. S. National Museum.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INSECTS.

Insects are readily distinguished from similar animals by a number
of structures or characters. The body is segmented — that is, com-
posed of a series of rings or segments. They have jointed or articu-
lated appendages, such as legs and feelers, or antennae. Worms do
not have these jointed appendages. Insects possess six of these true
legs and one pair of antennae. Spiders do not have antennae, but
have eight legs. Millipedes and centipedes have more than six legs;
and crustacea or crabs also have more than six legs and often two
pairs of antennae. Nearly
all insects are winged in
the adult form. The
other groups are not
winged . The insects are
known scientifically as
Insecta, and, together
with the crustacea, spi-
ders, centipedes, and mil-
lipedes, they form a group
known as Arthropoda.
Sometimes the insects are ^1G- i— habrocytus thyridopterigis, showing principal

.. . TT -. . PARTS OF AN INSECT.

called Hexapoda, or hex-
apod insects, to distinguish them from centipedes and the spiders.
Most insects have the body more or less distinctly divided into three
or four parts. The head is always distinct (fig. 1), bearing below
the mouth-parts and above the antennae or feelers and a pair of com-
pound eyes. In many cases there are between the compound eyes
two or three simple eyes or ocelli. Behind the head is the thorax, but
in the case of beetles and some other insects the prothorax is a distinct
main division of the body. The thorax is of three parts — prothorax.
mesothorax, and metathorax — each part bearing a pair of jointed

1

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

legs, and the mesothorax and metathorax ordinarily have each a pair
of wings. Behind the thorax is the abdomen, bearing at its tip the
genitalia, sting, ovipositor, or sometimes jointed setae or cerci.

Insects are bisexual, there being a male and a female form. In
some social insects there are other forms known as workers and sol-
diers. The female commonly deposits eggs, but in some cases living
larvae. The eggs hatch into larvae ; the larvae feed, molt, or change their
skin several times, and then turn into nymphs or into pupae. The
nymph is active and feeds in a similar manner to the larva, but shows
small wing-pads on each side of the thorax, the rudiments of the
future wings. From the nymph there issues in time the winged
insect. This development through the nymphal stage is called an
incomplete metamorphosis. Most insects, however, change from the

larva to the pupa,
which is quiescent and
does not feed, and dif-
fers greatly from the
larva in appearance
(fig. 2). This pupa
may be naked, as a
chrysalis, or inclosed
within a cocoon of silk
or earth. From the
pupa there issues in
due time the winged
insect. This line of
m? fr development is called

Fig. 2.— Diabrotica 12-punctata, showing transformations: a, complete meiamor-

beetle; b, egg; c, larva; d, end of larva; e, work of larva; phosis. These differ-
ences above noted are
not only external. In the case of a complete metamorphosis, the
changes that occur inside of the pupa are often revolutionary in the
extreme. The entire internal structure, except the nervous system,
may be reduced to a mass of liquid, and the organs of the mature
insect developed from this liquid.

The wings of the anterior pair in insects are called the forewings or
primaries, and the others the hind pair, or secondaries. When the
forewings are thickened, they are called tegmina or elytra. The
wings have numerous veins through them, the arrangement of which
is constant for each species and of great value in classification. This
arrangement of these veins is called the venation. The legs are
known as front, middle, and hind legs, and each is composed of sev-
eral parts. The most basal part and attached to the body is the
coxa; the next is a minute piece, the trochanter; the third a long

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 3

piece, the femur; then the tibia; and beyond that the tarsus. The
latter is of from one to five joints, and ends in one or two claws. The
top of an insect is called the dorsum, and the lower surface the venter;
the sides are the pleura. Insects do not breathe through the mouth,
but by means of tiny apertures called spiracles placed along the
sides of the body, mostly upon the abdomen. Their mouth-parts, or
cibaria, present a great diversity of structure and use. Commonly, in
biting insects, there is a pair of hard jaws, or mandibles; below them
a pair of maxilla?, bearing a pair of maxillary palpi (short, jointed
appendages) ; and an upper and a lower lip. The latter also bears a
pair of palpi, the labial palpi. In many forms there is an unpaired
central piece, the tongue or hypostome. In many insects these parts
or some of them are modified to form a sucking apparatus. The sight
of insects is very different from our own, and most insects apparently
do not notice objects a few feet away from them. The sense of smell
is very acute, and serves to attract them to their food, to the food
plant of the larvse, or to their mates. It is usually considered that
the antennas bear the organs of smell. Many insects make sounds:
therefore they must hear. The organs which effect audition afe, how-
ever, known only in a few groups and are very different from our ears.
Most insects do not live long in the adult or winged stage; some
only a few days, comparatively few more than one year. Some,
however, spend several years in the larval and nymphal conditions.
When once an insect acquires wings it does not increase in size, so
that the little flies are not, as is often supposed, the young of the
big ones.

IMPORTANCE OF ENTOMOLOGY.

When the early entomologists wrote upon their favorite theme it
was customary to apologize for studying such unimportant things as
insects, and to justify their actions by quotations from the Bible, or
reflections on the insignificance of human life. These remarks of the
ancient writers are as pertinent as ever, but, thanks to the more en-
lightened spirit of this scientific age, are no longer necessary. The
losses caused by insects to the crops of the country are beyond the
appreciation of man's mind. The cost of the damage by a single
species often runs up into millions of dollars. Likewise the impor-
tance of the beneficial species which prey on and destroy the injurious
forms is now, through such striking examples as the Vedalia ladybird,
becoming familiar to all. Beside the two notably useful insects — the
honey bee and the silkworm — the lac-insects, cochineal, blister flies,
ink galls, etc., are of direct benefit to mankind.

The role of insects in the transmission of disease has, in recent years,
assumed a tremendous economic importance. The cattle tick was for
years the principal exponent of the possibilities along this line, but
88552— Bull. 67—09 2

4 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

now a dozen or more ticks are known to disseminate diseases. One
particular mosquito, Anopheles maculipennis , is the main factor in
malaria, while another species, Stegomyia calopus, is equally as respon-
sible for yellow fever. This small family of insects, entirely neglected
a few years ago, is now studied by dozens of entomologists. A flea
{Xenopsylla clieopis) is now connected with the distribution of the
bubonic plague. The house fly, that formerly was thought useful in
the destruction of decaying matter, is now known, through its deposi-
tion of flyspecks on our food, to be concerned in the spread of typhoid
fever, and a possible factor in several other diseases. Undoubtedly
other insects will be connected with the spread of disease as the field
of medical entomology is daily widened in extent and importance. In
the Tropics a large number of diseases are distributed by insects. The
Nagana disease of South Africa is distributed by the Tsetse fly; the
sleeping sickness by a similar species of fly; the Surra of India by
horse flies, etc. Indeed, the wild animals of the forests have lost
their terrors, and it is the minute creatures that are full of danger.

In the number of species, insects far exceed all other animals taken
together. Estimates made by well-known entomologists of the num-
ber of insects in the world have ranged all the way from two to ten
millions of kinds. More than 35,000 forms of insects are already
known from our country and this is probably not half of the entire
number. Recently a famous European entomologist, Dr. A. Hand-
lirsch, has figured out that there are about 385,000 species of insects
described from the entire globe. Of them 172,500 are beetles; 60,000
moths and butterflies; 55,000 ants, bees, and wasps; 44,000 two-
winged flies, and 33,000 true bugs. One single family of the beetles,
the weevils, numbers 23,000 species. And, moreover, fully 6,000
species are described as new by entomologists each }Tear.

Aside from their great numbers or their agricultural or their medical
importance, insects are a source of study, of interest, of pleasure and
recreation to an ever-increasing number of naturalists year after year.
The pleasure in securing the many beautiful forms, the interest in
studying the remarkable structures, or the charm in unraveling a
peculiar life history has attracted many a busy man as a means of
relaxation from the ordinary duties of life. It affords a recreation at
once healthful and instructive. The increasing interest in outdoor life
and in nature study constantly brings insects into prominence as a
group easily observable and replete with interest. All of these factors
have combined to give insects such importance that there are now in
this country over 2,000 members of the brethren of the net.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 5

CLASSIFICATION.

The arrangement of insects in groups is known as "classification."
The plan of classification is as follows: Each kind of an insect is
called a species; several kinds that are similar to each other form a
genus; several genera that have many structures in common make
up a family, and families in turn form an order. Between these
groups entomologists sometimes place other groups, such as suborder,
below the order; superfamily, above the family ; subfamily and tribe,
below the family; subgenus, below the genus, and variety, race, sub-
species for forms of the species.

Each insect has two names, words of Latin or Greek, at least in
form, such as Papilio asterias. The first
name is that of the genus, the second
that of the species ; in combination they
form the scientific name of the insect.
The species name is not used twice in
the same genus, and the generic name
is used only once in the names of ani-
mals. If two or more names have been
given to the same insect, we use the first
one.

There are many classifications. That
of Linnaais consisted of seven orders,
but most later writers have insisted on
several other orders. Some of these
orders are perhaps unnecessary for the
purpose of the beginner. About fifteen
orders will be sufficient to indicate most
of the larger natural groups. These are
as follows: Thysanura, Collembola, Pla-
typtera, Archiptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Neurop-
tera, Coleoptera, Strepsiptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera,
Siphonaptera, and Hymenoptera.

THYSANURA.

Fig. 3.— One of tiie Thysanura or
fishmoths, lepisma saccharina.

To this order belong certain wingless insects, the more familiar of
which are commonly called fishmoths (fig. 3). The fishmoths occur
in houses and infest books and wall paper, feeding on the starchy
paste. Other forms occur among fallen leaves in the woods, under
stones, etc. They are rather slender, tapering, and with long anten-
nae, and two or three long setae or tails. The body is soft and covered
with scales. They undergo no metamorphosis, and are the most
primitive of the insects, similar to the insects from which have devel-
oped all the other orders. They have been studied but little by
entomologists.

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

COLLEMBOLA.

Fig. 4.-

-A SPRING-

TAIL,

Entomo-

BRYA

LANGUI-

NOSA.

These tiny wingless insects are known to every collector as "spring-
tails," on account of their agility in leaping (fig. 4). Their body is
divided into two parts — the head, and a larger posterior part bearing
the legs, and beneath near the tip is a forked spring. This spring,
or fnrcula, is held in a catch near the base of the
venter, and when let loose sends the insect through
the air to a comparatively great distance. Nearly all
of them occur in damp situations. As with the Thys-
anura, they pass through no metamorphosis, and many
of them are covered with scales. There are a great
many species of these tiny forms, and they have been
collected by only a few entomologists. Most of them
should be mounted upon slides. Some, however, may
be kept in small vials of alcohol, with a little glycerin.
Spring-tails may be collected by the use of a tooth-
pick and a vial of glycerin. Touch the toothpick to
the glycerin and then bring it close to the insect, which,
upon touching the liquid, will become attached, and
then may be washed off in a vial of alcohol. Sometimes a small
forceps with a drop of liquid between its nearly closed tips is useful
in picking up these agile

creatures. Many of them VY /^^^^s==J\^l/
will be found when sifting \J^ ^^^^^^^^^
fallen leaves and moss.

PLATYPTERA.

This order includes small,
soft - bodied insects, often
wingless. The mouth-parts
are formed for biting, al-
though rarely very strong.
They are never aquatic in any
stage, and the young have a
great resemblance to the
adults. There are three prin-
cipal suborders, as follows:

Isoptera. — To this suborder belong the termites or white ants (Ter-
mitid») (fig. 5) and a few other allied insects. They are social, living
underground in large colonies consisting of several forms of individu-
als. The queen is the mother of the colony, and after starting a nest
she never leaves it. The workers, or neuters, are most numerous
and perform all the work. The soldiers are large-headed forms which

Fig. 5.— A white ant, Termes flavipes: a, Worker,
6, male; c, e,f, stages of female; d, soldier.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

Fig. 6.— One of the
bird-lice, goniodes
falcicornis.

guard the colony. The males appear at certain times, and they and
the queen are winged. The neuters and soldiers are always wing-
less. Sometimes they do damage to woodwork and to books. A few
of the tropical lands make enormous nests, sometimes higher than
a man; others make nests in trees. The Embiids
are similar insects, living in less numerous colo-
nies and spinning a web wherever they go.
These forms are best collected in alcohol, though
some of the winged termites may be mounted on
points.

Mallojphaga. — -These are small, flat, wingless in-
sects (fig. 6) with short legs and a large head, with
short antennae. Since most of these occur on birds,
they are commonly called " bird-lice. ' ' They have
biting mouth-parts, feed upon feathers, hair, and
dermal scales, and do not suck blood from the
hosts. Several genera live upon mammals. The }Toung are very
similar to the adults. Many species are restricted to one host, but
in some cases one species occurs on a number of related birds, and
many birds harbor two or three different species. They may be
preserved in alcohol, but are best studied when mounted upon
slides.

Corrodentia. — The common members of this suborder (family
Psocida?) that occur around houses are known as "book-lice," but

many others occur on the bark and leaves
of trees and are called "tree-lice." They
are all small insects, most of them with
four wings, but the species occurring around
houses are usually wingless. They are soft-
bodied, with long antennae and slender legs
(fig. 7) and feed on minute plant life, on
paste, hulls of seeds, etc. Many species
are gregarious, at least during their imma-
ture stages, and some spin a web over their
They fly at twilight. They should be mounted upon micro-

flg. 7.— a tree-louse, psocus
vexosus. (From Comstock.)

eo-o's.

pins, but when possible some should be preserved in alcohol.

ARCHIPTERA.

To this order belong the stoneflies, mayflies, and dragonflies,
three groups that live for the greater part of the time as larvae and
nymphs in the water. Although there is no real metamorphosis,
the younger stages differ from the adult in many ways besides the
absence of wings. Together with the Platyptera, Neuroptera,

8

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 8.— A stonefly, Pteronarcys regalis.
(From Comstock.)

Trichoptera, and Mecaptera, they form the " neuropteroid " insects.
There are three suborders, as follows:

Plecoptera. — The stoneflies (family Perlida?) are soft insects with
a rather slender, flattened body and large, many-veined wings (fig.

8). The antenna? are long and
many-jointed, and in most cases
there are two many-jointed
caudal setae. A part of the
hind wings in the larger forms
folds up like a fan. The adults
take no food. The larva? and
the nymphs are aquatic, often
found under stones in streams.
The flies should be pinned and
the wings spread; when possi-
ble, however, it is well to pre-
serve some in alcohol.

Anisoptera. — This suborder
includes one family, the
Ephemeridse or mayflies (fig. 163 b, c), so called, since the adult fly lives
but a brief period, longer, however, than one day. They are very
fragile creatures, with very short antennae and long, tapering bodies
ending in two or three slender setae, and have triangular, many-
veined wings. The legs are slender and very weak. They have in-
complete mouth-parts
and take no food.
Many species are
attracted to electric
light s in e n o r m ous
numbers. A remark-
able peculiarity is that
after they have issued
from the water and
have wings, they molt
again. This immature
winged condition is
called the " subimago,"
and may be distin-
guished from the adult by the fact that the margins of the wings
are minutely ciliate. The larval and nymphal stages are passed
in the water, many feeding on vegetation, but some are predaceous.
They have leaf-like appendages or gills for breathing. They are
a favorite bait with trout fishermen, and are the models for
many of the artificial flies. Most should be pinned, but some speci-
mens saved in alcohol.

fig. 9.— a dragonfly, plathemis lydia.
(From Packard.)

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

9

Fig. 10.— An ear-
wig. (From
Packard.)

Odonata. — The dragonflies (fig. 9), "devil's darning needles,"
"snake doctors," etc., were familiar to every one of us when a child
as objects of dread. However, they are perfectly harmless and may
be handled without more than a slight pinch from a few of the larger
sorts. They have long, slender bodies; long, many-
veined wings; biting mouth-parts, and slender, bristly
legs. The smaller kinds, called " damselflies, " lay their
wings together when at rest. They are predaceous, and
catch many mosquitoes and other small Diptera. The
larvre and nymphs are ferocious inhabitants of ponds
and rivers, provided with extensile mouth-parts that
can suddenly reach forward and catch an unsuspecting
insect. The adult should be pinned and a slender hog-
bristle pushed through the body from head to near the
tail to prevent the loss of head, and keep the abdomen
from bending downward. Some keep a few specimens
of each kind in alcohol. The colors of some are apt to fade soon
after death, so that color-notes should be made before killing the
specimens.

ORTHOPTERA.

The members of this order have biting mouth-parts, and four stiff,
many-veined wings. Those of the front pair, called tegmina, are long

and thickened, and usually
overlap at base when at
rest. Those of the hind pan-
are large and fold up like a
fan, and are hidden by the
tegmina. The head is large,
and the legs rather stout;
often the hind pair is en-
larged and fitted for jump-
ing. The younger stages,
except for the absence of
wings, resemble the adult,
and a number of species
never acquires wings, or at
least only rudimentary ones.
Their food habits vary
greatly, according to the
groups. There are five dis-
tinct sections.

(1) The Dermaptera (Forficulidre), or the earwigs (fig. 10), differ
from the other forms in having a pair of crude, forceps-like append-
ages at the tip of the body. The idea that they get into ears is

Fig. 11.— One of the cockroaches, Blatta orien
talis: a, Female; b, male; c, side view; d, young.

10

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

entirely erroneous, for these tiny insects are quite harmless, and
feed on decaying matter. The hind wing of these earwigs is a very
peculiar structure, unlike the wings of any other insect.

(2) The Cursoria includes
the family Blattidse or cock-
roaches, too familiar to inhab-
itants of cities. They have
long, threadlike antennae, and
slender, spiny legs, and in
many the wings are very short
or even absent (fig. 11). The
eggs are laid in cases, called
"ootheca, " which the female
carries about for some days.
They usually feed on decaying
vegetable matter.

(3) The Raptoria (family
Mantidse) and (4) the Am-
bulatoria or walking - sticks
(family Phasmida?) are both
most numerous in tropical
countries. To the former be-
long the leaf-insects, and to
the latter the stick-insects,
both striking examples of pro-
tective resemblance. The Mantidae (fig. 12) lay their eggs in a large
mass attached to a tree or fence. They have the first pair of legs
enlarged and spiny, with a short claw near tip. They stand mo-

Fig. 12.— A Hantid, Yates townsendi.

Fig. 13.— A grasshopper, Schistocerca Americana.

tionless for hours with their raptorial front legs extended, a position
which has won them the name of praying mantis. Their prayer,
however, is for prey. The Phasmida? (fig. 150) are strict vegetarians.
(5) The Saltatoria includes the grasshoppers, meadow locusts, and
crickets. These forms are very common in our country and are recog-
nized by having enlarged hind femora. The grasshoppers (family

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

11

Acridiidse) have short antenna. The two other groups have exi remely

long and many- jointed antennse, and
also differ from the grasshoppers in
having a prominent ovipositor.

The grasshoppers (figs. 13, 151) (or
locusts), as is well known, are often
very destructive to crops. They usu-
ally deposit their numerous eggs be-
neath the soil in late summer or
autumn, the young hatching in the
spring and feeding on the adjacent
vegetation. Some species, as the
''Rocky Mountain locust," at times
become so numerous that they are
obliged to migrate to obtain food.
These migrating swarms were for-
merly a tremendous scourge to the
western farmers, but now their breed-
ing grounds have been largely de-
stroyed by cultivation. Grasshoppers
are more numerous in species in the
prairie regions than elsewhere in the
country. Several species can make
a noise by their wings when in flight.

Quite a number of meadow locusts
and katydids (family Locustida?) are predaceous and feed on plant-
lice or other small insects. They are commonly green in color, and

Fig. 14.— The katydid, Cyrtopuyllvs per-
spicillatus.

Fig. 15.— A mole-cricket, Scapteriscus dida<

TYLUS.

Fig. 16.— A tree-cricket, Orocharis saltatoh :

a, Female; b, male.

occur on shrubs or in grass, where I hey are not readily not iced. The
males of all the species can make sounds by rubbing the base of one

12

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

wing over the other. This part of the wing is especially modified
to make the sound. Each species has a characteristic note, which
can be recognized by one familiar with them. The katydid (fig. 14)
lives in the tops of trees, and though the telltale notes are well known
to many, the insect is rarely seen by anyone.

The crickets (family Gryllidae) are very similar to the meadow
locusts, but have only three joints to the tarsi, while the locusts have
four. The males of both groups have a special singing organ, a modi-
fication of the veins at the base of the wings. Some crickets (fig. 15),
known as mole crickets (Gryllotalpa) , are very different from the others,
and have their front legs fitted for digging in the soil. They also
have short antennas and lack the ovipositor. Most of the crickets
are phytophagous, but those found on trees (fig. 16) are predaceous.

**/k

Fig. 17. — A Pentatomid bug, Stiretrus anchorago: a, Adult; 6, nymph.

In all of these three families there are some short-winged or wingless
forms (fig. 152), and sometimes a species varies in wing-length.

HEMIPTERA.

The Hemiptera, or Rhynchota as they are known to many Euro-
peans, differ from the members of all previous orders in the nature of
their mouthparts. These are slender and needlelike and form a beak
fitted for sucking liquids, as blood, or the sap of plants. It is to these
insects that the entomologist applies the name "bug." The trans-
formations are incomplete — that is, the young have much resem-
blance to the adults, and there is no resting stage. A few families
(Coccidse and Aleyrodida?) have a more complete metamorphosis.
There are four distinct groups, or suborders — the Heteroptera,
Homoptera, Phytophthires, and the Anoplura.

The Heteroptera have the basal part of the forewings hardened
and thicker than the apical part, and the apical parts cross flatly when
at rest. The beak arises from the front part of the head. With most
of the Heteroptera (see fig. 17) the head is much smaller than the thorax

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

13

and triangular in shape. Many of the species can cause considerable
pain by puncturing the skin with their sharp-pointed beak. They
also have the power of emitting when disturbed a nauseous odor,
which comes from drops of fluid secreted from two pores on the
under side of the thorax. Most of the species ivvd on plants, but

Fig. 18.— The bed-bug, Cimex
lectularius.

Fig. 10.— A Coreid bug, Leptoglossus
oppositus.

several families are predaceous. Quite a number of Heteroptera live
in moist places. The chinch bug and squash bug are well-known
members of this group, which includes also the notorious bed-
bug (fig. 18) of many aliases. The latter creature is never winged,
and also does not occur under the bark of trees in the woods.

Many species deposit their eggs in clusters
on the food plant; others insert the eggs in
the plant tissue. Most have but one genera-
tion a year, passing the winter in the adult
condition under loose bark or among fallen
leaves.

There are many families, the most promi-
nent of which are the following:

The Pentatomidse (fig. 17), which have five-
jointed antenna?, and the body rather broad,
with short head, and legs of moderate length.
Most are brown or green in color, but some
are prettily marked in bright colors.

The Coreidse (fig. 19), which have rather
longer bodies, four-jointed antennae, a four-jointed beak, and legs of
moderate length; often some of the legs are enlarged, or have mem-
branous expansions.

The Lygseidse (fig. 20), veiy similar to the Coreidse, but all are
much smaller, and with fewer veins in the membrane of the wing.
Many of them live on the ground.

Fig. 20. — The chinch bug,
Blissus i.eucopterus, a ! v-
6JESD.

14

BULLETIN 61, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 21.— One of the Capsidje, Lygus pratensis.

The Reduviida? (fig. 144), which have four-jointed antenna?, a
three-jointed beak, and simple eyes, or ocelli. The body is rather
slender. All members of this family are predaceous.

The Capsidse (fig. 21), with four-jointed antennas and beak, with-
out ocelli, and with only two cells in the membrane of the wing, are

small, delicate, rather slender
insects most of which feed on
plants.

The Tingitida?, or lace bugs
(fig. 22), feed on the under
surface of leaves of various
trees.

The Cryptocerata, with the
antennae almost invisible, in-
cludes a number of aquatic
bugs (figs. 145, 146) of very
diverse structure and habits. Some are the largest species of the
order, such as the Belostoma or "electric light bug."

The arrangement of these families is still a subject of much dis-
cussion, but is usually in two groups : Hydrocorisa (water bugs) and
Aurocorisa (land bugs) ; Gymnocerata (visible antenna?) and Crypto-
cerata (hidden antenna?) ; or Trochalopoda and Pagiopoda, according
to the nature of the coxal joint.

The Homoptera differ from the Heteroptera in having the fore-
wings of 'even texture throughout, and the tips do not lap over one
another when at rest. Moreover, the beak in the Homoptera appears
to arise from the posterior end of the head beneath, and the antenna?
are very short, with a fine terminal bristle. The
Homoptera are mostly small insects, and all feed
on vegetation. Nearly all of them are expert
jumpers, although they do not have any enlarged
legs. They are commonly known as leafhoppers
(Jassida?) , treehoppers (Membracida?) , f roghoppers
(Cercopida?) , etc.

The Jassida? (fig. 23) are small and slender in-
sects, abundant in meadows, and sucking the
juices from plants. Many of them are green or
brown in color, but some are striped or spotted
with red or pale. The Membracida? (fig. 24) have
the prothorax enlarged to cover most of the body,
elongate triangular from above, and with folded wings and legs
drawn up they have little resemblance to an ordinary insect. The
Cercopida? are usually diamond-shaped insects; the young often live
in a mass of froth or spittle, which they produce as they suck the
juices from the plants.

Fig. 22.— A TlNGITED BUG,

Gargaphia angulata.

Usually they are

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

15

Fig. 23.— Adult and young of a leafhopper,
or Jassid, Oncometopia lateralis.

To this suborder belongs the cicada (fig. 25), or ^locust," whose
shrill voice is a familiar sound in summer. They are the largest
insects of this suborder, and many
of the tropical forms are of beauti-
ful coloration. One of these cica-
das, the seventeen - year form,
spends seventeen years under
ground as a young insect, and
then issues in great numbers.
The tropical lanternfly, of the
family Fulgqridse (see fig. 147), is
also a member of this group.

The suborder Phytophthires
includes many small insects known
as plant-lice or aphids, and scale
insects or coccids. Their antennae are long, without apical bristle,
and their wings are filmy. The plant-lice (family Aphidse) occur in
great numbers on many plants and are a familiar
nuisance to the growers of flowers and indoor plants.
They have a winged and a wingless stage, and they
increase largely by a sort of budding process with-
out depositing eggs. Plant-lice (fig. 26) include
some of our most destructive insects, as the grape
Phylloxera, hop aphis, and apple aphis. Many
a, side view; b, top species live on different plants at different por-
tions of their lives. The Psyllidae (fig. 148), or
jumping plant-lice, are similar to the plant-lice, but rarely occur in
such numbers and always increase by the deposition of eggs, as
do most other insects.
Some of them produce
galls. The Coccidae, or
scale insects (fig. 149),
includes the notorious
San Jose scale, mealy
bugs (fig. 27), and other
similar forms. In these
the male only is winged,
and then with but one
pair, while the female
remains attached to the
twig or leaf, a mere pro-
tuberance with little re-
semblance to an ordi-
nary insect. The male, unlike other Hemiptera, passes through a com-
plete metamorphosis. The adult male has no mouth-parts and does
not feed, while the female has a long flexible beak with whichshe sucks

Fig. 24.— A tree-hop-
per,or Membracid,
Ceresa bubalus:

Fig. 25.— The 17-year locust, Tibicen septendecim: a. With
wings spread; 6, with folded wtngs; c, nymph.

16

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

up the sap of the plant. Although many species are very destructive,
there are several very useful insects, such as the cochineal and lac
insects; the former used for a dye, and the latter to make shellac.

The suborder Anoplura (Pediculi) includes a few wingless para-
sites known as lice (fig. 28), which infest various mammals, including

man. They are flat,
with short legs, the
tips of which end in
a large claw opposed
to a projection from
the preceding joint.
They should be col-
lected in alcohol ; or,
for study, mounted
upon slides, always
with the name of the
host.

THYSANOPTERA.

Fig. 2li. — A plant-louse, Rhopalosiphum violjE: a. Adult;
b, wings; c, larva; d, nymph.

This small order is
based on tiny insects
known as "thrips"
(fig. 29). They are
slender, rather flat,
with pointed head, and short legs which end in two-jointed tarsi
without claws. The four wings are very slender, with few veins, and
fringed with long hairs. A few species,
however, have apterous females. Their
mouth-parts are peculiar, and their meta-
morphosis is incomplete.
They feed on vegetation and
are quite numerous, and
many fly during fine days in
the autumn and may be seen
on clothing, in houses, etc.
Others hibernate under loose
bark. All should be mounted
upon slides, care being taken to spread out the wings

Fig. 27 .—A mealy bug, Dactylopius

CITRI.

Fig. 28.— The
head louse,
Pediculus

CAPITIS.

NEUROPTERA.

These are biting insects with four large, many-veined
wings, and a complete or nearly complete metamorphosis. The
legs are of moderate size, and the tarsi have five joints. They are a
small order, and as many fly only at night they are not often seen
by the general collector of insects. There are three suborders. The
Megaloptera include large species like the horned Corydalis or hell-

COLLECTING AND PKESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

17

Fig. 29.— One of the Thysanoptera, Thrips tabaci:
a, Adult; 6, antenna of same; c, young larva; d,

FULL-GROWN LARVA.

gramite fly, whose larva, known as the Dobson, is to be found in
most of our running streams. The insects of the suborder Stegoptera
are smaller, more delicate insects, which fold their wings roof-like
over the body. The ant-lion (lies (Myrmeleons) (fig. 30), whose
larvae (fig. 31) make funnel-shaped pits in sand in the bottom of
which they wait with ex-
tended jaws for any small
insects that may tumble into
the trap, belong to this
group. The gauzy lacewing
flies (Chrysopa) (fig. 32) or
"golden e}res," have a
spindle-shaped predaceous
larva which wanders over
leaves in search of plant-lice.
The parent fly of many

species deposits the eggs in clusters at the tips of slender wiry stalks.
Some of the species have an extremely vile odor. The Mantispidse
(fig. 153) have the front legs enlarged and spiny, with which they
catch small insects. The young are parasitic in egg sacs of wan-
dering spiders. The suborder Mecaptera (Panorpida^) (fig. 154) are

flies having the head prolonged
below. The body is slender and
cylindrical. In the male it ter-
minates in a pair of large claspers,
from which these insects obtain
the common name of " scorpion-
flies." They catch and eat small
insects. Their larvae resemble
the true caterpillars, but have
eight pairs of abdominal legs. These larvae live in the soil and are
predaceous, but are very rarety found, although the adult flies are
common in the Eastern States.

COLEOPTERA.

The Coleoptera, or beetles, as they are universally called, are the
insects most common to all observers. Their fore-wings,
called elytra (singular, elytron) are hard or leathery, and
when at rest meet down a straight line on the back. They
show few traces of veins, and beneath them arc folded the
other wings, which, though of moderate size, arc sufficient
for good flight. In numbers the beetles outrank all other
orders. Some, if not the largest, are the weightiest of insects,
and others are so tiny as to be scarcely visible to the unaided
eye. The ease with which they may be collected and preserved,
together with the bright colors of many species, have made the order
a very popular one with collectors.

Fig. 30.— An ant-lion, or Myrmeleon
Packard.)

(From

Fig. 31. A

Myrmeleon

i a i: \ \.

18

BULLETIN 61, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

a b c d

Fig. 32.— A lacewing fly, Chrysopa: a, Eggs; 6, larva;
c, cocoons; d, fly with left wings removed.

Beetles pass through a complete metamorphosis. The larvae show
great variety in shape and structure, but are often elongate, rather
flat creatures, with or without legs, and with strong biting jaws. The
pupa shows the legs and antennae of the adult folded against the body,
and the wing-pads are applied to the sides. Several arrangements of
the beetles in large groups or sections have been proposed by coleop-

terists, yet none of such strik-
ing superiority as to command
general adoption. In Europe,
Professor Kolbe and Doctor
Ganglbauer have proposed
new systems of Coleoptera,
which have many valuable
points; however, a slight
modification of the arrange-
ment used by Doctors Le Conte and Horn is as useful, and probably
as natural, as any other. It divides the beetles into seven sections,
as follows:

Adephaga. — The antennas are simple, not with leaflike plates nor
enlarged at tip; all the tarsi five-jointed. The mouth-parts are
usually well developed, and the abdomen shows six segments on the
under side. The larvae are usually very active and commonly pre-
daceous. They have a tapering body, widest near the middle, with
prominent head and jaws, prominent legs, ending in two claws, and
frequently one, two, or three terminal processes or tails to the body.
Many of the species are aquatic (Dytiscidae, fig. 128). Others are
called ground-beetles (figs. 33, 127) and
tiger-beetles. The tiger-beetles (fig. 129)
(Cicindelidse) are usually of very brilliant
coloration, but most of the beetles (Cara-
bidae) of this section are black or at least
without particular markings.

Clavicornia includes those beetles with
the antennae enlarged at the tip (fig. 123).
This section comprises a great number of
species, usually of small size, but of great
diversity of structure and habit. The
tarsi in most of the families are five-
jointed, but many of the smaller species have but three-jointed
tarsi. The head is commonly much smaller than the thorax, and
often bent under or partly depressed. Most of their larvae are
predaceous, but many feed on dead animals or vegetable matter,
stored foods, in ants' nests, and a few on living plants. The larvae
exhibit very diverse characters, but usually they are more cylindrical
than those of the Adephaga and with less prominent legs, and when
there are terminal processes or tails they are less long than in
the Adephaga. To this section belong the prettily spotted ladybird

Fig. 33.— A ground-beetle, Calo-
soma calidum : a, Larva; 6, adult.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

19

beetles (Coccinellidse) (fig. 34) which are very beneficial to mankind,
since both beetles and larvae destroy countless thousands of aphides and

fa=*=^i&>

Fig. 34. —A ladybird, Megilla maculata: o, Larva; 6, pupa;

C, BEETLE.

Fig. 35. \ rove-
beetle, Philonthus.

h

.7

Fig. 36.— A soldier-beetle, Chauliognathus

PENNSYLVANICUS: 0, Larva; b-ll, PARTS OB
LARVA enlarged; i, beetle.

scale insects. One of these, the famous Vedalia ladybird, destroyed the
Icerya scale insect that was ruining the orange orchards of California.

An immense family, the rove-
beetles (fig. 35) (family Staphy-
linida?), have long slender bodies,
and the elytra are very short,
not half covering the abdomen.
The carrion-beetles (Silphidas) (fig.
130) are common around dead
animals; they are mostly broad
and flat. Some species (family
Hydrophilidse) are aquatic, like the dytiscids of the previous section.
The Serricornia includes a few families of beetles (fig. 36) in which

the antennas are not en-
larged at tip but are ser-
rate or saw-like beneath.
The body is often elon-
gate, with subparallel
sides. The head is small,
but distinct from above.
The legs are quite slender,
and the tarsi five-jointed.
The adults are often
found on flowers or on
leaves, but do not eat
much. Some of them
called click-beetles (fig. 37) (Slateridse), since when laid
upon their back they can spring into the air accompanied by a
clicking noise. This section also includes the fireflies (family Lam-
pyrida?), whose intermittent light on a summer evening is familiar
88552— Bull. 67-09 3

FlG.37.— ACLICK-BEETLE.ilONOCREProrUSVESPERTINTJS: a, LAR-
VA FROM SIDE; b, LARVA FROM ABOVE; C, BEETLE; (/, PUPA.

are

20

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 38.— A Buprestid, Chrysobothris femo-
rata: a, Larva; b, beetle; c, head of male;

d, PUPA.

to all. Many species are dull colored, but the Buprestes are among
the most brilliant and gorgeous of the insect tribe. The larvae of this
section are variable. Those of the Buprestes (figs. 38, 126) bore in
wood, have enlarged heads, and are without legs. The larvae of other
families, however, have short legs, and in many cases the last segment

is corneous and toothed. Some of
them are predaceous; others live
in decaying or in living wood.

Heteromera. — This section in-
cludes those beetles whose antennae
are simple (not clavate or serrate),
and which have but four joints in
the hind tarsi, the tarsi of the an-
terior legs having five joints. The
ventral side of the abdomen shows
but five segments. The beetles of
this section are of various shapes.
Many of them are dull colored. The head is usually prominent, and
the legs quite slender. Some of them have no hind wings. Most of
them feed on vegetation, others in stored foods, and some (Meloidae)
are parasitic in the nests of wasps, bees, or on the eggs of grasshoppers.
The latter pass through a complicated life history, the first larva
looking much like that of the Ade-
phaga, while later the larva is a fat
grub like that of the June bugs.
Other larvae are hard-bodied and
rather slender. To this section be-
long the blister-beetles (Meloidae)
(fig. 118) and the mealworm (Tene-
brionidae, fig. 39) and the small
flower-beetles (Mordellida?) , with
compressed tapering bodies, which
slip through the fingers when one
catches them.

Phytophaga. — This section includes
a large series of beetles (fig. 40) in
which the tarsi are apparently four-
jointed, the basal three usually pro-
vided with dense, short hairs forming
a sort of cushion. The head is usu-
ally bent downward, and the mouth is below. The antennae are
simple, and often very long. The legs are short and stout. In
some cases the hind pairs are thickened for leaping. The larvae of all
feed on plants, either on the leaves, in the wood, or on the seeds. The
adults in many cases also feed on the same materials. Many of them
are very prettily marked with spots and stripes of various colors. A

Fig. 39.— One of the tenebrionid.e, or
darkling beetles, eleodes.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

21

considerable number can make noises when disturbed. Most of
their larvae have short legs, but some of the wood-boring kinds are
apodous, or legless. In nearly all the last segment is not corneous
or toothed, but in one group of leaf-beetles (Cassidae) the last seg-
ment, as well as other segments, shows a
marvelous development of spines and pro-
jections. The long-horned beetles (Ceram-
bycidse) (fig. 120), the leaf -beetles (Chrys-
omelidae) (figs. 121, 124), of which the
potato "bug" (fig. 41) is an example, and

a o

FlG. 40.— A LONGICORN, PBIONUS FlG. 41.— THE COLORADO POTATO "BUG," LEPTINOTARSA 10-LIN-

laticollis. eata: a, Beetle; b, larva or grub; c, pupa.

the bean and pea weevils (Bruchidae) (fig. 125) belong to this section.
Rhynchophora, or weevils. This section comprises an enormous
number of compact beetles, readily known by the snout or beaklike
head, called a rostrum. The tarsi are four-jointed. The mouth-
parts are very small and at the tip of the beak, and the antennae
are often slightly clavate and geniculate or bowed. The elytra are
usually very hard, and in a number of species there are no hind wings.
Most of them belong to two or
three families, Curculionidae
(fig. 42), Calandridae (fig. 119),
orOtiorhynchida?, but are simi-
lar in appearance. Both adults
and larvae are phytophagous
feeding on leaves, on the seeds,
on fruits, in wood, or on plants.
The larvae are grublike, soft-
bodied, usually curved, without
legs or with only very short
ones, and the last segment is
not hardened or produced. The
famous cotton-boll weevil (An-
ihonomus grandis), the plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) (fig.
43), the grain weevil (Oalandra oryza), and many other injurious
beetles belong to this section. They are very abundant in tropical
countries, and often of very brilliant coloration. Allied to them are
the Scolytidae, barkbeetles, or engraver-beetles (fig. 161), which are
very destructive to timber. They are small and dark colored, with

Fig. 42.— A chestnut weevil, Balani XI - R] I n ;
a, Top; b, side; c, head.

22

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

-The plttm curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar:
a, Larva; 6, beetle; c, pupa.

blunt head and knobbed antennae. The burrows (fig. 162) of the
beetles and larvae in wood and under bark are often of a character-
istic pattern for each species.

Lamellicornia. — The beetles (fig. 44) of this section have the last

few joints of their short an-
tennae developed into leaf-
like extensions. The tarsi
are five -jointed. Many
of them are of large size
(fig. 122), with broad,
heavy bodies, and in many
cases the males have curi-
ousl}T developed horns on
the head or prothorax.
Their legs are rather short,
and usually end in very
stout claws. Some of
them have the forelegs toothed and fitted for burrowing in the soil.
Many of the tropical species are renowned for the beauty and elegance
of their form and color. The larvae are fat grubs, with very short legs,
a prominent head, and a thick, soft abdomen. They often lie in a half-
curled position. The adults are frequently found upon flowers, and
many eat the leaves of plants. The larva- live in the soil, feeding
upon roots, or in manure, or
in decaying wood, or in ants'
nests. To this section belong
the sacred Scarabams of the
Egyptians, the familiar June-
bugs or May-beetles (family
Scarabaeidre), and the stag-
beetles (Lucanida?) , the males
of which have enormous jaws.

STREPSIPTERA.

This order (family Stylo-
pidae) includes a few tiny in-
sects whose curious structure
and habits have long puzzled
entomologists. The male has
large eyes and a short,
small abdomen. The elytra are very rudimentary. These males
live but a short time, but are very active. The female is a
mere sac, a head and a larger body, without legs and wings.
The larvae and the female live in the bodies of other insects,
wasps, bees, and certain Hemiptera. They pass through a com-

FlG.44.— A LAMELLICORN,PELrDNOTA PUNCTATA: 0,LARVA;

b, pupa; c, beetle; d, e,f, enlarged parts.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

23

plicated metamorphosis. The first larva, called a triungulin, is
a minute insect with six long legs and a pair of bristles at tip
of body. All stages should
be mounted upon slides.

TRICHOFTERA.

Fig. 45.— A caddicefly, larva, and its case. (From
Packard.)

This order includes the
caddiceflies (fig. 45), or
watermoths. They have
a general resemblance to
moths, or millers, but have
hairs instead of scales upon
the wings and body. Many
are attracted to electric
lights. The antennae are slender and simple, the hind wings broader
than the fore pair, and the posterior part folds as a fan. The adult
insects have very weak mouth-parts and take no nourishment. The
larvae and pupae live in the water of ponds and streams. Many of
them make cases of pebbles, sticks, or leaves, which they carry about
with them. Others spin a web or net in the water. The former live

upon aquatic vege-
tation; the latter are
predaceous. They
pupate within their
cases, closing up
the entrance with
a mesh of threads.
None of them are
of economic impor-
tance, and they are
most abundant in
the colder parts ot
the country.

LEPIDOPTERA.

This order com-
prises the butterflies
(figs. 46, 131, 132)
and moths, or millers
(figs. 133, 134, 158).
The handsome col-
ors of many species
have made this order the most popular one with entomologists.
The metamorphosis is complete, and the transformation from the
pupa or chrysalis to the butterfly has been a marvel to all observers,
and frequently applied to human life. The beauty of these frail

Fig. 46.— A butterfly, Euptoieta clattdia: a, Adult; 6, cater
pillar; c, chrysalis.

24

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

insects is due to the scales that cover the wings and body. These
scales are of various shades and structure, and so placed as to over-
lap each other. Their colors range from the most brilliant to the
most delicate, and often display a glittering iridescence unapproach-
able by any human artifice; and the pattern in which the colors are
arranged is often of the most attractive and exquisite design, the
delight of childhood and the admiration of age.

ff 7 io u n

Fig. 47.— A caterpillar: 1, Head; 2, thorax; 3 to 10, segments of body; 11, horn; 12, last
segment; 13, true legs; 14, false legs or prolegs; 15, anal claws.

The mouth-parts of the Lepidoptera are modified to form a long
proboscis, haustellum, or sucking tube, which is usually carried rolled
up under the head and hidden by scales. In some species, as the
hawk moths, this proboscis is very long, so that the moth may hover
in front of a flower, insert the tube to the bottom of the flower, and
extract the nectar. The young, or caterpillars (fig. 47), are of very
diverse appearance, but
usually elongate, with a
distinct head and three
pairs of legs. Behind
these true legs are several
pairs of fleshy prolegs,
which assist in crawling.
These are from four to
ten in number. These
caterpillars are often pro-
vided with hairs, bristles,
or spinous projections. All (with a very few exceptions) feed on
vegetation, usually living plants, and consequently do a great deal
of damage.

The generally accepted division of the Lepidoptera is that of butter-
flies (Rhopalocera) and moths (Heterocera). The butterflies as a rule
have the antennae clavate or knobbed at tip, hold their wings erect
when at rest, fly by day, and they do not spin a cocoon to inclose the
pupa, which is placed above ground. Many of the butterflies have

Fig. 48.— A Sphingid, Ampelophaga myron.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

25

common names; the large "swallow-tails" (Papilios) are known to
every country child. One family of the butterflies, the Hesperidse,
or "skippers," have the antennas terminating in a point, and some

Fig. 49.— The eight-spotted forester,
Alypiaoctomaculata: a, Larva; 6, en-
larged segment of same; c, moth.

Fig. 50.— A cutworm moth, Noctua onigrum:
a, Moth; 6, caterpillar.

entomologists believe they should form a third primary division called
Grypocera.

The moths have the antennas of various shapes, but not knobbed
at tip. The. wings are usually depressed at rest. They are mostly
nocturnal in their habit, and the pupa is usually within a silken cocoon

Fig. 51.— A Geometrid, Cleora pampinaria: a, Moth; 6, c, caterpillar;

d, PUPA; C,f, ENLARGED PARTS.

spun by the larva. The Sphinges, or hawk moths (fig. 48), are inter-
mediate in habit, flying mostly at twilight, and their antennae,
although thicker near tip, terminate in a fine point much like those of

26

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 52.— A Sesiid, or clear-winged moth, Synanthedon pic-
tipes: a, Moth; 6, eggs; c, caterpillar; <l. pupa; c, pupa in

the "skippers." Their larvae are large, smooth caterpillars, often
with a horn near tip of body. The old group of Bombyces (fig. 49),
now divided and scattered, included some of the largest species of
the order. The pale green Luna moth and the American silkworm,
or Cecropia moth, are well-known forms. The Io moth has a green
caterpillar, which can "sting" when handled. The gipsy moth also

belongs in this group,
jM as well as the silkworm
moth, which, next to
the honey bee, is the
most valuable insect.
The caterpillars of this
group are usually spiny
or hairy. Allied are
the Noctuida?, or owlet
moths (fig. 50). They
are rather stout-
bodied, of moderate
size, with dark colors.
The caterpillars are

CASE.

smooth, and often
known as cutworms. Among them are many of our most destructive
insects, such as the bollworm and the cotton leaf-worm.

Another great group is the Geometridse (fig. 51), whose larva? have
fewer prolegs than usual, and in consequence hump up their body
when crawling, and so are called measuring worms. The moths have
slender bodies and large wings, often of handsome shades and. tints.
The cankerworcn belongs to this group. The slug caterpillars, which
apparently have no feet and are often
of curious shapes and bright colors, are
the young of the Limacodid moths.
One of these, the saddle-back caterpil-
lar (fig. 135), will ' 'sting" when touched,
producing a sort of rash on the skin.
The clear-winged, or Sesiid moths (fig.
52), are peculiar in that a part of the
wings is destitute of scales. Their larv»
usually bore in the stems of plants and
trees. The caterpillars of a small group
of moths (Psychidae) live in a case of leaves, which they carry about
with them. One, the well-known bagworm (fig. 136), is often found
upon evergreens, locust trees, etc.

Several families of small moths (the Pyralidse, Tortricida?, and
Tineidse) are often grouped together by entomologists under the
name of Microlepidoptera, or simply "Micros." The Pyralids (fig.

Fig. 53.— A Tortricid moth and its cat-
erpillar, Semasia nigricana.

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27

Fig. 54.— A Tineid moth, Tischeria malifoliella: a, Moth;
6, same, wings closed; c, caterpillar; e, pupa; d, f, en-
larged PARTS.

137) have rather triangular wings. Their larvse often web up the
leaves upon which they feed. The Tortricids (Tig. 53) are known
as leaf-rollers, since the larva1 of many species roll and fasten up the
leaves, within which they
feed and complete their
transformations. Others,
as the injurious codling
moth, bore into fruit, stems,
etc. The Tineid moths (fig.
.54) are the most minute in-
sects of this order, and
many are of the most glit-
tering colors. The larvse
of many kinds mine be-
tween the upper and under
surfaces of leaves, forming sinuous lines or blisters. Others carry
a case about with them, at least for a part of their lives. Their
wings are long and slender, and their legs and palpi are often pro-
vided with dense brushes
of scales.

This order includes the
true flies, those insects
with but one pair (the
anterior) of wings. The
hind wings are replaced
by a- pair of short, slen-
der, knobbed filaments
called halteres, poisers,
or balancers. The
mouth-parts of Diptera
are quite distinct from
those of other groups,
and formed for sucking
liquids, but there is never
a curled sucking tube
like thai of theLepidop-
tera. The body is usu-
ally provided with hairs,
or, in some cases, as the mosquitoes, with scales. The

Fig. 55. — A crane-fly, Tipula infuscata.

bristles

metamorphosis is complete. The larva3 are footless, and called mag-
gots. The pupa is exposed, not in a cocoon, but in many forms the
pupa is formed within the hardened larval skin. This is called a

28

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

coarctate pupa. The larvae of many forms live in water, or at least
in moist surroundings.

The classification usually adopted for the flies is that of Nemocera
for those having long antenna?, and palpi of four or five joints. The
pupa is naked, not coarctate, and the larva? usually have a very dis-
tinct head. The Brachycera have very short antennae, and palpi
of one or two joints. The pupa is often coarctate, and the larva?
usually have no distinct head. The further arrangement of the
groups is very unsettled. The suborder Nemocera can be arranged
in three sections:

(1) The Polyneura (family Tipulidse, or crane-flies (fig. 55),) are
known from all others by the V-shaped suture on the thorax. Their

legs are excessively long
and fragile, and the
wings and abdomen are
also slender. The larva?
are slender, and often
occur in water or moist
places. Some, how-
ever, are abundant in
fields.

( 2 ) The Nemocera
vera have verticels or
whorls of hairs on the
antenna?. They have
slender bodies and legs.
The larva? of the gall-
gnats (Cecidomyiidse)
often produce galls on
various plants. The
Hessian fly (fig. 56) and
wheat midge belong
to this family. The
Culicidse, or mosquitoes, have scales on their wings. The larva?
(fig. 141) are aquatic, and familiar to most people as "wrigglers."
Only the female mosquitoes can bite, and it is now known that several
species transmit disease. The Anopheles maculipennis carries
malaria, and the Stegomyia calopus (fig. 57) disseminates yellow
fever. The Chironomidse, or midges, with feathery antenna?, have
aquatic larvae, and the fungus-gnats (Mycetophilida?) , with long
coxa?, breed in fungi, under loose bark, and in manure and
decaying wood.

(3) The Nemocera anomala includes several small families which
have no whorls of hairs on the antenna?, and in which the body and

Fig. 56.

-The Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor: a, Fly; 6,

(i, ( , /, ENLARGED PARTS.

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20

wings are not slender. The black flies and buffalo gnats (Simuliidae)
belong to this group. They can bite very severely. Their larvae
occur in streams, and have long brushes near the head, and their pupae
have long filaments
from the thorax.

The suborder Bka-
CHYCERA is divisible
into four sections :

(1) The Orihorrha-
pha, which do not
have a coarctate
pupa. The larvas
have a distinct head,
and the last joint of
the antenna is often
long and sometimes
shows ambulations,
and there is no fron-
tal lunule or suture
over the base of the
antenna?. This sec-
tion includes our

lai^CSt nies. ine\ FlG. 57.— THE YELLOW-FEVER MOSQUITO, STEGOMYIA CALOPUS.

are arranged in three

groups: (a) The Eremochaeta, which have the median projection,

called an empodium, between the pads or pulvilli on the feet similar

Fig. 58.— A Bombylhd FLY, Spogostylum simson

in appearance to the pulvilli, and the third joint of the antenna?
often shows annulations. There are no large bristles on the body,

30

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 59.— A robber-fly, Erax bas-
tardii: a, Perfect insect; 6, pupa;

LARVA SHOWN AT SIDE.

and the legs are usually nearly smooth. The soldier-flies (Stratio-
myiidae), which have many markings on the body, the horseflies
(Tabanida?) (fig. 143), which annoy cattle as well as man, and the
snipe-flies (Leptidae), with slender, tapering bodies, belong to this
group. Their larvae are often aquatic, or live in moist situations.
(b) The Tromoptera, or hovering flies, in which the empodium is

bristle-like, much more slender than the
pulvilli, or else absent. The third joint
of the antennae does not show any annu-
lations. The legs usually have only fine
hairs, and the body, especially the thorax,
is often very hairy. The bee-flies (Bom-
byliidse) (fig. 58), with pretty pictured
wings, are in this group. Their larvae are
often predaceous or parasitic, (c) The
Ernegopoda, which have strong, bristly
legs, and often large bristles on the thorax.
The empodium is slender or absent, and
the}7 are nearly all predaceous flies. The
Asilida?, or robber-flies (fig. 59), are the largest of these insects, while
the Empididae and Dolichopodidae embrace a host of smaller forms.

(2) The AscMza have the antennae composed of three joints, with
a tiny hair or arista near the tip. The head has no distinct lunule or
arched suture near the base of the antennae. The pupae are coarctate.
This includes the large family

Syrpnidae (fig. 156), many of
which are brightly and pret-
tily colored, and the thick-
headed flies or Conopidae,
which have the abdomen nar-
rowed at base. Many of the
larvae of the Syrphids are
predaceous and feed on plant-
lice ; others occur in mud, in
foul water, in ants' and wasps'
nests, and in bulbs of plants.
The larvae of Conops are para-
sitic in wasps and bees.

(3) The Scliizoplwra have
the pupa coarctate, the larvae
have no distinct head, and the antenna of the fly is of three joints
and an arista, and the head shows a frontal lunule or arched suture
near the base of the antennae. This section includes two groups,
one in which there is only one membranous piece or "calypter" each
side above the haltere, the Acalypterae; and the other group in which

Fig

-One of the Trypetid flies, Trypeta

^QUALIS.

COLLECTING AND PKKSKKVINC INSECTS- — BANKS.

31

there are two such pieces, the lower one much the Larger, the Calypte-
ratae. The Acalypterae includes many families of flies, mostly small
and bristly. Some of them, like the ( )rt alidae and Trypetidae (fig. 60),
have spotted or banded wings. Their lar-
vae occur in all sorts of places; some, like
the apple maggot and the orange maggot,
in fruit; others, like the frit fly, affect
grams; others mine the leaves of plants,
and many live in manure, or in moist soil.
The Calypteratae include the Tachina
(figs. 61, 157) and Sarcophaga flies, with a
bristly abdomen, the larvae of which usu-
ally are parasitic in other insects. The
Anthomyidae are smaller, and their larvae
often attack vegetables. The cabbage
maggot belongs to this family. The (Es-
tridae (bot or warble flies) (fig. 62) are hairy speeies whose larvae live
in various animals, sometimes in man. The true Muscidae (fig. 63)
include the hornfly, blowfly, house fly, stable fly, screw-worm fly

(fig. 142), etc. Many of them are
injurious to man or animals. The
African tsetse flies are responsible
for the Nagana disease of cattle,
and the sleeping sickness of man.
The ubiquitous house fly is one of
the most dangerous insects, since
it is known to assist in the spread

Fig. 61.— A Tachina fly, Archytas
rruvENTRis.

Fig. 62.

-A BOT-FLY, CUTEREBRA
CUNICULI.

of typhoid fever and possibly other
diseases. The larvae of a consider-
able number are occasionally swal-
lowed by man with food. Such
are the Sarcophaga, blowfly, and
the fruit worms, and may cause
slight intestinal troubles. This false
or pseudoparasitism of dipterous
larvae in man is called "myiasis."

(4) The Pupipara occur on birds, bats, and domestic animals.
Many are wingless, all rather flattened, with large, strong claws. The
young are produced alive, full grown, but have to pass through the
pupal stage.

FlG.63. -A BLUE-BO I I : I PL1

A Ml -Ml..

LUCILIA CESAR,

32 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

SIFHOXAI'TERA.

This order, comprising a single family, Pulicidae, or fleas (fig. 64),
is not a large one in point of species, but nevertheless manages to
attract the attention of mankind. The fleas never have wings, but
nature, always compensating, has endowed them with most remarkable
leaping ability. The body is compressed, and the segments fur-
nished with rows of bristles, and often some stiff spines. These spines
are usually set upon the lower margin of the head and the posterior
border of the pronotum, and each series is known as a comb or ctenid-
ium. The antennae are very short and lie in a groove near the small
eyes. The mouth-parts are slender and suited for piercing the skin
of the host and sucking up blood. The legs are very bristly, but not
very large, and apparently incapable of producing the amazing leap.
The larva of a flea is a slender, legless creature occurring under car-
pets, in cracks, near the nests of animals, etc., and feeds on refuse,

dirt, and bits of decaying vegetable
matter. When full grown they spin
a cocoon within which they transform
to the pupa, and later issue as adult
fleas. In the past few years one of
the rat fleas, Xenopsylla cheojris, has
been connected with the dissemina-
tion of bubonic plague. Fleas may
be taken from the host animals and
in these animals' nests. All should
be collected in vials of alcohol, and
mounted in balsam on slides for study.

HYMENOPTERA.

This order embraces a great number of insects, many of which are
known under the names of bees, wasps, and ants. They have four
membranous wings of moderate size, with but few cross veins, and
biting mouth-parts. In some cases the mouth is also fitted for sucking
or lapping up liquids, but the mandibles are still suited for biting.
The body is very compactly put together, and the skin is often very
hard, and in many cases the abdomen terminates in an ovipositor or
sting. The thorax of most Hymenoptera comprises not only the
three parts found in other insects, but also the first abdominal
segment. The transformations are complete. The larvae are usually
footless, but those of the sawflies have six true legs and often prolegs
which are more numerous than in lepidopterous insects. The Hyme-
noptera may be divided into suborders as follows :

The Chalastogastra , or sawflies (fig. 65), in which the abdomen is
not constricted at base to form a petiole, and the first segment is not
united to the thorax. The trochanter of the legs (the small joint
between coxa and femur) is of two parts or joints. The tip of the

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS HANKS.

33

female abdomen shows an ovipositor with pieces having a sawlike
edge. The larvae have three pairs of true legs, and often numerous
prolegs. They feed on plants, and some species make galls on willow.
There are two families, Tenthredinidae and Uroceridae.

The Parasitica , which includes an enormous series of species, the larvae
of which live in caterpillars or
otherinsects (seefig. 139). They
are therefore very beneficial.
These have the abdomen slender
at base, forming a pedicel, the
first segment connected to the
thorax. The trochanters are
usually of two pieces. Many
are slender insects with fairly
long legs, and among them are
many minute forms, some so
small that one may be crawling
across this page unseen by the
reader.

The Proctotrypidae are the
tiniest of these forms : the young FlG- C"-~A sawmy, eeiocampoides umacina: a, fly;

..... i> 1 6, f, CATERPILLAR OR SLUG; (?, EATEN LEAVES.

usually live m the eggs or other

insects. The Chalcididae (figs. 66, 67 ) are very numerous, and of variable
habits; some live in the seeds of various plants, the joint worms in the
stems of grasses, but most are parasitic on other insects. In some
cases, although the parent lays but one egg in a caterpillar, several
hundred flies may develop from it. The Ichneumonidae (fig. 68) and

Braconidae (fig. 69)
are closely related,
and include the
largest species. All
are parasitic on
otherinsects; many
are prettily colored.
The females of
many species have
long, p rominent
ovipositors, some-
t imes much longer
than the body.
Sometimes one of
these parasites has
a parasite upon it, the latter being called a "liyperparasite."

The Cynipidae, or gallflies (fig. 70), are small insects, many making
galls upon the leaves and twigs of plants, the larva- living and devel-
oping therein.

The Heterogyna, or ants (Formicidae) , include a number of well-
known insects whose industry and intelligence have excited the

Fig. 66. — A Chalcis-fly, EuPELMtrs llmnerle.

34

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

praise of observers in ancient times. In these insects (fig. 159) there
are between the thorax and the main part of the abdomen one or two
tiny segments with a knob or lobe above. The trochanters are undi-
vided; the antennas are often elbowed or geniculate. Ants live in

communities of varying size,
some of only ten or twenty in-
dividuals, others of many thou-
sands. In most cases there are
several forms — the winged male,
the winged female or mother of
the colony, the wingless neuters
or workers, and in some cases
there are soldiers which have
enlarged heads or longer jaws.
The larvse are footless maggots
fed and reared by the workers. In some cases they pupate within a
silken case. Many kinds of ants can sting.

Some ants make slaves of other kinds, the slave working willingly
in the new colony. A few species store up seeds for the winter;
others keep and protect plant-lice, from which they secure drops of
nectar; others grow a sort of mushroom in their nest for food. Some-
times one colony will have a tremendous battle with a neighboring
colony. Each ant of a nest can recognize any other member of that

Fig. 67.— A C'halcis-fly, Spilochalcis marije.

Fig. 68.— An Ichneumon fly, Ephialtes irritator.

nest, no matter how numerous the colony, and they will fight any
intruder from, another nest. Several kinds of beetles, flies, and mites
live in ants nests; these are called "myrmecophiles.''

The Fossores include the largest and most powerful insects of
the order. These insects have a sting, the fore- wings are not
folded, and the hairs of the body are not plumose. Most of

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

35

Fig. (jy. — A Braconid fly, Meteorus hypiiantrle, and its
cocoon.

them have rather large heads, long legs, and nearly hare body,
which is often brightly colored. Some dig holes in the ground in
which to rear their young. Others will tunnel in wood, and others
prey cuckoo-like upon the other groups. They capture all sorts <>1*
insects and spiders, and
store them in their nests
for the food of the young.
Many show much intelli-
gence in preparing their
burrows and in captur-
ing, stinging, and storing
their prey. Some of these
wasps (Mutillida?) have
wingless females (fig. 71).
The adults (fig. 140) can
frequently be found upon
flowers, upon the nectar
o„f which the}^ feed.
The mud -dauber wasps
(Sphegidae) (fig. 72) be-
long to this group.

The Diploptera are stinging Hymenoptera in which the fore-wings
can be folded longitudinally. The body is usually nearly bare, and
the hind tarsi are simple. They are known as wasps. Some are

social wasps (Yespi(hr) (fig. 73)
which make large nests in which
to rear their young and which
have three forms — the male, fe-
male, and worker. Others (Ody-
neridae) are called solitary wasps,
since they do not form colonies
and there is no worker form, (Mich
female preparing a cell for her
young. The paper nests of the
white-faced hornet, one of the Ves-
pids, are common in the woods
of the Eastern Slates. Other
species (yellow jackets) build
nests in cavities in the ground.

The AntlwpliUa includes the
bees (Apidas), stinging Hjmenop-
tera,which are usually hairy and some of the hairs are plumose. The
basal joint of the hind tarsus is elongate, and it and the tibia often
fitted to carry pollen. The mouth of bees is provided with a tongue,
sometimes quite long, with which to lap or suck nectar from flowers.
88552— Bull. 67—09 4

Fig. 7h.— a i'ymps and its gall.

36

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

The }Toung of bees are reared in cells which are constructed by the
mothers. The food given is a mixture of pollen and honey. Some

larvae spin a cocoon, in which they
transform; others do not. Quite a
number of bees (fig. 74) are parasitic
on their more industrious relatives,
the adult laying eggs in the nest
prepared by another bee, and her
egg hatching before that of the
rightful owner.

The honey bee is social, and
there is a worker caste which
builds the cells, collects the nectar and pollen, and cares for the
young, the female or queen only laying the eggs. The bumble-

FlG. 71.— A MUTILLID OR STINGING ANT, SPH.E-
ROPHTHALMA OCCIDENTALIS.

Fig. 72.— A fossorial wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus.

bees are also social, and make their nests in the ground; a female

that has hibernated starting a new nest each spring. But most

bees are solitary; that is, each female
makes a nest for herself in the soil, in
wood, or under stones. One of these,
the leaf -cutter bee (MegachUe), cuts
pieces of rose leaves with which to line
her nest in a hollow of soft or rotten
wood. Bees are the principal factor in
the fertilization of all flowers that have
colored petals. Indeed, in some coun-
tries where they have no bumblebees

they can not raise clover seed until they have imported these

bees.

Fig. 73.— The white-faced hornet
Vespa maculata. (After San

BORN. J

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

37

COLLECTING APPARATUS.

Nets. — The essentials of collecting are a net, a killing bottle, pins,
labels, and a box in which to keep the specimens. Practically every
entomologist uses an insect net. This consists of a handle, a ring,
and to the latter is attached a net. One can find a number of differ-
ent forms in the catalogues of the dealers. If desired, one can
make a very serviceable not for himself. One way is to take two
pieces of stout wire, each about 15 to 20 inches long, bend them half
circularly (fig. 75, c), and at one end make a folding hinge having a
check on one side dig. 75, b) ; the other ends are bent and beaten into
two square sockets (fig. 75, f), which fit to a nut, soldered into one
end of a brass tube (fig. 75, d). When so fitted, they may be securely

^fesS

fm

*jT ""-->•

Fig. 74.— A bee, Epeolus remigatus.

I'n stencil by a large-headed screw (Jig. 75, e) which fits into the nut
sockets. A handle may be cut and fitted into the hollow tube
(fig. 75, d), which should be several inches long.

A net with entire ring may be made by bending a, piece of stout
wire into a circle, leaving an inch or so at the end. These ends
may be bound together tightly by smaller wire and then tinned by
applying a drop of zinc chloride; then hold these ends in a fire
or gas jet until red hot, and a few drops of solder placed upon the
ends will join them firmly together. A brass tube, or rifle cartridge
with end cut off, may be used to hold these ends. The tube
should first be tinned with a little zinc chloride; cork up one vnd of
the lube, then fill it with melted tin or soft solder, and insert the
ends of the ring. When cold the cork may be removed and a suit-
able stick inserted.

38

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 75.— A butterfly net-frame.

Another way to make a simple ring is to bend a stout wire into
a circle, leaving a few inches at the end, fully one-half inch of the
extreme ends again bent as in the figure 76. Near the end of a
stick two small holes are made, large enough to hold the bent ends

of the wire. These are in-
serted into the holes, and
then the ring is bound
tightly to the stick by wire
or stout cord; a groove cut
in each side of the stick for
the reception of the wire
will make a better job. A
winding mallet (fig. 77) may
be used to wind the cord.
The cord is wound around
both mallet and stick and
a turn or two around the
handle ; then, by turning the
mallet around the stick, the
cord is gradually wound
upon the stick as tightly
as the cord will stand. This
mallet is useful to bind up a broken handle, if the break is oblique.
Another plan of net is shown in figure 78; it is too heavy for any-
thing but beating.

The various dealers in entomological supplies have a variety of
nets, most of which are cheap and serviceable; one of the most pop-
ular is known as the "American" net. It will be best in the end to
purchase a net. The size of the net varies with the
purpose for which it is to be used. For general sweep-
ing a ring of from 12 to 14 inches is sufficient. A
beating net may be larger. For catching butterflies
and dragonflies a net of 15 or 18 inches is better, pro-
vided this is not of too heavy material, for in catch-
ing these insects a rapid stroke is necessary, which is
only possible with a light net.

For collecting small insects from flowers, bushes,
etc., a midget net, 5 to 7 inches in diameter, is
better than a larger net. This should be fitted to a
short handle. A very handy one may be made by
bending a piece of wire into a circle 5 inches in diameter, leaving
an inch or so free at the ends. These may be inserted in the hole
of a common spool and a short stick crowded in between them from
the opposite end. Such a net may be carried in an ordinary coat
pocket and put together in a few moments. Mr. Kearfott, for

6

Fig. 76. — The
Sanborn net-
frame.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS.

39

micros, uses a piece of springbrass wire, forming a net 6 inches across,
leaving the ends straight. A hole is cut through a bamboo stick
at the end, and the ends of the wire are inserted. Just before the
holes the stick is wrapped tightly
with stout cord to prevent splitting.
For the net he uses white silk — a
very fine-mesh silk veiling.

The handle of the net is of va-
riable length and strength. For
beating bushes it is necessary to
have a very stout stick, hardly
more than 2 feet long. For sweep-
ing, the handle may be lighter and
longer, 30 to 32 inches. For but-
terflies and dragonflies a bamboo
handle is very good and may be 3
or 4 feet in length. Longer handles may be useful in special cases,
and may be fastened to the ordinary handle. Most dealers make a
jointed handle, which is a great convenience in packing, and one-
half is about the proper length for beating.

The net may be of various materials. For butterflies a light net is
the best; some thin material through which one can see the insect.
Some use silk, or a silk gauze; some a material called "tarletan;"

Fig. 77.— The winding mallet.

Fig. 78.— The Deyrolle sweeping net: a, Net entire; b, frame; c, d, attachment of frame and

HANDLE.

others prefer "bretonne net." What is known as cheese cloth, bobi-
net, or even mosquito netting does well for the beginner. For micro-
lepidoptera, especially for a small net, a fine quality of silk is best;
white china silk lining is good. Particularly in small nets one should

40

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

use material which has not the slightest tendency to stiffen or kink.
Some collectors use green or gray nets for Lepidoptera, but for general
purposes a white net is the best. In length the net should be twice
its diameter and should taper to the bottom. A sweeping net should
be of stouter material, and where fastened upon the ring is sewed on

to stout twill muslin.
Some collectors fasten the
net to small rings upon
the main ring, as in figure
79. This saves the net
from wearing out, as it is
very apt to do when used
much in dense brush. For
beating a still stouter net
is required; heavy twill
muslin is good material.
For aquatic collecting
an open net (fig. 80) is
preferable. A mesh of
one-eighth inch is plenty
large enough, as a larger
mesh will permit the es-
cape of many small in-
sects. The water net should not be as long as the other kinds,
and indeed may be very short (fig. 80). The top of the net may
be covered by a coarse wire netting, either flat or conical, which
will prevent plants and large debris from entering the net. For
aquatic collecting, however, a dip net of wire mesh (fig. 81) is very
useful, especially in collecting mosquito larvae and other insects
swimming in the water. With its sharp edge one may scrape in-
sects from submerged stones. For insects in mud,
among leaves on the bottom, among weedy marges,
etc., a dragnet or a sieve net
(fig. 82) is the right thing.

Some collectors, particularly
in Europe, have advocated the
use of a scissors or forceps net
(fig. 83) for small insects, but
this is rarely used by American collectors. Mr. Conradi attaches to
the forceps net, in the center of one of the nets, a tin tube one-half
inch long, with outer end corked. When he desires to remove the
insect the cork is taken out and the tube fitted into a cyanide bottle.
A rattan net, made by some dealers, is very light and useful in cap-
turing butterflies and other insects in flight.

Fig. 79.— A beating net, opened and attached to handle,

WITH FRAME OF SAME FOLDED. (AFTER KlESENWETTER.)

Fig. 80.— A water net.
(After Packard.)

FlG. 81.— A SMALL WATER
DIP NET.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS.

41

What are known as "Simplex" nets are advocated by some ento-
mologists. The ring is made of a piece of flat steel, which readily
coils up, and may thus be carried in the coat pocket. The ends of the
steel strip are fastened to the stick by various devices; usually by a
ring or brass ferrule passing over them. These nets are, however, not

Fig. 82. — An aquatic sieve net.

as steadv in use as one with stiff wire, but will last a lono- time and
are cheap. They can be obtained in various sizes and with nets of
several kinds.

Mr. Viereck has used with success a net made as follows: An ordi-
nary insect net with an open bottom which has two rings close
together. To this bottom is fastened a small bag with drawstring
to close it tightly between the two bottom rings. The insects swept,
fall into the bottom bag, which may be removed and placed in a
cyanide jar. Another small bag is put on the net, and one can go on
collecting while the first lot of insects is being killed by the cyanide.
This apparatus will be especially useful in collecting Homoptera.
The umbrella. — An umbrella can be used to great
advantage in collecting insects from foliage and
dead twigs. If the handle is jointed, as shown in
the illustration (fig. 84), it is more convenient.
The inverted umbrella is held in the left hand
under the branch, and with a stick in the right
hand one can suddenly jar the branch, so that the
insects clinging to the leaves or twig will be dis-
lodged and fall into the umbrella. The branches
should be jarred vertically and not horizontally,
else some insects will be thrown beyond the um-
brella. A curved handle to the umbrella is best,
as with it one may often reach and pull down a
bough, while a suitable stick is not always quickly
found. A small cyanide vial with a quill through
the cork is the best instrument to take insects from the umbrella.
A substitute for the umbrella, and in many cases better than it, is
the beating cloth. It consists of a piece of common unbleached cot-
ton cloth, 1 yard square, to each corner of which a loop of stout twine
is sewed, or a corner turned over. Upon reaching the woods, two
straight sticks, each about 5 feet in length, and not too heavy, but

Fig. 83.— A fokceps
net. (After Kie-
senwetter.)

42

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

also not so small as to break or bend too easily, are cut from a con-
venient bush. The sticks are placed crosswise over the cloth and
fastened to the loops at the four ends. This is easily and quickly
done by making sliding loops of the simple loops. The cloth is thus
kept spread out between the sticks. To the center of the sticks
another stick may be fastened, so as to hold the cloth out under the
branch.

The sieve. — This consists of a wire sieve, to which is secured a cylin-
drical bag or net (fig. 85). Masses of fallen leaves may be taken up

and dumped into the
bag, and when shaken
the insects will fall
through upon a white
cloth or stiff paper
placed on the ground
for this purpose. A
good size for the sieve
is a foot in diameter.
The meshes should
not be over one-
fourth inch, and for
sifting some mate-
rials one-eighth inch.
In using the sieve
one must not shake
it too long before ex-
amining the cloth,
else there will be so
much debris as to
obscure the insects.
Many insects, when
disturbed in this
way, will play " pos-
sum," and it is therefore necesary to leave the cloth a few
moments to give these coy insects a chance to start in motion.
Two cloths laid a few feet apart and used alternately will effect this
purpose. In cold weather one may so place and incline the cloth or
paper that the sun will strike and warm the dormant insects into
activity.

Besides dead leaves, the sieve may be used to get the insect forms
from moss, ants' nests, old decayed trees, etc. One will be surprised
at the great number of forms that may be gathered by the judicious
use of the sieve. Many larva? may be found, and a vial with a
toothpick wet with glycerin will be handy to pick up the minute
springtails and other forms. In winter one may gather likely material

Fig. 84.-

-The umbrella and its mode of use.

WETTER.)

(After Kiesen-

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS.

43

in sacks and carry it home, there to sift it at leisure. The larger
amount of material may be usually secured from wet localities, but
other forms will be found in dry places. Unpromisisng spots, though
not furnishing so many insects, may often give something not else-
where obtainable.

Various other methods have been devised to obtain the small insects
found in fallen leaves, moss, etc. Hot water funnels are supplied by
several dealers, and a " Photo Elector" is sometimes used in Europe.
The latter is a flat triangular box with glass at one corner and a hole
near by. To this hole is attached a glass jar. A rack with a sieve is
placed inside, upon which is put the moss, leaves, etc. The insects
crawl out, fall through the sieve, and walk along the bottom to the
light in the glass corner, then fall through the
hole into the glass jar. A more elaborate
apparatus is the Berlese collecting cage (fig.
86), described by Doctor Howard as follows:

While visiting the laboratory of Prof. Antonio Berlese
in Florence, in June last, I was greatly interested in an
apparatus which he has prepared for collecting small in-
sects and other arthropods very rapidly and in very
great numbers, and which it seemed to me obviated in
large measure the laborious process known to entomolo-
gists as "sifting." He showed me the apparatus prac-
tically in operation, and showed me, further, large
numbers of vials filled with Thysanura, Myriapoda,
Acarina, and the like, which in number and variety
afforded a perfect revelation to me. Since returning
to this country I have had one of the smaller styles of
the apparatus made, and have tested it during the
month of December with leaves and rubbish collected
on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture and
with very considerable success; so much so, in fact,
that I wish to bring the apparatus to the attention of English-speaking entomol-
ogists. No doubt had I used leaves or top soil of old and long undisturbed wooded
regions the results achieved would have been vastly greater than they have with the
material tested; but even this, as just stated, has been very satisfactory. Professor
Berlese's description and statement concerning results was published in Redia, Vol.
II, No. 1, shortly after my visit, and his article, very freely translated, is as follows:

Within this last year I have devised an apparatus which is very simple and very
effective, with which I collect in great numbers and without fatigue, the small Arthro-
pods as well as insects of all the following orders: Myriapoda, Symphyla, Pauropoda,
Chelifera, and Arachnida, and especially Acarida, however small, uitlmut any danger
of being able to escape. Of the Collembola, which are so difficult to collect because
they spring, I have taken a very great number.

All those living creatures which are found to be present in the mosses, among the
dead leaves under the trees, in decaying wood, in humus, in decomposing substances,
etc., are collected in a tube containing alcohol, which is attached to the apparatus
under discussion, and on the part of the naturalist there is no further trouble than to
separate them and study them. The apparatus consists of a large funnel which slides
into a glass tube containing alcohol and this funnel is surrounded by water heated in

Fig. S5.— A sieve: a, Wire

NETTING.

44

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

60° to 100°. On top of the funnel there is placed a sort of square tray of metallic net-
work (a sieve) upon which is placed the material to be examined, and this material
should naturally be sufficiently humid to restrain the living insects from escaping.
Whether the material in the tray, passing gradually (although rapidly enough) through
and losing some of its moisture causes the insects to fall to the bottom, or whether these
are attracted by the heat beneath, it is certain that they all try to reach the metallic
net and there they pass through, falling into the metallic funnel.

But the walls of the funnel, thanks to the water surrounding them, are so warm that
the insects can not remain, and they fall, rolling downward until they enter the tube
containing alcohol, in which only a very small quantity of detritus is collected.

It is necessary, however, not to
shake or stir the apparatus or the
material during this operation, to
avoid the falling of too much detritus
together with the insects.

The diameter of the funnel should
be about a half meter, and the tray
itself should be movable in order that
it may be refilled with the material
when separated from the funnel.

I have used to great advantage a
small apparatus of this style (the fun-
nel being only 30 centimeters in di-
ameter) during the last year, and
have thus discovered several new
species of Italian Acarida, illustrated
in this journal, while I have collected
an enormous quantity of other small
arthropods, especially of Collembola,
Symphyla, Pauropoda, etc.

These, especially the Collembola,
and also the Thysanura, all remain
on the surface of the alcohol, not be-
coming submerged, while the other
insects all fall to the bottom of the
tube.

Thus, it is easy to collect the said
Collembola with a brush from the
surface of the alcohol without further
disturbance.

After the excellent results secured

from the small apparatus referred

constructed which has been operated since

Fig. SO. —The Berlese collecting trap: A, Exterior

RECEPTACLE CONTAINING WATER; B, INTERIOR FUNNEL;

C, VESSEL HAVING THE BOTTOM OF METALLIC NETWORK;

D, SUBSTANCE FOR EXAMINATION; E, FUNNEL FOR IN-
TRODUCING THE WATER; F, SMALL GLASS TUBE CON-
TAINING ALCOHOL, WHERE THE INSECTS ARE COLLECTED,
THIS BEING CONNECTED TO THE APEX OF THE FUNNEL
BY A SHORT TUBE (a) OF INDIA RUBBER; G, FEET SUP-
PORTING THE APPARATUS; L, LAMP FOR HEATING; M,

India rubber tube for carrying off the gas; N,

FAUCET FOR DISCHARGE.

to, I had another, much larger,
November.

It is composed of a case of wood, the interior of which is covered with lead, and
has a capacity of 6 hectoliters, and contains four large funnels in square sections, the
sides of which are 50 centimeters. Thus I have an extent of 1 square meter upon
which to arrange the material for examination, and I can place four different kinds of
material from four different localities on these sieves.

The water is about 3 hectoliters and is kept at 60° or 70°, and for some hours the
temperature is maintained by means of a large gas heater.

This heater, which serves me well also for heating the room in which it is placed,
consumes about 3 cubic meters of gas per day, which proves that, with an expense of
about 1 lira, I daily obtain, without any trouble, a greater number of small insects

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 45

than ten persons, with all the fatigue and patience possible, would be able to collect
in the same length of time, and, besides, I have the assurance that scarcely an indi-
vidual insect has escaped. (Entomological News, 1906, p. 49.)

Chisel, trowel, and hatchet. — These tools, of which a variety may
be obtained at any hardware store, are useful in digging insects or
larvae from the ground, examining ants' nests, for loosening the bark
of trees, and for cutting into trees to obtain wood-boring species.
However, a good pocket knife can be used, though not so successfully,
for this purpose.

Tin boxes and fill boxes. — One should, for general collecting or for
gathering larva?, take into the field a number of tin boxes and pill
boxes. The tin boxes can be used for caterpillars and other larvae,
and a few leaves of the food plant may be inclosed with them. Cole-
opterous larvae from rotting wood should be placed in boxes filled
with the decayed wood, so that they will not shake around and injure
themselves. Galls and leaves with mining insects should also be
gathered in these tin boxes. Some dealers have for sale tin boxes
especially made for collecting larva?. Aquatic larvae should be packed
in tin boxes with wet moss, for they will die if carried long in a vial
filled with water.

Lights and other traps. — Many insects can be obtained by various
traps. These are principally lights and " sugaring," and are em-
ployed to attract night-flying insects. Many ground-loving species,
however, can be trapped under pieces of bark, placed in likel}* situa-
tions, such as at the edge of meadows, cultivated fields, dense woods,
along streams, etc. Particularly in the autumn, when many insects
are seeking winter quarters, it will be found profitable to put out
these traps. Dead animals will serve to attract necrophagous in-
sects. Pieces of cloth may be wrapped around trees and examined
from time to time, and will be found to harbor many insects'. Tin
cans or bottles sunk in the earth with the tops even with the ground
will trap many larvae and other insects. More elaborate traps may
be readily made; for example, a large tin funnel with cyanide jar at
end, and a central plate in top for a dead mouse, bird, or other car-
rion. Such a trap, buried in the ground with top even with the sur-
face, will attract and capture quantities of beetles.

The use of lights in attracting moths and other insects has been
followed by all entomologists, and a great variety of these lamps is
obtainable from dealers. A strong portable lantern, hung so as to
throw its light upon a white sheet, the latter supported by a couple
of sticks, or suspended from a branch, will serve to attract a variety
of nocturnal insects, and has the great advantage of being carried
and set up anywhere in the woods. Many insects, upon reaching
the light, have the habit of flying upward. If the white cloth is
stretched upon a frame and set obliquely above the lantern many

46

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

insects will alight upon it. Other insects, especially beetles, have
the tendency to fly at the light and then fall. A tapering bag placed
below the light, with the bottom opening into a cyanide jar, will
secure these.

Many collectors have devised various forms of traps to capture
the insects that come to the light. One (fig. 87) is by Professor
Gillette. It is. in three parts, all of bright tin. The funnel is 22
inches in diameter, the tube 2J inches. This tube fits into the top
of the reservoir below; the latter has a removable bottom. The
reservoir is nearly filled with loose excelsior. The bottom is re-
moved, and in its place is put a wide-mouthed glass bottle half full

of cyanide. The cyanide should be
slightly moistened and a piece of paper
or wire . mesh placed over it. The ap-
paiatus can be suspended in a tree or
placed on a stand, and a large lantern
hung over the top of the funnel so that
the blaze will be just above the top of
the funnel. It is well, on good nights,
to empty the reservoir before leaving
it for the night. This is done by tak-
ing out the excelsior and insects, plac-
ing them in cyanide bottles, and put-
ting new excelsior in the reservoir.

The apparatus used by Mr. Morse is
described by Mr. Smith as follows: It
consists of a box of wood, having glass
on each of its four sides and a cover
with arrangement for outlet of heat and
smoke similar to old-style street lan-
terns. At the bottom are holes for
the ingress of air. The box is large
enough to contain . an ordinary kero-
sene lamp with chimney and is supported over a wooden box
about 18 inches square, which in turn contains a zinc pan about 2
inches deep and as large as will go into the box. At the base of each
pane of glass is a slot the whole width of the glass and about 1 inch
wide, which opens directly into the pan below. The pan is filled
about half full with water and then about a pint of kerosene is
poured on top. The moth strikes the glass and falls through the
slot and is killed by the oil. In the morning he takes a good-sized
pasteboard box, in the bottom of which is about a dozen thicknesses
of old newspaper and with a slender pair of forceps picks the moths
out by the legs and lays them on the paper. They are left there
for about two hours to get rid of most of the oil and water; then

Fig. 87.

SirvS.

-The Gillette trap light.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS.

47

put in a large shallow pan of gasoline and covered with a pane of
glass and left for some horns, frequently over night. Then pick
them out and lay on blotting paper and the gasoline soon evapo-
rates, leaving the moths clean and bright as though never wet.

Another light trap is shown in the accompanying illustration
(fig. 88). It consists of a box larger in front than behind and at-
tached behind to a lantern. Within the box are three panes of
glass, placed obliquely (two will do). The moth flying against the
outer pane rises and enters, then falls and enters beneath the second
glass; as it hits the side of the lantern it falls into the cyanide jar
beneath. In case it does not fall at once, it does not readily escape
owing to the position of the glass panes. The back of the lamp box
should be hinged with cloth so that the light may be readily inserted
and removed. The cyanide jar can be attached by cloth or screwed

Fig. 88.— The Brooklyn light trap.

in. The great advantage of these light traps is that they work over
night. It is best to paint the inside of these traps white and the
outside black or green. A pint Mason jar may be used for the cyanide
jar, the top with center cut out fastened to trap, and jar screwed up
into it. A bottomless tomato can may be used for the smoke vent,
and the panes of glass can be held in place by strips of upturned tin
or by nails. Anyone who desires to form a collection of moths will
find some form of light trap indispensable.

Sugaring. — Many insects, especially moths, have a fondness for
sweets. Entomologists have taken advantage of this by smearing
some sweet mixture upon the trunks of trees. This is known as
sugaring. The mixture should be placed on the trees at twilight,
and upon a number of trees. If there is a breeze the sugar should
be placed on the leeward side of the trees. Then as darkness comes
on one may go from tree to tree, and by the aid of a lantern (a dark

48 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

lantern is usually preferred) secure the moths or other insects. A
mixture of sugar and vinegar, or sugar and molasses, to which is
often added beer or some other alcoholic liquor, is most favored by
collectors. A mixture of sugar and rotten apples, *or other decay-
ing fruit, is extremely good. Warm, moist, cloudy nights are the
best for sugaring, but one can not always be sure of a good catch,
as insects sometimes come when least expected, and seemingly most
favorable conditions are often unprofitable. One should take sev-
eral cyanide bottles upon a sugaring trip, so that it will not be neces-
sary to put many insects in one bottle. A net can be used to take
those that fly around, and if the light is thrown upon the net many
moths will rest upon it.

Some prefer to have one or two chloroform bottles with which to
capture the specimens, and then when they have become quiet put
them in the cyanide jar. Mr. Caudell devised a cloth funnel for
catching quantities of moths. The bottom of the funnel was fastened
by a rubber band to a large cyanide jar; the top had a wire or steel
ring, but open on one side; this opening enables the collector to fit
the top of the funnel to a tree or around a corner. Approaching a
bevy of moths at the sugar the edge of the funnel was applied closely
to the bark beneath them, and a puff would send the moths falling
through the funnel into the cyanide jar, which is then corked, and
another one fastened to the funnel for the next tree. A similar appa-
ratus is used abroad.

One can so arrange his route that the sugared trees are in a circle,
and thus visit each regularly. It will be found that some moths come
early and others only late at night. Frequently one can find some
moths, like Catocalas, at the sugar next day. A few collectors have
used baked apples to attract moths, and others string rotten apples
dipped in sugar between trees.

Forceps or tweezers.— Small metal forceps (fig. 89) with fine points
are used by nearly all entomologists in picking up insects. These are
made both with curved and straight points, and can be purchased
from dealers for a small amount. By practice with the forceps, one
can handle the most delicate and fragile insects without injuring
them. For handling the pinned specimens a stouter form of forceps,
known as pinning forceps, is used. These are shown in figure 90.
Most people become accustomed to a certain style and can use it
better than any other; a lighter pair is preferred by many.

Brushes, belts, bags. — Several small brushes are useful to the ento-
mologist. They may be used to clean an insect, and by moistening
the tip to pick up small and delicate specimens. Many collectors
who go into the field to gather insects of one group are often able to
carry all their utensils (net, killing bottle, tubes, forceps, boxes, or
folded papers) in the pockets of an ordinary coat. Others have

COLLECTING AND l'UKSKKVlXG INSECTS — BANKS.

49

coats especially made for the purpose of some very stout and durable
material with deep pockets, so that in stooping nothing will fall
out of them. Some carry a belt similar to a cartridge belt around

Fig. 89.— The collecting forceps.

the waist. Small pockets are sewed on to this to hold tubes or vials
(fig. 91). Most entomologists, however, carry a haversack of water-
proof cloth or leather, with several compartments to hold vials,

Fig. 90.— A pinning forceps.

empty boxes, killing bottles of several sizes, and a small box in which
to pin delicate insects shortly after capture. This haversack or bag
is slung across the shoulders by means of a strap.

Fig. 91.— A belt for vials.

The lens and microscope. — A hand lens or pocket magnifier is sold
by all entomological dealers and by firms dealing in microscopic
supplies. One should use some care in this matter, as a poor lens,

50

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

especially if of high power, is apt to injure the eyesight. A half-
inch lens will be found as useful as any for most insect work.
For Lepidoptera a three-fourths or an inch lens will be useful. For
the minute insects a one-fourth inch lens is used by many, but a
compound microscope is better for the eyes.

An ordinary lens may sometimes be used to advantage in the field
by fitting a piece of cork in the handle, and sticking an insect pin

obliquely through it so that the point of
the pin is at the focal distance of the lens.
A strong reading glass is very useful in
looking over boxes of specimens.

Dissecting microscopes sold by most
dealers are of great value and should be
more generally used. The compound
microscope is necessary to all who en-
deavor to do some original work with
small insects, or to study the anatomy of
insects. There are various firms, a list of
which is given in the back of this article,
that supply these, as well as all accesso-
ries, slides, cover glasses, stains, etc. In
these matters one must consult his means,
but a useful instrument can be obtained
for about $50. For studying the exterior
structure of insects, it is not necessary to
have much apparatus known as the sub-
stage, nor more than one or two eyepieces
and objectives. Many microscopes are so
fitted that one can revolve the mirror
above the stage and reflect light from
above upon the insect. For examining
an insect it is well to fasten a cork to a
glass slide and stick the pin in this cork.
The cork may be fastened to the slide
as follows: Drop a little Canada balsam
on the slide, heat
from beneath, and then put the cork in it.
will be held firmly to the slide.

KILLING INSECTS.

Fig. 92.— A cyanide bottle with

PAPER STRIPS TO GIVE SUPPORT TO
THE INSECTS.

it to almost boiling
When cold, the cork

A bottle or jar (fig. 92) containing a poison is used by all ento-
mologists to kill their captures. The poison ordinarily used is potas-
sium cyanide, a hard, white substance, which can be purchased at
drug stores. There are various ways of preparing a bottle or vial.
The usual way is to place the cyanide, broken up into a few lumps,

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

51

\!n

in the bottom of the bottle, covering it with a little dry plaster of
Paris; then mix some plaster of Paris with water, just sufficient so
that it is about as thick as can be stirred; then pour it over the
cyanide so as to cover it to a depth of about 5 mm. (one-fourth
inch). The bottle is then left open for a couple of hours until the
plaster is dry. After this the bottle should always be kept corked,
so that the fumes of the cyanide are strong enough to kill the insects
in a few moments. It is always well to place a few strips of blotting
paper in the bottle to absorb any moisture and to prevent the insects
from shaking against one another. A bottle well
made should last several years.

Great care should be exercised in handling potas-
sium cyanide, as it is a deadly poison, and if any
is left over after one has prepared all the bottles
desired it should be buried deeply in the ground..
For small tubes a lump of cyanide may be
wrapped in paper till it fits tightly in the bottom
of the tube (fig. 93). Some prefer to fasten the
paper containing the cyanide to the inside of the
cork. In collecting a variety of insects one should
have at hand a number of cyanide bottles, some
large ones and others of a smaller size, so that
the insects of each size may be kept together.
Very delicate insects should be put in a cyanide
bottle with a great deal of paper and no larger
insects with them. Similarly, long-legged species
should be kept by themselves.

Some claim that a few drops of tartaric acid
added to the cyanide will make a stronger poison.
In dry regions the cyanide does not act so
quickly, and a few drops of water, or tartaric acid,
or even soda water, will increase its effectiveness.
Others put sawdust over the lumps of cyanide
and then a layer of plaster of Paris. Mr. Rick-
secker advises putting the cyanide into a short
tube, closed up with blotting paper, and insert
the tube tightly in a hole through the stopper or cork of the jar, the
tube opening inside of the jar. By this method one can keep the jar
clean, washing it out when desired, and one can recharge the tube
easily, while the same stopper and charged tube can be used on
other bottles of the same size. Mr. Wenzel has used small tubes
open at each end, and charged in the middle with cyanide, for
collecting minute insects.

Some entomologists for minute species, especially for securing
insects from an umbrella,- use a cork stopper through which is inserted
88552— Bull. 67—09 — -5

IV

m

Fig. 93.— A focket cya-
nide TUBE.

52

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 94.— A bot-
tle WITH TUBE
THROUGH THE
STOPPER.

a goose quill with the outer end cut obliquely (fig. 94) . The minute

insects may be scooped up with the end of the quill and fall through

it into the bottle. If the cyanide jar is well made, most insects

will die in a few moments. Those with bright yellow

colors should not be left in any longer than necessary,

as the cyanide vapor turns the yellow red.

All delicate insects and those with fragile legs should
be pinned as soon after their death as possible. Too
much importance can not be placed on this matter, as
delicate insects are rarely properly prepared, and the
main difficulty is that they have been left too long in
the poison bottle. Therefore, after one has collected a
while, he should sit down in some shady nook and pin
the more fragile species. Most insects, however, may
remain in the bottle for four or five hours.

Various other poisons have been used to kill in-
sects. English entomologists advocated the use of
crushed laurel leaves. These, however, have not a
very strong odor. Others prick the insect with a
needle or pin dipped in a saturated solution of oxalic acid, after
being quieted with chloroform. Many entomologists have used
chloroform or ether to kill insects. Chloroform, however, is apt
to stiffen the muscles of insects, so that it is not easy to spread
their wings. When insects are collected in pill
boxes, a drop of chloroform on the cover will
soak through and kill the insect inside. Some
take into the field a bottle of chloroform (fig. 95),
with a brush attached to the stopper. Touching
the side of the thorax of the insect with a moist
brush will be sufficient to quiet it. Chloroform is
so volatile that if enough is not used at first to
kill the insect it will soon revive and damage itself
in its struggles.

Chloroform may be used to advantage in collect-
ing small insects that are very active in flight, par-
ticularly when they rest on the under surface of
leaves. A wad of cotton is placed in the bottom
of a tube, a few drops of chloroform poured upon
it, and then a piece of blotting paper and some
fine strips of loose paper placed over the cotton.
The tube is brought stealthily up under the insect
which, instantly overcome by the strong chloro-
form vapor, drops into the tube. Thus, one after another may be
taken in rapid succession. Such tubes will last only a day or two.
A piece of rubber soaked in chloroform will retain the odor for a
long time. If the insects are to be pinned, it should be done shortly
after they are dead, else they will be too stiff and dry.

F|IG. 95.— A CHLOROFORM
BOTTLE WITH BRUSH.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 53

Alcohol may be used to capture many wingless insects, such as
springtails, myriapods, spiders, larvae, etc., but adult insects should
not be collected in it unless nothing better can be secured to kill
them. Even for larvae it is better to bring them home in tin boxes
and kill and prepare them in other ways. Alcohol should not be
used at full strength, but about 70 per cent is sufficient for most
purposes. A little glycerin in the alcohol is an advantage, since if
the bottle cracks, or the alcohol evaporates, the glycerin will keep
the specimens moist for a long time. It is claimed by some that
specimens killed in alcohol are less liable to verdigris, but the use of
black pins obviates this danger.

Very large insects may be killed by injecting into their thorax a
little kerosene; some have used benzine or gasoline to kill Lepidop-
tera in the field, squirting it upon the specimen by means of a drug-
gist's dropping tube. Other collectors have used creosote for killing
specimens. This, however, will not last more than a few days. Some
entomologists have used ammonia for killing microlepidoptera, but
it is liable to change some of the delicate colors. All things consid-
ered, the use of the cyanide jar is far superior to other methods.

PINNING INSECTS.

Entomologists mount their insects on pins especially made for the
purpose. These are more slender and longer than the ordinary pin,
and can be bought from all dealers in entomological supplies. As
they are now comparatively cheap, all beginners should use them.
The price averages about $1 a thousand; many are cheaper. They
are made both bright and japanned or black. Some are of steel, and
these are not as flexible but keep the point well.

These pins are made in different sizes or numbers, from 000, the
most slender, up to No. 8, the thickest. The sizes below No. 1 are
usually too small for satisfactory use, as they will not readily enter
cork. They are useful, however, in making elbow pins, as explained
later. Likewise the pins over No. 4 in size are too large for most
insects, and should only be used for insects of extraordinary size.
The best size for general use is a No. 2; for smaller insects a No. 1,
and for larger, a No. 3. Many lepidopterists use a No. 3 for most
specimens and No. 4 for larger forms. Some orthopterists use a No. 4
for most species. However, the No. 3 will carry well an insect of
almost any size; and the use of larger pins is apt to result in destroy-
ing too much of the thorax. A No. 2 is best for beetles, Hymenop-
tera, Hemiptera, and flies; a No. 3 for the larger species, and a No. 1
for small forms. Many coleopterists, however, prefer to mount on
points all beetles too small for a No. 2 pin.

Each entomologist has a different opinion as to the limits of use of
each size, but the general tendency is that Nos. 1, 2, and 3 will cover

54 BULLETIN 6*7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

almost all requirements except for minute insects. In length these
pins vary from 34 mm. to 40 mm. The latter length is rarely recom-
mended. Most collectors prefer a 34 mm. or 35 mm. (If inches) for
all insects except Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, and Neuroptera, for
which 37 mm. or 38 mm. (1^ inches) is recommended. Some Diptera
(Asilidse) and Hymenoptera (Ichneumonidse) should have a 37 mm.
pin.

It would be very advantageous if collectors generally would agree
on certain lengths, as* it would make our collections more uniform,
especially where there is much exchanging of specimens.

These pins are mostly made in Germany, and are known as Klaeger,
Karlsbader, Schleuter, etc., but several of the American dealers now
make a pin of their own very similar to the foreign pins, and some
claim of better quality. The black or japanned pins should be used
for pinning most insects, while the bright or white pins may be used
for points and all double mounts. The bright pins are apt to verdi-
gris— that is, produce a green substance near the insect which will
eventually rot the pin as well as mar the appearance of the insect.

Fig. 96.— A pinning block.

There are, however, a few groups of insects that do not verdigris, and
for these bright pins are as good as black. Many aquatic insects and
those whose larvae feed in wood are more apt to verdigris than other
forms.

The English use shorter pins, but these are not in use now in the
United States. Nickel pins are also obtainable from dealers. For
small insects many entomologists use very short and slender pins,
about 14 mm. long, without heads, known as "minutien nadeln," or
"micro-pins." Sometimes fine silver wire is used for this purpose.
It is handy to keep the pins in a pin tray or box.

Insects should be pinned as soon as possible after they are dead;
the evening after collecting or the next day. Even specimens col-
lected in alcohol should be attended to without unnecessary delay.
Many fragile insects should be pinned in the field in a box taken along
for that purpose. It looks better to have the insects all at the same
height on the pins. For this purpose a pinning block is very useful.
One can be made by examining the figure (fig. 96), three blocks with

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 55

three holes, each going to the bottom. The upper hole can be used
to fix the height of points, the next to fix height of label, and the third
to fix height of specimen by inverting it and pushing the insect down
to block. Fully one-fourth the length of the pin should extend above
the insect (fig. 97). Some entomologists use brass blocks with a mi-
nute hole through them for the purpose of gauging the height of the
specimen.

The insects should be dumped from the collecting jar upon some
soft substance, as blotting paper, cloth, or a folded handkerchief. If
soiled, they may be cleaned by a soft, dry brush; or, if beetles with
earth attached, they may be washed in ether or benzine. With pin-
ning, as other matters, practice makes perfect, and the beginner
should use much care in learning to push the pin through the insect
without injuring the parts, splitting elytra, or pushing out a leg.
Beetles should be pinned through the right elytron (fig. 97), about
one-fourth the distance from the base; most other insects, as Lepi-
doptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Orthoptera, and Neuroptera, through
the middle of the mesothorax. In some
groups, however, it is preferable to put the pin

a little to the right of the center. TheHemip- /*^^^^&5&^J
tera are commonly pinned through the scu- r"^^jj
tellum. Many, however, are better pinned .^^^^
through the right wing near the base. The ^^^~
best way is to hold the specimen between the
thumb and forefinger of the left hand and
insert the pin with the right hand, so that the
abdomen will be slightly depressed. Then

. i" l ^IG- 9~-— A BEETLE PINNED.

the pinning block may be used to push the

specimen up the pin, but the lapel of one's coat is about as handy
as anything. Formerly many spread the legs of the insect. This is
not considered advisable, but if they are folded up close they should
be pulled out so that each part may be examined with a lens. The
antennae, if long, should be applied backward and near the insect, not
sticking out at varying angles. When one captures a pair of insects
in the act of mating it is useful to put them both on the same pin, the
male above the female.

In mounting small insects the micro-pins are largely used, especially
for Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, and Diptera, and even small Hemiptera.
With Hymenoptera and Coleoptera they are not advisable. There
are several ways of using these micro-pins in double mounts, as may
be seenfrom the accompanying figure (fig. 98). The most popular way
is figure 98, b, the micro-pin inserted in one end of a piece of cork and
the ordinary pin stuck through the other end of the cork. These cork
strips should be narrow, not longer than necessary, and are best cut
with a razor. If the sheet of cork is covered with white paper, the
strips make a neater appearance. Some have advocated the use of

56

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

the pith of corn or yucca. The latter, if not well dried, will rot the
pin, and with either material the micro-pin is not held as firmly as
with cork. Some use blotting paper instead of cork strips, but this
is apt to split. Others have recommended felt; a piece taken from
an old folt hat, covered each side with white paper, and then cut into
strips. Others have used strips from certain hard fungi.

*==,

..:;

abed

Fig. 99.— Points for

mounting insects.

a 6 c cf e f

Fig. 98.— Micro-pin mounts, or double mounts: a, With a point; 6, micro-pin in cork; c, elbow
pin; d, micro-pin in paper; e, micro-pin in side; /, double point.

A neat way of preparing micro-Diptera as well as some other forms
where one does not wish to mar the dorsum of the thorax is shown
in figure 98,e. The micro-pin is pushed through a small square of
cork, and then into the side of the insect, barely going through. A
large pin is then inserted through the cork square.
In figure 98,d is shown another method of using
the micro-pin, with a strip of ordinary white paper,
the pin inserted through opposite sides. Some
use for certain insects bits of horse hair instead
of micro-pins. One end of the hair is pushed
into the side of the insect, and the other is inserted in a drop of shellac
placed at the proper height on the pin. Another way of making
double mounts is the use of an elbow pin as in figure 98,c. A fine pin
has its larger end wound tightly a few times around an ordinary pin,

and the tip bent upward enters
the under side of the insect.
The. principal fault with this
method is in getting the fine
pin wound tightly enough to
the other pin so that it will not
turn nor slip down. Dealers
sell machines for making these
elbow pins.

For many small insects,
especially beetles, Hymenop-
tera, and Hemiptera, most entomologists use points — slender, trian-
gular pieces of cardboard, as shown in the illustrations (figs. 98, a, 99).
The dealers have punches (fig. 100) for making these triangles or points,

Fig. 100.— An insect punch for cutting triangles
or points.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 57

but the points are usually much better when cut by the scissors
Seven to 8 mm. is a standard length used by the majority of col-
lectors. Different insects require a different width at tip, and this
is readily gauged by one in cutting them with the shears. These
points should be of very stiff paper, or ;i thin cardboard of such
texture that they will not readily bend, yet not too stiff for a No. 2
pin. A bright pin, No. 2, 35 mm., is pushed through the broad end
of the point, and the insect is fastened to the tip of the point by a
little gum shellac, or gum tragaeanth, or even a good quality of glue.
The shellac should be dissolved in pure alcohol, and this requires
some time. If there is much water in the alcohol the gum will not
dissolve properly. Gum tragaeanth is dissolved in water. A drop
of corrosive sublimate or spirits of camphor added to the water will
prevent the gum from souring. Mr. Dury recommends the following
glue: One-quarter ounce gum arabic, one-eighth ounce gum traga-
eanth, dissolve in hot water, and to this add one-half teaspoonful
of glycerine and 4 drops of carbolic acid. Shellac has an advantage
over most glues in that it requires but a very
small amount to hold an insect.

The insect should be mounted so that when
the point is directed to the left the head of the
insect is away from the person. The point should
hardly be as high up on the pin as is a speci-
men. In the case of Coleoptera and many
Hemiptera and Hymenoptera, the insect is
mounted with its back uppermost, but with fig'. 101.— method of glu-
many Hvnienoptera and with some flies the ING BEETLE ON PAPER

■ POINT.

back should be outward. The shape of the

insect will be the guide in this matter. For many Coleoptera it
is well to depress the tip of the point slightly so that it will fit to
the insect. The idea should be to obscure as little of the insect as
possible. In figure 101 one sees how the point should attach to
the insect and yet leave the insect readily observable from beneath.
The beginner is apt to use too much glue or shellac, but by practice
one can get expert in this matter and increase the neatness as well
as the value of the collection.

When mounting up a large number of specimens, put shellac on a
few points only at a time. It is handiest, at least with beetles, to lay
the insects upon their backs, and then with the point dipped in shellac
pick up the specimen; then, when upright, press on the specimen
slightly to fasten it securely to the point. With insects having
long legs one may pick them up by a fine forceps and place them on
the point; then, by use of a lens, arrange them properly on the tip.

58

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 102.— A method of

MOUNTING DUPLICATES.

Some use a fine brush, moistened, for picking up the insect and
transferring it to the point. However, with some insects one is apt
to use too much moisture. In pinning small specimens with micro-
pins it is useful to lay the specimen on a piece of velvet or a folded
handkerchief. One can thus do the work under a lens. Some
have advocated the mounting of duplicates on strips of cardboard,
as in figure 102, and then pinning up these strips
several on one pin. It is, however, hardly to be
advised, as one is too apt to leave such specimens
without further attention — an eyesore in a good
collection.

For especially long or slender insects a double-
tipped point (fig. 98,/) is handy, the thorax of the
insect resting on one tip and the abdomen resting
on the other tip. It is well to cut the points
in winter time and have them on hand for use
when the collecting season opens in the spring.
Leaves showing the work of insects should first be
dried, and then a small square of cardboard pinned
above and below them to hold the leaf in place.
The appendages of insects may be mounted on the following plan,
proposed by Doctor Horn: A hole, round or square, is cut in a piece
of bristol board. A cover glass is fastened to one side by a thin
circle of shellac. Into this cell put the appendage and cover it with
a drop of Canada balsam; then put on another cover glass. This
preparation may be pinned, and placed in the collection by the
side of the insect.

SPREADING INSECTS.

Such insects as butterflies and moths, dragonflies, etc., should have
their wings spread out at right angles to the body (fig. 103). This is
effected by the use of spreading
boards (fig. 104), such as shown in
the figure. Two strips of some soft
wood, as linden, pine, or white
wood, are fastened at the ends to
braces, leaving a narrow groove
between them. A strip of cork or
pith is tacked or glued to the under
side of the boards covering the
groove. Many entomologists prefer to have the boards inclined
slightly upward; others have them level. Some cover the boards
with a thin strip of cork. Sometimes a board is fastened to the bot-
tom of the braces and the cork attached to this; this gives more
room for the less of the insect.

A MOTH, "WITH WINGS SPREAD.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS.

59

One should have several boards with different width of space, so
as to admit insects of different sizes. The space should be just a
little wider than the body of the insect. The wings should be care-
fully pulled forward and held down by a pin or spreading needle (fig.
106), and then covered with paper strips with a stout pin at each end
(fig. 105). The specimens should be as uniform as possible, and
the rule is that the hind borders of the front wings should form a
straight line. This, however, is sometimes a trifle too much. Care

Fig. 104.— A spreading board.

should be taken that in pulling the wing forward one does not injure
it. The pin or needle should be inserted just behind a strong vein
near the base of the wing. Some utilize a spreading pin, which is
made by twisting with the pliers a beheaded insect pin tightly around
and near the point of a large mourning pin and forming a right angle
to it. One can insert the mourning pin in the board behind the
wings and the insect pin will hold the wings flat. The antennas
should be extended at or near the front margin of the wing, and the

abdomen raised and supported, if nec-
essary, by two pins placed crosswise
beneath it.

After one board is rilled it should be
put away in a box or case where it will
be safe from dust until the specimens
are thoroughly dry, when they may be
removed and placed in the cabinet. A
little naphthalene should be sprinkled
fig. io5.-a spreading board for lepi- [n tlio drying box to prevent the in-
cursion of Anthrenus. Some make an
elaborate drying cage (fig. 108), with sides of fine wire screening and
shelves or racks to hold the boards. If the insects are removed
before they are thoroughly dry the wings will later spring back and
droop down. Some entomologists bake the spread specimens,
putting them in a slow oven for an hour or so, watching them care-
fully so they will not scorch. This enables one to dry them much
more rapidly and thus handle a larger amount of material in a
short time. Opinions differ as to the value of baked as contrasted
with naturally dried specimens, and it is likely that climatic con-
ditions have some effect.

60

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 106— A

NEEDLE FOR
SPREADING
INSECTS.

Some use pieces of heavy glass instead of paper strips to hold the
wings in place, but these are apt to slip and rub the wings. Fre-
quently it is possible to fill the board with spread specimens, and
then put two long strips of paper over the entire lot, pinning them
down between the insects. Some entomologists have
advocated the spreading of certain insects in an inverted
position. Those which have the origin of the wings as
high as the top of the thorax, as dragonflies, sawflies,
etc., may be advantageously spread in this fashion. A
long strip of cork or soft wood is fastened upon two or
more low braces. Small holes are made here and there
along the middle. The head of the pin is pushed through
the hole till the back of the insect rests upon the cork or
wood. The wings are then spread and fastened from
beneath. By this method the legs are less liable to be-
come broken than by the usual fashion.

All Lepidoptera should be spread, although with a
series of one species it is well to have one or two speci-
mens with the wings in the natural resting position.
Nearly all the Neuroptera, the stoneflies, the dragon-
flies, the caddiceflies, the Cicadas, many Fulgorids, most
of the Orthoptera, and sawflies, should be spread before
they are suitable for study or the cabinet. Most other
insects are not spread, and for purposes of study are better so,
since the spread wings are often in the way when one examines
them by a hand lens. For a museum collection many of the flies
and Hymenoptera look better if spread. With beetles and Het-
eroptera it would be well if
one or two specimens of each
species could be spread, since
it is impossible to see the
venation of the hind wings of
these forms when mounted in
the usual way, and specialists
in these groups know little
about these important struc-
tures. With many beetles it
is not easy to spread the
elytra out horizontally, but
if they are raised and slightly divergent the under wings may be
brought out and spread so that all parts may be examined with
a lens. Frequently with Orthoptera and some other insects the
wings of one side only are spread. This saves space in the cabinet
and also shows how the insect holds its wings when at rest. It does
not, however, look so well with Lepidoptera.

107. — Spreading pins: a, For large insects; b,

FOR MICROLEPIDOPTERA.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS RANKS.

61

For Microlepidoptera, small moths, flies, and other tiny insects a
modification of the spreading board has been devised, as shown in
the illustration. It consists of a small block broader at base, with a
groove along the top fdled with pith, ami deep enough for a micro-
pin. Strips are fastened
over each side, leaving a
narrow groove between
them. These blocks may be
made solid and the groove
may be cut triangularly, so
that the bottom is a little
wider than the top. Mr.
Busck has devised a method
of carrying these Micro
spreading blocks in an in-
sect box, as shown in figure
109, the box holding sev-
eral rows of the blocks,
and triangular strips of wood fitting down between the blocks to
hold them in place. One may carry this box out on a long collecting
trip and spread the captures as desired.

Micros should be spread when fresh, if possible. If it is necessary

Fig. 108.— A drying cage.

Fig. 109.— The Busck box, for carrying spreading blocks for Microlepidoptera.

to wait, then after the specimen has been pinned a slight puff blown
against it from behind will diverge the wings and make more easy
and successful the job of relaxing and future spreading. In the field
it is often wrell to pin Micros in a tin box with ;i piece of moist cork.

62 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

This keeps the specimen from drying out, as it is apt to do shortly
after death.

In spreading the Microlepidoptera one must exercise great care
and at first much patience. The upper side of the wing should not
be touched with a pin. The wings may be brought forward into
place by the instrument shown in figure 107. This is made by insert-
ing a stiff bristle into a piece of cork and a pin nearly at right angles
to it. Holding it by the head of the pin the point of the bristle may
be passed under the wing, lifting it up and sliding it forward into
place. A piece of paper is then pinned down over the wings, the
forward pin being put in first. In putting down the strips of paper
one must be careful to lay them right side up, for in cutting strips of
paper one edge is always slightly turned, and if this edge is turned
down on the wing it may scratch and rub the scales. The paper
should entirely cover the wings, else the tips may turn up in drying.

Insects that are in papers or dry in the cabinet may be spread by
softening or relaxing them. This is accomplished by placing them in
a relaxing jar for a day or two. The relaxing jar is made of any
tight metal box or earthenware jar, with an inch or so of moist sand
in the bottom and a few drops of carbolic acid to prevent mold. One
must not have the sand too moist, else the specimen will become wet.
Some insects relax much more readily than others, so that it is well
to have two or more jars. If there is much moisture in the sand it
is better to put a piece of blotting paper over the top of the box or
earthenware crock before replacing the lid. This prevents the drops
of moisture which may accumulate on the lid from falling on the
specimen. For relaxing a few small things one can put them in a
saucer with some moist blotting paper, and cover them by an inverted

saucer.

LABELING SPECIMENS.

After an insect has been pinned, or spread if necessary, the next
step is to properly label it. The older entomologists had very general
notions about this matter, and one is fortunate to find their speci-
mens labeled with the State in which it was captured. But now it
is considered necessary to have at least both the name of the town
at or near which the species was taken, and the date of capture, upon
a label pinned beneath the specimen. These locality labels (fig. 110)
should be printed in small type, diamond preferred, on a good quality
of paper, as linen ledger, and as shown in the illustration. Some ento-
mologists prefer to have the state abbreviation at the right end of
the label. Personally, however, I prefer to put it at the left hand.
There should be no spacing between each label of one row, so that
but one cut with the scissors will be necessary to separate them.
The date can be written in the blank space as follows: 9 June 09, or

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 63

9-VI-09. It is not advisable to write 9-6-09, for one will get con-
fused as to whether it is the 9th of June or the 6th of September.
It is not advisable to have a label of more than two lines. Some
entomologists, however, prefer to have the collector's name as the
third line of the locality label.

The label should be pinned through the middle and a short dis-
tance below the specimen, so that it does not interfere with the legs.
The label with most insects should extend lengthwise with the insect ,
but with those having the wings spread it is customary to have the
label extend with the wings. For double mounts or for specimens
glued on points, the label is commonly pinned through one end, so
that its main length is on the same side of the pin as the point or
piece of cork.

Below the locality label there are often other labels bearing; the
name of the collection or collector, a sex label, and labels indicating
the circumstance of collecting. The latter, known as ecological
labels, are increasingly popular, and should be used wherever pos-
sible. Insects, such as bees, etc., taken from
flowers, should bear a label with the name of the
flower ; if taken at light, a label indicating that
fact, etc. All phytophagous species should bear wood^kwoodsJckwoodBJk
the name of the plant upon which captured.
Some of these labels, which will be useful in par-
ticular cases, are as follows: At sugar, at light, woo*6t<ikw,MdSt«kwo«ist«k

' O 7 O 7 V» V. V.'

electric light, twilight, sweeping herbage, from
foliage, under bark, in moss, in meadow, in
swamp, by stream, over pond, tree trunk, in FlG- no.— locality
fungi, sifting leaves, dead log, under stone, on
ground, etc. Anyone can readily think of many other ecological
labels which will be of value in his particular group. Many prefer
to have these labels printed in two lines, as are those of locality
and date. This may be accomplished by combining this label with
that of the collector. The value and interest of a collection is
vastly augmented by these ecological labels, and they are a good
guide for finding other specimens of the same species. For sex
labels the sign $ (Mars) is used for the male, and ? (Venus) for the
female, and ? for the workers or neuters.

By practice one can learn to write a fair hand in minute letters,
so that written labels may take the place of the printed ones. In
writing labels one should have especially fine pens, drawing pens,
or crow quills, and use only india or waterproof ink. Good printed
labels, however, can be bought for about 25 cents a thousand. Never
put upon a pin a label so large that it requires to be folded, and always

Wood 6 tnck Woodstock Woodstock
Va Va Va

Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock
Va Va Va

Woodstock Woodstock Wrodstock.

Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock
Ta Va Va

Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock
Va Va Va

Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock

WoodrtockWoodetock Wood stock

64 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

write labels in as small a hand as can be read without a lens. It
looks badly in a collection to see unnecessarily large labels.

A method was devised by Mr. Hinds for photographing typewritten
labels. He describes it as follows: "When a series of labels for a
new locality, food plant, or collector is desired, the typewriter is
used to write out in columns each desired label a proportionate
number of times. A black ribbon is used, with clear white paper.
If possible each column should be composed throughout its length
of the same number of spaces, and a single space is sufficient to sep-
arate the columns. Attention to these points facilitates the cutting
up of the labels. Prints are made * upon a special portrait paper,
and if the work of negative making and printing has been well done
a very good, durable label may thus be obtained."

It is sometimes necessary with long words to abbreviate the name
of the town. One should be very careful not to abbreviate more
than absolutely necessary, and then in such a way that there can
be no mistake about the name. For example, for New Rochelle,
"New Roch." is better than "N. Rchll." It is better to have a long
label than one winch may be misunderstood. Some collectors like
to have small printed labels with the specific name of the insect,
sometimes abbreviated, pinned to each specimen near the end of
the pin ; it facilitates rearrangement and exchanging.

For keeping notes and records of specimens in a book, a number
should be attached to the specimen corresponding to the number in
the note book, but the locality label should never be omitted from
these specimens. In some groups of insects it is necessary to use
other labels. Insects reared from galls, for example, should have a
number connecting them with the gall, and if any part of the insect
has been removed to be mounted upon a slide for microscopic exam-
ination this fact should be noted on a label attached to the specimen.

Specimens placed in vials of alcohol should have the label, if not
printed, written with waterproof ink on extra good quality of paper.
The label should be allowed to dry thoroughly, and then placed into
pure alcohol, or as pure as one can obtain, for half an hour or so;
then it should be put within the vial, never pasted on the outside.
If the label is long, it may be folded or formed to circle around the
vial. These labels for alcoholic material need not be written as
small as those for pinned specimens, but should be smaller than
ordinary script. For labeling specimens on slides a square label of
gummed paper should be used. These can be obtained in books
from the dealers in microscope supplies.

In all matters of labeling one should give the information in as
plain language and as brief a form as possible, and avoid all signs
that can only be interpreted by reference to note books. Much

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 65

information often put in a note book could be placed on a small
label, and is thereby more certain to be always connected with the
specimen. Bits of colored paper should never be used for labels.
Where one has a considerable variety of labels it is handy to place
each kind in an envelope and arrange the envelopes alphabetically
in a small tray. Pencil labels that have been for years in alcohol
sometimes become illegible. Mr. Henshaw has discovered that the
writing can be brought out by gently washing the labels in yellow
ammonium sulphide. This, however, will not permanently restore
them.

In the matter of keeping notes collectors follow their personal
idiosyncrasies to the limit, but some sort of a card system is con-
sidered best by practically all who have had much experience. In
the making of notes follow Professor Comstock's advice, "Be sure
you are right, and then look again."

STORAGE OF SPECIMENS.

A familiar method of collecting Lepidoptera and dragonflies is to
put them in folded papers and store them in boxes until one has more
leisure to mount and spread them. These papers are prepared as
shown in the figure, the piece of paper being about one-half or one-
third longer than wide. It is folded in the order of the numbering in
the figure. After folding the papers they should be ironed so that the
creases will stay put, These papers should be made of various sizes
to accommodate the different sizes of insects. A number should be
prepared in the winter time, This method of preparing insects is
known as "papering" the specimens (fig. 111). The paper should
not be too stiff nor glazed. Newspaper usually makes very good
material, although some of these now are hardly good enough for
this purpose.

After the specimens have been put in the paper with the wings
folded over the back, one can write on the outside of the paper,
beyond the edges of the insect, the locality and date, They should
be stored in boxes. If the insects are perfectly dry, they may be
kept in tin boxes, but tight wooden boxes are perhaps better, and
in either case some flake naphthalene should be sprinkled over them.
Insects thus prepared can be sent through the mails with safety.
Some arrange these papered specimens in long card trays, with a
card here and there to indicate the contents or localities.

Many of the minute Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera may
be stored in pill boxes nearly filled with torn bits of tissue paper.
Beetles and Hemiptera may be packed in a small flat box between
layers of velvet. Cotton should not be used, but when covered
with soft paper will do for all except fragile insects. These met hods

66

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

of storing material are useful on extended collecting trips. Some
collectors put up the larger insects, as Orthoptera, beetles, bees, etc.,
in tubes of paper. The insect while yet fresh is laid on a piece of
soft paper, which is then rolled fairly tight around it and the ends
tucked in. Others make tubes of various sizes by wrapping a piece
of soft paper around a lead pencil or other cylindrical object, and
turning in one end. Then put the insects in the tube and plug up the
other end with cotton. All tubes and boxes of dried specimens
should be packed in larger boxes with plenty of flake naphthalene.
In relaxing such specimens for pinning one should put the papers
or tubes into a relaxing jar, and not attempt to remove the insect

Fig. 111.— The paper envelope foe Lepdjoptera, and method of folding it: 1, first fold; 2,

second fold, etc.

while dry from its cover. Collectors sometimes put up Coleoptera
and Hemiptera in glass vials with clean sawdust, dampened with
9 parts alcohol and 1 part carbolic acid. A layer of sawdust is
placed in the bottom, then a layer of insects, then a layer of sawdust,
etc. It keeps them slightly moist so they can be easily pinned, but
they require cleaning with a fine brush before they are suitable for
the cabinet. Lepidoptera and Neuroptera should be put in papers;
beetles, Hemiptera, and Orthoptera may be packed in boxes, tubes,
or sawdust, or even in alcohol; Hymenoptera, and especially Diptera,
should be pinned on all trips; in fact it is better to mount at least
one or two specimens of the Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Orthoptera.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

67

MOUNTING SPECIMENS ON SLIDES.

Many insects are so minute that they can not be pinned, and can
only be studied by the aid of a microscope. These insects are pre-
served by mounting them in Canada balsam upon a piece of glass
called a slide (fig. 112). These slides, 3 inches long and 1 inch wide,
the Canada balsam in small tubes, and the cover glasses to place
over the insects can be purchased from all dealers in microscope
supplies. A drop of the Canada balsam is put on the center of the
slide and the insect put in, its legs or wings arranged with pins,
and then the cover glass put on and pressed slightly so that the
balsam will spread out and fill all the space. Care should be taken
not to use too much balsam, for the amount should be no thicker
than the thickness of the mounted insect, else one can not use the
higher powers of the
microscope. Sometimes
it is useful to heat the
balsam after the cover
glass has been put on.
This is done by means
of a small alcohol lamp,
purchasable from the
dealers. This heating in-
duces the balsam to
harden more quickly, but
with many soft insects
too much heating will
break the skin or drive
out the juices and dis-
color the mount.

There are other media
than Canada balsam in which to mount specimens, and if any of
these are used it is necessary to cover the edge of the cover glass
with some material such as Brunswick black to prevent evaporation.
It is not necessary to seal up balsam mounts. Insects for mounting
are prepared in different ways. Sometimes it is better to kill them
in hot wTater or in acetic acid. If the specimen has been in alcohol
this should be removed by a bit of blotting paper, and the specimens
placed in clove oil or xylol for a few minutes, heated slightly, and
then mounted in the balsam. Different methods will be found to
apply to different insects or their parts. After the mount lias been
prepared the slide should be labeled by attaching a, square gummed
label to one end of the slide. The slides should then be Left flat until
the balsam is dry, and afterwards may be arranged in a box or tray
(fig. 113). Wooden boxes are commonly used, each having space for
88552— Bull. 67—09 6

Fig. 112.— a balsam slide mount and jacket cover for same.

68

BULLETIN 61, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

25 slides. Others lay the slides on sliding shelves of a large box
or case.

Mr. Marlatt has perfected a way of keeping slides on the card sys-
tem which is superior to all other methods. Each slide is put in a
small manila envelope or jacket (fig. 112), expressly made for this
purpose, and these placed on edge as cards in a tray. The cabinet,
holding several trays each, with three rows, is made by dealers in
library supplies. On the outside of the envelope may be written
the name and locality of the specimen or other information. Guide

Fig. 113.— A case for storing specimens mounted on microscope slides.

cards, with the name, of the species or the genus, may be used to
separate the series. By this method one may insert new slides or
new species at any time in their proper places, and all are secure
from dust. One must be careful that the balsam is fully dried before
putting the slides in these jackets.

Most of the wingless insects are best studied when mounted on
these slides, as also larval and immature stages of other insects, and
the sections of mouth-parts, etc. For studying the general structure
more elaborate methods are required, which may be learned from a
number of books on microscopical and histological technique.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

69

PREPARATION OF LA RATE.

A method of preserving caterpillars by inflation has long been used
by lepidopterists. The larva? should be killed in a cyanide bottle or
in alcohol. Cyanide is generally considered the best for most larvae.
The caterpillar is placed on a piece of blotting paper, a pencil is
rolled over the larva from the head to the tip of the body, thus pro-
truding the tip of the alimentary canal. This is snipped off by a
pair of scissors or a sharp knife, and then by rolling a pencil, as before,
a number of times over the larva the contents are squeezed out of
its body. One should be careful to do it rather slowly, at least with
delicate larvae, so that the skin is not broken, for if rubbed too hard
or too long the pigment may
be removed from the skin.
The caterpillar should be
moved about on the blotting
paper during the operation,
so that it is not soiled by its
own juices.

A glass tube with its tip
drawn out to a fine point is
then inserted into the anal
opening. The skin may be
fastened on the slender point
by a bit of thread or a drop
of glue. If the glass tip fits
rather tightly into the aper-
ture, then the skin may be
placed a moment in the oven
and then withdrawn. This
will stick the skin to the end
of the glass. A spring or
clasp of steel may be so ar-
ranged as to hold the larva
to the tube, or the skin may be held to the glass tube by a common
insect pin bent around the tube and then forward, with the tip
recurved (fig. 115). One may inflate the skin by blowing in the
tube; but a more effective way is to have a rubber tube on which is
a large rubber pneumatic bag and a smaller inflating bag at the end.
By squeezing the inflating bag the larger bag becomes inflated, and
this makes a steady pressure upon the larval skin. This operation
of inflating the larva should be performed over a small tin oven, as
shown in figure 114. The glass tube with attached larva is inserted
through the hole "d." If one expects to inflate many Larvae, an
apparatus of this sort will be very useful. But if only a few, or, for

Fig. 114.— A drying oven for the inflation of lakv.i:.

70 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

a beginner, a bottomless tin can, supported by a wire frame over a
flame, is an effective substitute. Mr. Merrick has devised a very
elaborate apparatus for inflating larvae which is warranted not to
injure the specimens and demands but little attention. It is figured
in Entomological News, 1908, page 10.

The inflated specimen is pinned as follows: A piece of copper wire
is twisted around the middle of a small cube of cork, which is pierced
by a pin. Then the wire is bent to form an oval or diamond-shaped
loop about one-sixth of an inch long and again twisted to the end.
This twisted part is inserted into the larval skin or the larval skin
mounted upon it from below by a little shellac. With practice one
can become expert in inflating larvae, so as to preserve the shape and
natural colors. Instead of a fine-pointed glass tube some use a straw,
but this is hardly as satisfactory a method. The blown' larva may
also be preserved by placing it in a glass tube and fastening this tube
in the collection.

A great variety of larvae may be inflated by this method, but the
larvae of Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera keep very well in

alcohol or some similar liquid.
Some entomologists have recom-
mended preparing the larvae of
Microlepidoptera without press-
ing out their contents. This is
done by placing them in a tin box of sand and heating it with
the flame from an alcohol lamp. The gas generated in the larva
inflates it and keeps the skin stiff when dry. They may be gummed
to cardboard points or mounted in the same way as other lepidop-
terous larva?. Mr. Busck, however, prepares the larvae of Micro-
lepidoptera on the same plan as used for the Macros. The glass
tubes have very fine points. The contents of the larva is rolled
out as usual. The point of a glass tube is then inserted into the
end of the larva and then for a moment put in the oven. This heat-
ing attaches the skin to the glass tubing. Then it is blown as usual
by the rubber bulb. When dry, he does not attempt to remove
the larva from the glass, but cuts the glass near the larva and
mounts it by the use of a micro-pin touched with shellac and
fastened through the tube into the larva, the other end in a small
cork square mounted upon an ordinary insect pin. This work
should be done as rapidly as possible, for the skin will dry if not
blown at once after the removal of the contents.

Fig. 115.— A clip for holding caterpillars.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 71

PREPARING WINGS FOR STUDY.

It is very necessary in studying the venation of Lepidoptera to
denude the wings or to bleach the scales. Removing the scales with
a camel's-hair brush is the quickest method, but one is apt to injure
the membrane. Most entomologists use some sort of bleaching
process. Several of these are described below.

Doctor Dimmock used chlorine in the form of chloride of lime.
The wings are first soaked in pure alcohol. The chloride of lime is
dissolved in 10 parts of water and filtered. A little is poured into a
shallow vessel. The wings are then transferred to this, and in an
hour or two are thoroughly bleached. When sufficiently clear the
wings are dipped into dilute hydrochloric acid, and then washed in
pure water and mounted upon a slide in Canada balsam. Doctor
Howard recommended the following process: The wing is removed
and mounted upon a slide in plenty of Canada balsam. The slide is
then heated over the flame of an alcohol lamp until the balsam
spreads well over the wing. Just as it is about to enter the veins
the slide is placed on ice, or, in winter time, outside of the window,
for a few minutes. This hardens the balsam immediately and pre-
vents it from entering the veins, which remain filled with air. With
practice one can select just the proper time when to remove the slide
from the flame and secure the best results. Doctor Smith recom-
mends the following method: He puts the wings in a mixture of
chlorine and hydrochloric acid. This decolorizes the wings at once,
and they may be mounted within a few minutes. The advantage
is in the rapid work. The disadvantage is in the vile odor of the
chlorine gas which is liberated by the mixing of the two liquids.
Doctor Calvert places the wings in a caustic potash solution for
twenty-four hours; then washes in water fifteen minutes; then in a
watery solution of Bordeaux red for twenty-four hours ; then washes
in water and floats on cards to dry.

Mr. Tower recommends bleaching wings as follows: Place the wing
in a crucible partly filled with hydrogen peroxide and cover it. Boil
until the scales are bleached. Wash in water for fifteen minutes;
then in 70 per cent alcohol for a like time. Stain from one to three
hours with cyanin, gentian violet, or rosaniline. Remove from stain
and wash for fifteen minutes in 50 per cent alcohol, and for thirty
minutes in water. It may be necessary to repeat this washing if the
stain is not removed from the membrane. Then mount in glycerine
jelly. For balsam mounts, bleach as above; then wash in water,
and in 50 per cent alcohol each for fifteen minutes; then remove and
stain in cyanin for two hours; then wash in 50 per cent, 70 per cent,
and 90 per cent alcohol, ten minutes in each. Remove the surplus
stain and air bubbles by thoroughly washing; clear in oil of cloves;

72 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

and mount in xylol balsam. Wings treated by this method may be
successfully photographed. Mr. Hall, in Entomological News, 1902,
describes his methods of bleaching and photographing the wings as
follows: "The wings are first moistened with alcohol, and then put
in eau de javelle solution until thoroughly bleached. They are then
removed to fresh water for five or ten minutes to remove the lime
solution, thus preventing deposits in drying. Remove the wings by
immersing a piece of paper in the water and floating the wing upon it,
much in the. manner of mounting seaweeds. The paper and wings
are then removed together, and the surplus moisture removed with
blotting paper. Lay a clean piece of paper over the wing, and place
between the leaves of a book and dry under pressure. When dry
the wings separate easily from the paper, and may be fastened to a
sheet of glass with an atom of shellac. Place the sheet of glass in
an ordinary photographic printing frame with a sheet of sensitive
paper, and place in the sun until the paper turns dark and bronzy.
On removing the paper the outline and veins of the wings are seen
in exquisite detail in white against a dark ground." The wings of
other insects can be used without preparation. Velox or any of the
developing papers may be used, and then the work can be done in
the evening.

Mr. Busck, for the Microlepidoptera, uses a very neat and success-
ful method. The wing is carefully broken from the body, and then
placed in a shallow dish of alcohol. Then it is floated out on a glass
slide, and by the use of a fine badger-hair brush under a lens he
removes the scales, occasionally dipping it in the alcohol to wash off
the loosened scales. When clean it is floated on the center of the
slide, and when about dry is covered with a three-fourths inch cover-
glass. A slide label 1 inch square, with a circular hole one-half inch
in diameter, is pasted down over the cover-glass, thus securing it to
the slide. This one-half inch hole could be cut by a punch, but Mr.
Busck moistens a one-half inch cover-glass, sticks it to the gummed
side of the label, and then after pressing it down cuts it from above
by a pin point or the tip of a sharp knife blade.

PRESERVATION OF MATERIAL IN LIQUIDS.

Alcohol. — Alcohol is the most useful and convenient liquid for
preserving the immature stages of many insects, and for spiders,
mites, centipedes, etc. Moreover, it is of increasing use in the
preservation of much other material. Many of the Neuropteroid
insects, such as mayflies, Perlidse, Psocidge, are well kept in vials of
alcohol. And many Orthoptera, as cockroaches and earwigs, and
some Neuroptera, as dragonfhes and scorpion flies; some Diptera,
as crane-flies, and a great many Hemiptera and Coleoptera are as

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 73

well preserved in alcohol as when dry, and, whenever one has an
abundance of specimens, it is well to put up some in tubes or vials
of alcohol. Specimens so preserved are better suited for dissection
or morphological studies than diy insects.

The best kind of vial in which to keep alcoholic material is a flat
bottom necked vial like the ordinary homeopathic or "homo" vials
sold by all druggists. The kind kept in stock by drug stores is fre-
quently of poor quality, but they can order a better quality of
heavier glass if asked, or these can be purchased from dealers in
entomological and microscope supplies. It is best to have vials of
but two or three sizes, 1, 2, and 4 dram, and for a collection of one
group of insects one size will usually be sufficient. Many prefer to
use straight tubes instead of necked vials. These can be obtained
from the dealers. Professor Comstock has devised a square bent
necked bottle which enables one to put the specimen in the box with
the pinned insects; but it is better to keep alcoholic material in a
separate collection. Professor Riley also devised a method for
keeping vials in the collections, the bottle resting upon a block.
This method has been shown to be far inferior to keeping specimens in
the ordinary upright bottles. Others put a pin through the stopper
of the vial and pin the bottle at a slight angle in the collection. But,
as before stated, it is far better to keep alcoholic material by itself
than mixed with the pinned specimens.

Cork stoppers, if of good quality, are superior to any other kind,
but the difficulty is in obtaining good cork. The extra expense of
the best quality of cork will be repaid by the better results. As
one goes over his collection from time to time those stoppers that are
poor can be replaced by new ones. The trouble in getting good
cork stoppers has led many to the use of rubber. The great majority
of rubber stoppers that are placed on the market are of poor quality
and form crystals of sulphur which fall upon the specimens. This
tendency may be reduced, it is claimed, by soaking the stoppers
for an hour or so in hot water. To insert a rubber stopper in a vial
one should put beside it a slender insect pin. This enables the
compressed air to escape; when the stopper is fully in, the pin is
withdrawn.

The percentage of alcohol to be used varies with the group of
insects. If the insects have a hard body, 90 to 95 per cent will not
injure them, but for most soft-bodied forms, as larva? and spiders,
70 to 80 per cent is better. A good plan is to put the specimens first
in a weak solution, 60 to 70 per cent, and then Later in a stronger
liquid. For many larvae it is well to dip. them into boiling water, or
just bring them to a boil in water, before placing them in alcohol.
One of the disadvantages of alcohol is its rapid evaporation. If the

74

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

cork is poor or the vial cracks, the specimens are soon dried and
may be ruined. To obviate this one can mix with the alcohol a
little glycerine, about 1 or 2 per cent, or even less. Then if the
alcohol evaporates the glycerine will keep the specimens moist for a
long while. Specimens that have been dried can often be softened
by soaking in warm water, and dipping in hot water, before putting
them back in alcohol.

Other liquids. — Various other liquids have been tried as substitutes
for alcohol. Formalin is the best as far as results are concerned.
In fact, many larvse preserved in a mixture of 1 part commercial
formalin and 10 parts water (a 4 per cent solution), or even in a
weaker solution, will keep as well or even better than in alcohol.
The vapor from a dish of formalin will injure one's eyes, and when
on the fingers it hardens the skin, so that it is not popular with
those who wish to study their preserved material. For museum
purposes, where specimens are rarely examined, it may find a place.
It should be noted, however, that it will corrode zinc, and some
styles of jars have zinc tops. Glycerin tends to darken specimens,
so should not be used except in small quantities mixed with other

Fig. 110.— The Marx tray for specimens in alcohol.

liquids. Mr. Barber has tried various combinations of alcohol,
formalin, glycerin, and carbolic acid, but found none that would
preserve better than formalin. The mixture of alcohol and formalin
usually produces a black precipitate, while the addition of glycerin
darkened the specimens. A liquid known as synthol has been put
on the market, but has no advantages over alcohol, except perhaps
in price.

Storing alcoholics. — There are many ways of storing vials of alco-
holic material. A cheap way is to take an empty cigar box and
divide it into small squares by cross strips of stiff paper or card-
board, on the style of egg boxes. An ordinary box will hold about
60 or 66 2-dram vials. A much better way is the use of slender
trays, often called Marx trays, as shown in the illustration (fig. 116).
This has a cork top with holes punched in it for the vials. A more
economical plan is to discard the cork top and make the tray wide
enough for two rows of vials (fig. 117). Then put a cardboard strip
down the middle, with side partitions for each vial. Where one does
not expect to examine specimens very often, the vials may be canned

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

75

in a larger glass jar. For the beginner the ordinary pint Mason
fruit jar will do, putting into it two tiers of vials, and then filling up
with alcohol. This method is very useful for museums, where many
specimens are rarely examined and there is usually insufficient help.
A better quality of jar is then recommended, and several kinds
are sold by dealers, none of which is as perfect as it should be for

Fig. 117.— The double Marx tray for specimens in alcohol.

storage purposes. For exhibit purposes it is sometimes handy to

nearly fill the vial with cotton, which, pressing the specimen slightly

against the sides, holds it in place. If the specimen is of a pale color,

a piece of dark paper may be put behind it. All collections of

alcoholics should be exan lined twice a year, replacing alcohol and

poor stoppers.

SPECIAL DIRECTIONS.

COLEOPTERA.

Beetles are more abundant than insects of any other order. As
they have a hard outer skeleton, they are readily handled, and as it
is not necessary to spread their wings, they are preserved with less
trouble than most other insects. Although most abundant in the
Tropics, several large families prefer temperate or even cold climates,
and are found as far north as any other insects.

Few persons have had a more extended experience in collecting
Coleoptera than Mr. E. A. Schwarz, and the following account has
been prepared by him and is given in full:

76

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. lis.— A Meloid beetle,
Epicauta marginata.

Winter collecting. — There are more species of Coleoptera
hibernating in the imago state a than in any other order, and winter
collecting is therefore most profitable in many respects. For instance,
great swampy tracts which are inaccessible in the summer season
harbor an abundance of rare Coleoptera, which
either can not be found in summer time or are
found at that season with the greatest difficulty.
At the approach of winter, however, all or most
of these species will leave the swamp and seek
drier ground, where they hibernate under old
leaves, under bark of trees, or in rotten stumps
near the edge of the swamp. Such places will,
therefore, give a rich harvest to the coleopterist
late in the fall, during warm spells in midwinter,
and in very early spring. If the temperature is
below the freezing point, or if the ground is frozen
hard, no winter collecting should be attempted,
first, on account of sanitary considerations, and also because the
Coleoptera then retreat more deeply into the ground and can not be
found so easily as when the ground is free from frost. Other good
collecting places inwinter are the accumulated old leaves along the
edges of forests or under
the shrubbery along water
courses, thick layers of
moss, and the loose bark
of dead or dying trees,
and, finally, also under the
bark of certain living trees,
e. g. , pines, sycamore, shell-
bark hickory. Digging in
the ground at the base of
large trees or rocks also
yields good returns. The
only inst ruments necessary
for wint er collecting are the
sieve, the chisel, and the
trowel.

Spring collecting. —
With the first days of
spring, collecting becomes
a little more varied. The methods used for winter collecting can still
be continued with good success. Certain spring flowers, notably

a There are a few species of Coleoptera known in Europe which belong to the true
"winter insects, "i.e., such as appear in the imago state only during winter time, but
whether or not we have such species in our own fauna has not yet been ascertained.

Fig. 119.— A weevil, Sphenophorus obscueus: a, Beetle;
6, head; c, larva; d, pupa.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 77

willow blossoms, will furnish many valuable species, which are not
seen again during the rest of the season.

Myrmeeopliilous and Termitopldlous species. — The early spring is
also the best time for collecting the Myrmecophilous and Termitoph-
ilous Coleoptera. Termitophilous species have in North America
hitherto been found only in connection with the white ants (Termes
flavipes), and the inquilinous beetles are found running among the
white ants in the colonies under stones, loose bark of trees, and more
numerously in the interior of old infested trees. Myrmecophilous
Coleoptera are by far more numerous in species than the Termitoph-
ilous species and are found among many species of ants which have
their nests either under stones or loose bark of trees, in stumps or logs,
or which construct larger or smaller hills. Upon uncovering a colony
of ants under a stone, the underside of the latter as well as the gal-
leries of the ants in the ground should be carefully examined for
inquilines, which from their greater or slighter resemblance to the
ants are liable to be overlooked by an inexperienced collector. If
such colony of ants harbors a rare beetle the
subterranean part of the colony itself should be
dug out and sifted, but since from the stony
nature of the ground this is not always practi-
cable it is to be recommended to carefully
replace the stone under which the colony has
been found. Upon revisiting the spot again
the next day or even a few hours after the first
visit additional specimens of the inquilines are
usually to be obtained on the stone or in the FlG- 120-~A l°ngicorn bee-

;;..... „, . ,.. TLE, Saperda cretata.

superficial galleries or the ants. Ant colonies in

hollow trees and in rotten logs should be sifted and there is no par-
ticular difliculty connected with this operation. Owing to the pug-
nacious character of the hill-constructing ants it would seem to be a
rather unpleasant task to examine a strong and vigorous colony for
inquilinous beetles, but the collector must not mind being bitten and
stung by the infuriated ants, and after a little experience he will find
that it is not such a difficult thing after all to attack even the largest
ant-lull. The only thorough way of investigating such ant-lulls is to
sieve the same, which can be easily done if the hill is composed of
sticks and other vegetable debris. If it is built of earth or sand the
process of sifting is more difficult and tedious. Another method of
securing specimens of these inquilinous beetles is to place flat stones
or similar objects on the surface of the ant-lull and to examine them
occasionally, when the beetles will be found on the underside of the
traps.

S pring flights of Coleoptera. — On the first really warm days of spring
commences the "swarming" season of Coleoptera, when all winged

78

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 121.— A Chrysomelid beetle. Disonycha xantho-
mel.ena: a. Beetle; 6, eggs; 66, sculpture of same,
highly magnified; c, larva; d, pupa; e, NEWLY
hatched larva; /, segment of same.

species are flying about, especially toward evening. On favorable
clays the. number of specimens and species that can thus be found is

astonishingly great, and this
is one of the few occasions
when the coleopterist can ad-
vantageously use a light
butterfly net. The flying
beetles preferably alight and
rest on the top of wooden
fences (especially newly made
ones), on the railings of
bridges, etc., where they can
be easily seen and secured, or
they are attracted in great
numbers by the white-painted
surface of buildings. This
flying season lasts in the
latitude of Washington from
the end of April to the middle
of June, but favorable days
are not of frequent occur-
rence, since a peculiar combination of atmospheric conditions appears
to be necessary to induce the Coleoptera to fly about in great
numbers.

Beach collecting. — Along the shores of the ocean and the Great
Lakes untold numbers of
Coleoptera and other insects
fall at this season into the
water, and, if the tides, the cur-
renls, and the winds be favor-
able, they are washed ashore
by the waves on the sandy
beaches, where they often form
windrows several inches in
height and width. If the col-
lector is happy enough to be at
the right place on the right day
he has then the opportunity to
pick up hundreds of rare spe-
cies within a very short time
and without any trouble. Many
of the specimens thus washed
ashore are dead and decayed, Fig-122-The rhinoceros beetle, dynastes tityi-s.

but the majority are alive and in excellent condition. This ' ' beach col-
lecting" affords also an excellent opportunity for the hymenopterist

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

79

and hemipterist to secure large numbers of rare species, but favorable
days are also here of rare occurrence.

Attracting by lights. — On the beaches, day and night flying insects
can thus be captured. Away from the beach night-flying Coleoptera
can best be collected at the electric lights of our cities; but, as in
the Lepidoptera, not all night-flying species are attracted by the light.
Gas and other lights also attract Coleoptera, and the various ''light
traps" that have been devised and described can advantageously be
used for collecting these insects.

Traps. — The method of "sugaring," so important to the lepidop-
terist, is by far less favorable for collecting Coleoptera. Still, certain
rare Carabidse, Elaterida?, and Cerambycidse are attracted by this
bait, and the coleopterist should not entirely ignore this mode of col-
lecting. There are a few other methods of trapping certain coleop-
tera. By laying out dead mammals, birds, fishes, snakes, etc., on
suitable places and so
that they are protected
from dogs, rats, etc., the
carrion-feeding Coleop-
tera can be found in
great abundance, but a
cleaner and less disagree-
able method of obtain-
ing them is to bury in
the ground tin cans or
glass jars so that the top
is even with the sur-
rounding ground and to
bait them with pieces of
meat, fried fish, boiled
eggs, etc. Many Curculionida?, Scolytidse, and numerous other
wood-inhabiting species can be successfully trapped in the fol-
lowing way: A number of branches, preferably of only one kind of
tree, are cut and tied up into bundles of convenient size. The
bundles are then laid on the ground in a shady place or firmly fas-
tened on trunks of trees. When the cut branches begin to get dry
they will attract many of these Coleoptera, which can then be readily
collected by shaking the bundles out over the collecting cloth.

Freshets. — Freshets usually take place in springtime in most of our
rivers and creeks, and furnish the means of obtaining a multitude of
Coleoptera, among which there will be many species which can not, or
only- accidentally, be found otherwise. These freshets, Sweeping
over the low banks or inundating wide stretches of low land, carry
with them all insects that have been caught by the inundation.
Intermingled with, and usually clinging to, the various floating

Fig. 123.— A clavicorn beetle, Silvantts surlnamensis: a
Beetle; b, pupa; c, larva; d, antenna of same.

80

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

debris, these insects are eventually washed ashore by the current at
various points and the coleopterist should not miss this rare oppor-
tunity, but go out to the river bank at a time when the water is still
rising, or at least when it has attained its highest point. Among,
or on the washed up debris, a multitude of Coleoptera of various
families can be found, and the specimens can either be gathered up on
the spot or a quantity of the debris be put in sacks and taken home,
where it can be examined more thoroughly and with greater leisure
than out of doors. A day or so after the floods have receded the
washed up specimens will have dispersed and only a few will remain
in the debris for a longer period. Still more profitable than the
spring floods are the summer freshets, because a larger and more
diversified lot of Coleoptera is then brought down by the water. A
similar opportunity for collecting is offered near the seashore if
unusually high tides inundate the low marshes along the bayous and
inlets.

Summer collecting. — During the latter part of spring and
throughout the whole summer, when the vegetation
is fully developed, every possible collecting method
can be carried on with success, so that the beginner
hardly knows what particular method to use.
There are stones to be turned over; old logs,
stumps, and hollow trees to be investigated ; newly
felled or wounded trees to be carefully inspected;
here a spot favorable for sifting claims attention;
promising meadows and low herbage in the woods
invite the use of the sweeping net ; living or dead
branches of all sorts of trees and shrubs to be
worked with the umbrella; the mud or gravel
banks of ponds, lakes, rivers, and creeks afford
excellent collecting places; the numerous aquatic beetles are to be
collected in the water itself; the dung beetles to be extracted from
their unsavory habitations; in the evening the electric and other
lights are to be visited, the lightning beetles chased on meadows and
in the woods, or the wingless but luminous females of some species of
this family to be looked for on the ground, and the trees and shrubs
are to be beaten after dark in search of May-beetles and other noc-
turnal leaf -feeding species which can not be obtained at daytime ; and,
finally, some of the rarest Scarabseidse and some other species fly only
late at night or again only before sunrise.

In view of this embarrassing multitude of collecting opportunities
in a good locality, the beginner is apt to be at a loss what course to
pursue. Experience alone can teach here, and only an expert collector
is able to decide, at a glance at the locality before him, what collecting
method is likely to produce the best results, and his judgment will
rarely be at fault.

Fia. 124. — A Ciirysome-

LID BEETLE, OCTOTOMA
PLICATULA.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

81

It is impossible to go into details regarding the various collecting
methods, just mentioned, and only a few general directions can be given
regarding those methods which have not previously been alluded to.

Collecting under stones. — Turning over stones is a favorite method
among beginners and yields chiefly Carabida3, the larger Staphylioidae,
certain CurcuKonidse, and a multitude of species of other families.
Stones on very dry ground are productive only early in spring or in
the fall, while those on moist ground, in the shade of woods, are good
at all seasons. In the Alpine regions of our mountainous districts,
especially above the timber line, collecting under stones becomes the
most important method, and is especially favorable along the edges
of snow fields. In often frequented localities the collector should
carefully replace the stones, especially those under which he has found
rare specimens. The neglect of this rule is one of the principal causes
for certain rare species having become extinct in the vicinity of our
cities.

Collecting in rotten stumps and logs. — Success in collecting in rotten
stumps depends much upon the more or less advanced stage of decay
as well as upon the situation
of the log and upon the par-
ticular land of wood. If the
decay is very much advanced,
neither the loose bark nor the
interior of the log will harbor
many Coleoptera excepting a
multitude of Passalus cornu-
tus and its larva3. If the
decay is less advanced, but
if such log is exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, it will be far
less productive than a log in a shady situation. The investigation
of the bark of a favorably situated log in the right stage of decay
does not need any special instruction, but the decayed wood itself
should be pried off with a chisel or trowel, put in the sieve and
sifted on the collecting cloth. This is the best way of obtaining the
numerous species of rare Micro-Coleoptera of various families that
inhabit such places. A "red rotten" oak or beech log is more favor-
able for this mode of collecting than a "white rotten" of the same or
other kinds of trees.

Collecting in dying or dead trees. — Dying or dead trees almost
always harbor a large number of Coleoptera and offer an excellent
collecting opportunity until the wood becomes thoroughly dry,
which usually takes place in large trees two or three years after
the death of the tree, and in less time with smaller ones. The bark
of such trees is the best collecting place for Cucujidse, Colydiidae,
Scolytidae, Histerida?, etc., and it will be found that the shady side

b cl c

Fig. 125.— The pea weevil, Bruchus pisorum:
a, Beetle; 6, larva; c, pupa.

82

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 126.— A Buprestid beetle
Agrilus srNUATUs: a. Larva
6, beetle; c, pupa.

of the tree is more profitable than the side exposed to the sun. The
numerous Buprestidse, Elateridss, Ptinidse, Cerambycidse, Melan-
dryidae, etc., which breed in the wood can be obtained only with
difficulty. Some specimens may be cut out from their holes by a
skillful use of the knife or hatchet; others (especially the Bupres-
tidse) may be found resting on or crawling over the trunk in the
bright sunshine, while the more nocturnal species may be found on

the tree toward evening or after dark, when,
of course, a lantern must be used. A large
proportion of the species living in the trunks
of dead trees also breeds in the dead branches
of otherwise healthy trees, from which they
can be beaten into the umbrella, or where the
use of the knife is more practicable than in
the large trunks. The trunks of freshly felled
trees attract numbers of Cerambycidse and
Buprestidse and have to be carefully looked
over, while the drying foliage of such trees
affords an excellent opportunity for the use
of the umbrella.

Beating living trees, shrubs, and vines. — The success of beating into
the umbrella branches of living trees and shrubs depends on the
particular kind of tree or shrub, on the condition and situation of
these, and largely also upon the season. Pine trees are very pro-
ductive from early in the spring to early in the summer, but much
less so in midsummer and later on. Young oak trees or oak shrubs
are much more preferred by the leaf-eating Coleoptera
peculiar to this tree than the older trees. The beech,
which, next to the oak, is the best tree for wood-
boring species, harbors but few leaf-eating species.
The leaves of the chestnut are also generally not attacked
by Coleoptera; still a surprising number of species can
be beaten from this tree when it is in blossom. There
is not a single species of Coleoptera known to live in
the wood or to feed on the leaves of the holly (Ilex
glabra); still it will pay the coleopterist to beat this
tree when it is in bloom. Trees, shrubs, and vines in
the interior of unbroken forest districts are, as a rule,
unproductive, while the edges of the woods, narrow strips of hedges,
and especially solitary trees, are excellent collecting places. In the
Rocky Mountains, especially in the more southern sections, long
stretches of mountain slopes are occasionally perfectly bare of vege-
tation with the exception of a few solitary, sickly looking, and
dwarfed trees, but every one of these is a veritable gold mine to
the coleopterist with his umbrella.

Fig.127.— A Cara-

BID OR GROUND-
BEETLE, COVIN A
IMPRESSIFRONS.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS- — BANKS. 83

Sweeping. — The use of the beating net continues profitable from
spring till fall, a different set of species appearing with each season.
Low and swampy meadows, meadows on the slopes of mountains
or surrounded by woods, low underbrush, and herbage in smaller
patches of woods, are very good beating grounds. Dry and sandy
meadows are less productive, but harbor usually a different set of
species on account of the difference in the flora. Pastures and mead-
ows much frequented by cattle and horses are much less productive,
and where a large number of sheep are kept there is usually no chance
for using the beating net, since neither grass nor specimens are
left. The lawns in our parks and gardens are usually poor collect-
ing ground on account of the limited variety of plants in such places;
but the few species found there occur in enormous number of speci-
mens. The endless stretches of our western prairies swarm at the
right season (in June) with numerous Coleoptera (mostly Malachiidae,
Chrysomelidse, Mordellida?, Curculionida?, etc.), provided prairie
fires have not swept too frequently over the
place. Fires and cattle produce a remarkable
change in the flora and fauna of the prairies ;
many indigenous species disappear or become
scarce and are replaced by a much smaller
number of imported species.

Sweeping may commence in the forenoon
as soon as the dew has disappeared ; it is less
profitable in the heat of midday, but produces
the best results late in the afternoon and
more especially in the short interval from just
before sunset until dark. At this time many
rare Pselaphidre and Scydmsenidse, species of FlG- 128-— A water - beetle.

Dytiscus.

the genera Colon and Anisotoma, and other

small Silphidre, can be beaten from the tips of grasses, all being
species which can not, or only accidentally, be found during daytime,
when they hide between the roots of plants.

Collecting on mud and gravel banks. — The mud or gravel banks of
rivers, creeks, and stagnant bodies of water are inhabited, especially
early in summer, with an astonishing multitude of Coleoptera.
Countless specimens of smaller Carabidae (Dyschirius, Clivina, Bem-
bidium, Tachys, etc.) and Staphylinidse (Tachyusa, Phdonthus, Acto-
bius, Stenus, LatJirobium, Trogophloe.us, and many other genera) will
be seen actively running over the mud or sand; many other speci-
mens are hiding under the pebbles in company with other species
(Cryptolvypnus, Georyssus, etc.) or in little subterranean galleries
(Dyschirius, Bledius, Ileterocerus) . All these beetles must be col-
lected by picking them up with the fingers, an operation which, owing
to the activity of the specimens, requires some little practice. The
88552— Bull. 67—09 7

84

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

beginner will at first crush or otherwise injure many of the delicate
specimens, the capture of which is moreover by no means facilitated
by the rapidity with which most of them are able to take whig. The
collector must necessarily kneel down, and he must not mind getting
covered with mud. A good device for driving these species out
of their galleries or from their hiding places under stones or in cracks
of the ground is to pour water over the banks, and this can in most
cases be done with the hand. Larger stones and pieces of wood or
bark lying on the bank are favorite hiding places of certain larger
Carabidse (Nebria, Chlsenius, Platynus, etc.), and should of course be
turned over. Finally, the moss growmg on rocks and logs close to
the water's edge, and in which, besides other beetles, some rare
StaphylinidsB and the Byrrhid genus Limnichus
can be found, should be scraped off and investi-
gated on the collecting cloth or on the surface
of a flat rock, if such be conveniently at hand.
Collecting aquatic beetles. — The fishing for wa-
ter-beetles in deeper water by means of the
water net has already been alluded to, but
many species five in shallow brooks with stony
or gravelly bottom, where the water net can not
be used. The Dytiscidae and HydrophilidsB
living in such places usually hide under stones,
and can in most cases be easily picked up with
the hand, or a little tin dipper or a spoon will
be found convenient for catching them. The
species of the family Parnidae are found on the
underside of rough stones or logs which are
either partially or entirely submerged. They
are more numerous, however, in the moss or
among the roots of other plants that grow in
the water. Such plants have to be pulled out and examined over
the collecting cloth.

Collecting at the seashore and on sandy places. — A large number
of species belonging to various families five exclusively in the vicin-
ity of the ocean, some on the open beach, others along the inlets,
bayous, or salt marshes, and still others on the dry sand dunes. The
Cicindelse are actively running or flying about close to the water's
edge and have to be captured with the butterfly net. The remain-
ing maritime species live hidden under the seaweed and other debris
cast up by the waves, or in the sand (sometimes quite deep below
the surface) beneath the debris or between the roots of the plants
growing on the dunes. The majority of the maritime species do not
appear before June (in the Middle States), but the collecting remains
good until September.

Fig. 129.— A tiger-beetle

ClCINDELA LIMB AT A.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

85

In dry sandy places away from the seashore, the collecting at the
roots of plants is especially to be recommended, and the plants, and
more especially the bunches of coarse grasses usually growing in such
places, should be pulled up and shaken out over the collecting cloth.
This mode of collecting acquires a great importance in the arid regions
of the West and Southwest, where, in the warm season, nearly all
Coleoptera are hiding during daytime in the ground at the roots of
plants.

Collecting dung beetles. — The collecting of the numerous species
llydrophilidae, Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Scarabseidse, etc.) which live
in the droppings of various animals is by no means an agreeable
task. The collector should provide himself with a pointed stick and
collecting tweezers, and must manage to pick up the specimens as
best he can. The larger specimens are best collected in alcohol,
while the more delicate species can be
collected in a cleaner condition by re-
moving the droppings and sifting the
ground beneath the same. Some spe-
cies hide deep in the ground beneath
the droppings and have to be dug out.
Summer freshets, when pasture lands
are inundated, offer an excellent op-
portunity for collecting the dung-in-
habiting species in a clean condition.

Night collecting. — The beating of
trees and shrubs after dark is a good
method of obtaining Lachnosternas
and other species, and here the col-
lector will do well to secure the assistance of a companion, who
takes charge of the lantern and the collecting bottles, while the
collector himself works the umbrella.

Autumn collecting. — From the first of August the number of
species gradually diminishes, but late in the summer or early in
autumn quite a number of other species make their appearance,
e. g., some Chrysomelidse, Cerambycidse, and many Meloidse. Many
of these frequent the blossoms of golden-rods, umbelliferous and
other late-flowering plants. The fall is also the best season for
collecting Coleoptera living in fungi. Although puff balls, toad-
stools, and the numerous fungi and molds growing on old trees, etc.,
furnish many species of Coleoptera also earlier in the season, yet
most fungi, and more especially the toadstools, flourish best in the
autumn, and consequently there is then the greatest abundance of
certain species of Coleoptera. Decaying toadstools are especially
rich, and should be sifted, and the collector should also not omit to
examine the soil beneath them.

Fig. 130.— A Silphip or carriox-beetle,

SlLPHA BITUBEROSA.

86

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

During the "Indian summer" there is usually a repetition of the
"spring flight" of Coleoptera, though on a smaller scale, and collect-
ing on the tops of fence posts and on whitewashed walls again becomes
good. The first really sharp frost causes these late species to disap-
pear, and winter collecting commences again.

LEPIDOPTERA.

Fig. 131.

-A BUTTERFLY, PONTIA OLERACEA,
AXD ITS CATERPILLAR.

The net for collecting Lepidoptera should be very light and of soft
material, so as not to injure the specimens. Some lepidopterists

prefer a net of gray or green material.
Many species can be taken about flow-
ers. It is usually better to take a but-
terfly in flight near the flower as it
leaves or is about to alight, rather
than when resting on the flower, for
in the latter case one is apt to break
off some pieces of the flower which,
falling with the butterfly into the bot-
tom of the net, may rub or tear the
specimen. Avoid throwing a shadow
upon the insect. When one is cap-
tured in the net, it should be clasped by the fingers from the outside
with the wings folded together, and then by gently opening the net
the mouth of the cyanide jar can be placed over it. Great care should
be taken not to rub the specimen, as the scales are easily removed,
leaving a blotch that ruins the
specimen for the cabinet. Some
collectors slightly pinch the tho-
rax of the insect when captured.
This prevents its fluttering too
much in the cyanide jar. On a
cloudy day, when flowers are
swaying in the breeze, one may ap-
proach and place a cyanide bottle
over a specimen without disturb-
ing it. Moist spots by the road-
side or in openings of woods are
favorite localities for butterflies.

It does not pay to chase butterflies, although if one misses a speci-
men at the first sweep of the net a swift, short run may sometimes
bring success. "All things come to him who waits," provided he
waits in a favorable spot.

Some butterflies are dimorphic; that is, the early spring brood is
of a different appearance than the summer brood. In other species
the males and the females are differentlv colored.

Fig. 132.— A butterfly. Uranotes melinus: o,
Caterpillar; b, chrysalis; r, d, iiutterfly.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

87

Fig. 133.— An Arctiid moth, Utethei-

SA BELLA.

No other insects should be placed in the cyanide jar used to collect
Lepidoptera, as the latter will be injured, and the other insects eon red
with scales. After the specimens are dead (hey should not remain
longer in the cyanide bottle, else the yellow will turn to red. They
should be pinned or papered in the field.

Many moths can be taken at night, and a trap light, as elsewhere
described, is the best way to secure a lot of line material. Sugaring,
as described on page 47, is a prolific
means of collecting moths. Many moths,
as Catocalas and Geometrids, rest on the
trunks of trees during the daytime. By
carefully examining trees one can train
the eyes to notice these insects when the
casual collector would not see them. Mr.
Merrick has devised a bottle with a trap
spring cover attached to a pole for collecting Catocalas on trees above
one's reach. It is described and figured in Entomological News.
vol. 12, page 169.

The males of some of the larger moths are attracted to a female
inclosed in a gauze cage, which ma}T be exposed on warm, moist
nights. In late summer and fall many moths rest upon dead leaves
in the woods and fly up as one advances. One should be careful not to
sweep up the leaves when one takes them, for the leaves will rub the
specimens. Many of the smaller moths when captured in a net will
partly wTalk and partly fly up the sides, and so may be taken in a small
cyanide tube. The best way of obtaining perfect specimens of Lepi-
doptera is by rearing them. The caterpillars should be collected in a
tin box, with a bit of their food plant, and taken home and placed in
a breeding jar or cage. Directions for rearing are given elsewhere.

Many moths visit flowrers at
night; by going to patches of
bloom one may often secure va-
rieties; the willow bloom in
spring is very attractive; in fact,
most flowers have some noctur-
nal visitants.

In collecting pupse a trowel is
one of the best tools. The best
time is from August 15 on till November. They may be in soft soil or
debris at base of trees, under dead leaves, among fallen pine needles,
in rotten wood, in chinks of the bark of trees, or on the tree between
fastened leaves. Arctiids (fig. 158) often pupate under t he edge of
stones, boards, etc. The .pupae should be disturbed as little as
possible, and taken up with the leaves or bark to which they are
attached. Pupa? should be placed in boxes with surroundings

&

Fig. 134. — A canker-worm moth, Alsophila po-
metaria: a, Male moth: b, female moth; c, d.

ENLARGED PARTS.

88

BULLETIN 61, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 135.— The saddle-back, Sibike stimulea: Moth
and its stinging caterpillar.

similar to those of nature. They are usually lain back uppermost,
but the position is not important.

In collecting caterpillars the first thing is to overcome the repug-
nance which most people have to handling these creatures. They
are practically all harmless, and do not bite, nor sting with the horn

near the tail. A few species,
like the bristly green cater-
pillar of the Io moth, the sad-
dle-back caterpillar (fig. 135),
and the caterpillar of the
brown-tail moth, produce a
sort of rash on the hands.
Although painful for a time,
it soon disappears, and one
acquaintance will fix these
species in the mind, so that
the others may be handled
without fear. Caterpillars
should be picked up carefully, so as not to injure them, but with
some of the large forms it is necessary to work their legs loose from
the plant, to which they sometimes hold with wonderful tenacity.

Caterpillars may often be jarred from trees into the umbrella net
before they have time to get a tight hold. After heavy storms one
may find on the ground or at the bases of trees
many caterpillars that have been beaten down by
the rain and wind. Some of the caterpillars boring
in stems of plants may be located by cautiously
bending suspected stems in different directions.

Early morning and late afternoon are the best
times for discovering caterpillars. Many can be
located by their droppings, or excrement, others
by the partially eaten leaves. Some feed mostly at
night, descending to the ground and hiding in the
soil at base of the plant during the daytime. Many
are protectively colored, and one must scrutinize
the leaves and twigs carefully to find them. In the
case of the solitary larva?, when one has been taken,
other plants of the same kind in the vicinity will pos-
sibly furnish other specimens. Whenever one finds a
species in abundance, a goodly supply should be
taken along, as some may be parasitized, and others may die
before reaching the adult stage. Mr. Rowley often traps Catocala
larva? by leaning a pair of shingles against a tree. Bits of boards
laid on the ground will offer concealment to many Noctuid cater-
pillars; lettuce and clover are also good baits.

Fig. 130. — The bag-
worm, Thyridop-
teryx ephemer.e-

formis, female.

COLLECTING AND I'll I'.SKKVI NO INSECTS— BANKS.

89

Fig. 137.— A Pyralid moth, Pyralis fa-
rinalis: a, Moth; b, caterpillar; c,
pupa; d, e, f, details.

Often one may find eggs attached to leaves, and from these one
may rear and observe all the stages of the insect. A better way is
to save captured gravid females and place them in a cage, with a
probable food plant as an inducement to deposit their eggs. A bot-
tomless barrel or nail keg placed over a plant and the top covered
with mosquito netting makes a good
cage. Various other cages are described
in the chapter on rearing.

The Microlepidoptera, whose caterpil-
lars mine or roll leaves, may be easily
reared from injured leaves. Many Mi-
crolepidoptera are to be found flying at
twilight over fields, especially at the
edge of woods. A small light net will
be useful in securing these. Many oth-
ers rest on the bark of trees; these are taken by a small cyanide
vial. Formerly most of the microlepidopterists collected these in-
sects in pill boxes, killing them with a drop of chloroform on a pin-
hole in the box. Now, however, most prefer to collect them in
small vials containing chloroform or cyanide. A great majority of

these small moths are at-
tracted to lights, and one
may take hundreds of speci-
mens and many species in
one evening.

If one can not spread the
Micros as soon as dead, they
should be pinned (with mi-
cro-pins) in a small box, car-
ried along for that purpose.
After pinning, one should
blow the wings lightly from
behind, so as to separate the
tips of the wings. If one
expects to spread the speci-
mens upon reaching home,
the cork of the small pin-
ning box may be moistened;
this will keep the Micros
from drying out.

Mr. Kearfott gathers the larvae of the Microlepidoptera in glass
vials, 3 J and 5^ inches long. In searching for these larvae one must
look out for their work; a crumpled Leaf, a brown spot, or a withered
shoot indicates the presence of the caterpillars.. One must not try

Fig. 138.— A sawfly, Emphytus canadensis: a, Adult;

b, larva; c, enlarged segment of larva; d, pupa;

c, cocoox.

90

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

to remove the larva, but break off the abnormal part of plant
and put it in the vial, keeping track by labels of the name of the
plant.

In rearing material one should be careful to save for the cabinet
some specimens of the larva3, as well as the pupae or pupal skins.
These should be so labeled as to be readily connected with the reared
insect.

HYMENOPTERA.

A great variety of bees and wasps may be gathered from flowers.
A small or midget net suffices for most species, but the larger Pom-
pilidae (fig. 155) and Sphegidae (fig. 140) are better caught in a large
net. It is sometimes difficult to secure from the net a large stinging
Pompilid. A few swift strokes of the net across the knee will assist
in stunning the specimen without breaking it. Many bees can be
picked from flowers with a forceps, or even with the fingers, as but
few species can sting sufficiently to hurt, and one must expect an

occasional thrust when
collectingAculeates. The
specimens collected from
each species of flower
should be kept in sepa-
rate cyanide bottles The
larger Parasitica are to be
found on shrubbery, in
rather open woods or near
the edge of woods, and
most are easily caught
with a net. Smaller forms will be found by sweeping herbage,
and in the winter time many will be found by sifting moss, fallen
leaves, and rubbish. Upon dead trees one may often find some
parasitic Hymenoptera which are seeking to oviposit on the various
larvae in the trees. On warm, sunshiny days of spring one can some-
times find a variety of small forms on the fresh foliage of oak trees.

The gall insects (fig. 70) may be reared from the mature galls, but
it should be remembered that galls harbor many other insects than
the makers, so that any species reared from a gall is not necessarily
the maker of that gall. Moreover, some issue a year or more after
the gall is mature. The sawflies (fig. 138) are chiefly found in the
spring or early summer in shrubbery, tall herbage, and open groves,
and on the young leaves of trees. They fall readily into the net, often
playing 'possum. Any one who is rearing Lepidoptera and other
insects should save the Hymenoptera that issue therefrom, giving each
a label with name of host. Sandy spots furnish an opportunity to
secure many fossorial forms. By waiting a bit around the holes and

Fig. 139.— Lvsiphlebus depositing its eggs in the body of
a grain-aphis.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING TNSECTS — BANKS.

91

carefully watching the collector may obtain some of the parasitic
species. Ants (fig. 159) can be secured anywhere, but it is better
to get at the nests and so secure the different forms at one time. All
the specimens from one nest should bear a number, as "Nest 16."
They may be collected in alcohol and mounted up as desired. The
social wasps and bumblebees may be gathered from the nests by
visiting them at nightfall and introducing chloroform, or carbon
bisulphide for those in the ground. One may thus gather all the dif-
ferent forms, which are not as yet known for many of our species of
these insects.

The Micro-Ilymenoptera are sometimes collected in alcohol, espe-
cially those obtained in sifting. These can be prepared for mounting,
Mr. Crawford says, by removing them from the alcohol and placing

Fig. 140.— A fossorial wasp, Ammopiiila nigricans.

them in chloroform for a few minutes, and then out on blotting paper.
In many cases the genitalia of Hymenoptera are of value in deter-
mining the species. If the specimen is gently squeezed near the
tip of the body the genitalia will sometimes be extruded. Other-
wise they will have to be removed with a pair of fine scissors and
scalpel and mounted on a slide or on a bit of cardboard attached to
the pin. The nests and galls of Hymenoptera should be collected
whenever possible. The galls may be pinned in the boxes, but a
better way is to put them in flat pasteboard boxes of a size suitable
to be arranged in rows in the box or drawer, with a label on the upper
edge of each box indicating the contents. Casts of holes may be
obtained by pouring into them mixtures of cement or plaster of
Paris.

92

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Although many of the brightly colored flies (fig. 156) occur on
flowers, more different kinds can be obtained by sweeping herbage.

In the latter case after one has taken
a few strokes the end of the net
should be twisted a little, and the tip
with its contents placed in a large
cyanide jar for fifteen or twenty
minutes. On removal the insects
will be dead, and one can pick them
out leisurely. For flower collecting
a small or midget net is very handy.
Many species will be found in open
groves or the borders of woods, on
the trunks of trees, and on the leaves
and shrubs. For these a light sweep-
ing net is the best, one that can be
handled with great rapidity. The
gall-making species may be reared
from the mature galls, and also those
whose larvae occur in fungi and under
the bark of trees.

Diptera suffer more than most
insects from shaking about in the
bottle or against heavier insects.
Therefore it is well to collect them
separate from other insects, and to
have in the cyanide bottle plenty of

Fig. 141. — The larva of a mosquito, Culex.

crumpled strips of blotting or other
soft paper. In many cases, espe-
cially with the long-legged kinds,
they should be pinned in the field
soon after capture. Many of the
gall-flies (Cecidomyiids) are pre-
served mounted in balsam on slides.
Doctor Dyar prefers to mount mos-
quitoes on points, but they are as
well on micro-pins as a double
mount. Many bristly Diptera
should be pinned a little to the light
of the center of the thorax, for a
pin through the middle will destroy
the bristles in the middle which are
of value in classification. In the case of predaceous species the
prey when observed should be put on the same pin as its captor.

Fig. 142. — The screw- worm fly, Compsomyia
macellaria.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

93

With roared specimens it is often customary to mount the pupal skin

on a bit of cardboard attached to the pin bearing the adult fly.

The life histories of

but few Diptera are

known, and this is

an inviting; field for

investigations.

Many horseflies
(fig. 143) can be col-
lected from, a herd
of cattle. With some
hairy flies, like Bom-
byliidse, it is better
to kill them with
chloroform, or pin
them in the net and
kill them later, for
they lose many of
their hairs in the

OlClinai} cyanide Fl(, 143_^ horsefly, Tabanus lasiophthalmus: a, Male; 6,

bottle. male; c, pupa; d, tail of same; c, larva.

HEMIPTERA-HETEROPTERA .

The habits of the Hemiptera-IIeteroptera are in many ways similar
to those of the Coleoptera, and one who collects beetles will come
across a great variety of bugs. A number are
found on the ground, others in or on the water,
some on the bark and twigs of trees, many
species on the leaves of trees and shrubs,
under stones, among fallen leaves, and in moss.
A few are obtained by sweeping, and most of
them by looking in likely situations, and the
forceps and empty vial are the most useful
instruments. A number may be taken with
the umbrella net. Many <>f the aquatics, and
some of the Ileduviids (fig. 144), come to
light. Many species are restricted to one or a
few food plants, so that food-plant labels
should be pinned with the specimen. When
one takes a number of Tingitidse or Aradidae
it is well to mount a few specimens upside down, as the venter
is of importance in classification. Frequently it is accessary to
mount the wings and heads as dry mounts on slides for microscopic
study.

Fig. 144.— A "kisslvg bug
Reduvtus personatus.

94

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 145.— A wa-
ter BOATMAN,
NOTONECTA
IRRORATA.

Many Heteroptera hibernate in the adult condition under the loose
bark of dead trees, on the ground under fallen leaves, or under pieces
of wood in fields. By searching in such places late in the autumn or
early in spring one may obtain many varieties.

For the large family of Capsidse (fig. 21) June is the best season.
Sweeping herbage, meadows, and the foliage of trees will bring many
of these fragile insects into the net.

The best times of the year to collect aquatic
Hemiptera (figs. 145, 146), Mr. Bueno says, are the
spring and autumn. Mr. Bueno uses a couple of water
nets, cyanide bottles of several sizes, tin boxes for
living specimens, and a pair of rubber boots. These
insects should not be collected in alcohol, except for
anatomical purposes, and should be mounted as soon as
possible. The water-bugs can be easily kept in aquaria,
but since many are predaceous one can keep only a
few in each vessel.

HEMIPTERA-HOMOPTERA.

The Homoptera may be obtained b}T sweeping herbage or beating
trees. Many of them are mounted on points, but some may be pinned
witli micro-pins as double mounts. Some species occur commonly in
a short-winged or brachypterous condition; one should look care-
fully in the proper situations for the macropterous or long-winged
specimens. It is well to have one or two specimens of each species
with the wings spread, as these organs are sometimes
colored and the dorsum of the abdomen has bright
markings. The plant-lice (fig. 26) may be collected
in alcohol, but are better brought home in tin boxes
and mounted in balsam on slides. It is well to
take note of their colors before killing them. It
is necessary to obtain the various forms and stages,
so that the same plant should be visited at different
dates; some species migrate to other plants in the
latter part of the season, so that one will have to
search around to find this alternate food plant.

The scale insects (fig. 149) should be collected with
a bit of twig or leaf on which they occur and pinned
in the collection. A better way is to put them in flat pasteboard
boxes of a size to fit well in rows in the cabinet, and then a label
pasted on the upper edge of each box indicating its contents.
Mr. Sanders has prepared the following account of his method of
mounting scale insects on slides:

The greatest care in manipulation is necessary to secure a good
mount of a scale insect. Various simple and complex methods have
been used by students of Coccidre, but the media most generally
used for mounting are glycerin jelly and Canada balsam. After a

FIG. 14(1.— A WA-
TER-BUG, Nepa
APICULATA.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

95

long trial glycerin mounts have proved very unsatisfactory, even
when carefully mounted and ringed with a supposedly impervious
cement.

Diaspine scales. — Diaspine scales are boiled in caustic potash, the
method of boiling varying from a few seconds to half a minute1 for the
very strongly chitinized species. Specimens thus softened and par-
tially cleared are transferred
from the tube directly to a
microscope slide and care-
fully washed with warm
water with the aid of a
pipette. Washings with 95
per cent alcohol follow, and
the scales are then floated
to the center of the slide
and arranged in a line, with
the pygidia pointing in one
direction; after which the

alcohol IS removed With fig. 147.— One of the Fulgorid.e, Poiocera fuliginosa.

bibulous paper. Before the

alcohol is entirely evaporated a small drop of oil of cloves is applied
and slightly heated to drive off the bubbles of air and to cause the
oil of cloves to penetrate the specimens. The oil of cloves having
been removed, a very small drop of balsam is added and a clean
cover glass is applied and held in place with a steel clip while the
slide is heated for a few seconds over an alcohol lamp to dry the
balsam. If care is used, the balsam can be quickly dried, so that
upon cooling it is perfectly hard. Fifteen to twenty
minutes are ordinarily needed for such preparation.
Xondiaspine scales. — In mounting the soft-bodied
scales various methods are necessary for clearing
the insects on account of the remarkably diverse
coverings which the\r produce. With the lac insects
and species of the genus Ceroplastes it is often
necessary to boil the specimens in chloroform or
acetic acid to remove the wax. Mealv-bugs and
Lecaniums can be immediately removed to the
potassium hydroxide and boiled similarly to the
diaspine scales. However, it is frequently neces-
sary to boil the specimens for a long period, and
also to prick holes through the body wrall to allow the escape
of the body contents. After boiling, the specimens are washed
in warm water, and dehydrated with two or three grades of
alcohol, then arranged upon a slide, and clove oil or xylol applied
preparatory to mounting in the usual way in Canada balsam In
mounting very convex species it is frequently necessary to slit the

Fig. 148.— One of the
psyixiixe, psylla
pyeicola.

96

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Fig. 149.— A scale insect, Chionaspis furfuruk:
a, Female scales; 6, male scales; c, female
enlarged; d, male enlarged.

margin of the scales so that they will lie flat upon the slides. Great

care must be exercised to secure a good mount of such soft-bodied

scales as the mealy-bugs, it be-
ing necessary to float the speci-
mens onto the slide and handle
them with extreme care to pre-
vent them from curling and fold-
ing. Canada balsam having been
placed on the insect and the
cover glass applied, the slide is
heated as in mounting the dia-
spine scales.

Sometimes it is desirable to
stain the specimens. This should
be done while the insect is im-
mersed in alcohol, or at least
before xylol or clove oil is ap-
plied. One of the very best

stains which has been used for this purpose is ordinary carmine ink,

which can be used in conjunction with weak alcohol.
Another method of mounting the insects in situ

for superficial examination was originated by Prof.

Herbert Osborn, of the Ohio State University.

Diaspine scales or any flat scale insects when

perfectly dry can be readily mounted between two

strips of mica of the same dimensions as the

ordinary microscope slide with the passe-partout

method — i. e., the edges of the mica are sealed by

means of gummed strips. Specimens mounted in

this way are available for eas}r examination, and

can be filed along with the ordinary slide mounts.
The Anoplura, or lice, may be collected on the

domestic and wild animals and should always be

mounted in balsam on slides.

ORTHOPTERA.

A large number of Orthoptera can be obtained
by sweeping meadows and herbage. Many of the
crickets occur on the ground; others are to be
found on shrubbery. Roaches (fig. 11) are found
under loose bark of trees, among rotten logs and
fallen leaves. Most of them found are young,
but by looking at different times one will find
the winged ones, usually in May or June. Their egg-cases, or
ootheca, should be saved, as that of each species has a characteristic

Fig. 150.— A walking-
stick, Megaphasma
denticrus.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

97

appearance. Some Orthoptera occur on trees; these are frequently
attracted to lights. The grouse-locusts (Tettix) are most common
on moist, dark soil. The more active specimens resting on the ground
may be taken by suddenly placing the net over them. If they
do not readily fly up, the net may be
pressed on the ground and one can feel
the specimen.

Few, if any, insects reflect the na-
ture of their surroundings better than
the Orthoptera. One can tell by
the specimen whether it was taken on
light ot dark soil, in a wet or a dry sit-
uation, in the shade or exposed to the
sun.

So responsive are their external tis-
sues to their environment that it is
among the Orthoptera we find the most
remarkable examples of protective re-
semblance. They are therefore the
most convenient group for ecological
studies, and for this purpose a label
indicating the nature of the locality
should be pinned with each specimen.

The large, fat-bodied Orthoptera often shrink so much in the cabi-
net that many orthopterists slit the base of the venter with a pair of
fine scissors, remove the abdominal contents, and stuff with cotton,
taking care,. of course, not to distend the body.

Fig. 151.

A GRASSHOPPER, PslNIDIA AM-
PHICORNTS.

XEUROPTEROIDS.

The Odonata, or dragonflies (fig. 9), can usually be found flying
over ponds or streams; others will be taken in openings or paths of

woodlands. Many of
them have the habit
of returning over and
over again to the
same stick or twig to
rest, so that by wait-
ing near by one is apt
to get a good chance
to capture the insect.
For these insects a
light net is necessary and a fairly long handle. These insects are
expert dodgers, and one must strike quickly, and a stroke from be-
hind is fully as apt to take the specimen as one from in front. Some-
times in the early morning one can find the nymphs on grasses near

Fig. 152.— A western cricket, of the family Locustid.e, Stei

ROXYS TRILINEATA.

98

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

the pond, transforming to the adult. If these are taken and kept alive
for a day, they will attain their full coloration. Each specimen
should have a hog bristle inserted into it from the head through to
near tip of abdomen to keep the specimen straight and to prevent
the loss of abdomen and head. Straight pieces of broom from a whisk
broom may be used for the larger forms.

Many other Neuroptera, as caddiceflies, stonenies, and mayflies,
are attracted to lights placed near ponds and streams. During the
day these insects often rest under the leaves of shrubbery near the

water. The Psocidae are most common on
the trunks of trees or on fences in summer
and early fall. By searching carefully over
the bark of oak, tulip, chestnut, maple, and
other trees one will nearly always find a few
of them. One should have a supply of
small, empty vials, placing one over each
specimen. The Psocid may be made to fly
into the vial by tickling it with a bit of grass
or a toothpick pushed under the edge of the
vial. From the vial they may be shaken into
a small cyanide bottle in which are crumpled strips of soft paper.
They should be pinned with micro-pins as soon as possible after death.
The mayflies are so fragile that many are better preserved in alcohol.
When one finds the subimago of these insects, it may be kept in a
wooden box until it molts to the adult. It is useful to save one or
two subimagoes of each species, since these have a characteristic
appearance. Caddiceflies (fig. 163, a) can be obtained by sweeping
the foliage of bushes and trees near streams and ponds. All of the
Neuropteroids can be collected and shipped
in envelopes just as Lepidoptera.

Mr. Bignell preserved the colors of dragon-
flies as follows:

Fig. 153.— A Maxtispa, with side

VIEW BENEATH. ( FROM PACK-
ARD.

Fig. 154.— A Panokpa, or scor-
pioitfly. (From Packard.)

Directly after death, clean out the contents of the
thorax and abdomen. To do this, obtain a long darning
needle, thread it with a short piece of fine cotton, tie
the ends together so as to form a loop; sling into this
loop one or more strands of cotton or silk, according to
the size of the insect. For the largest, four strands may be used. This would
give eight threads in the thorax and abdomen, taking care to select the cotton or
silk of the predominant color of the fly. Then pass the needle into the fly, directly
under the head, through the thorax and abdomen, pulling the cotton or whatever is
used through the body until it comes out quite clean. Then slide the abdomen up a
little, cut off the end of the material used, pull the abdomen down to cover it, then cut
off close under the head, leaving the remainder in the body. The fly will then be
ready for setting.

Some have used artificial heat to preserve the coloring of dragon-
flies.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

91)

Fig. 155.— One of the Pompilid wasps. Priocnemis.

SPECIAL KINDS OF COLLECTING.

It is of great interest to any observer to find out what occurs in a
certain place or under certain conditions. For example, the insects
that are associated with ants, that are to be reared from fungi, that
occur along the seashore or
in caves, or to be taken
from a certain kind of
flower. This group or eco-
logical collecting is of in-
creasing biological interest ,
since it shows what insects
are associated with each
other, compete with each
other, and may influence
each other's life. Many
prominent biological ques-
tions are opened by this
collecting, such as isolation
of allied species. Some of
the principal lines of this kind of collecting arc noted below. All
specimens collected under like surroundings should bear a label
indicating the fact.

Flowers. — It will soon be noted by any one observing insects that

certain species prefer
certain flowers. This
is especially notice-
able among bees, but
many Diptera (fig.
156) also show such
preference. Other
insects prefer flowers
of a certain color.
By watching certain
flowers year after
year one will pick up
many rare forms that
would not have been
captured by desul-
tory collecting, and
at the same time gather many facts about habits and occurrence of
insects that are as yet far too little known to entomologists. For
taking insects from flowers one should not use a large or heavy net.
It is apt to break the blossoms so that they will attract but few insects
on following days, and a large net is apt to frighten away other insects
88552— Bull. G7— 09 8

the Syrphid.k. Syrphus ribesi: a, Fly; 6.
I l.w \; v, LARVA; </. e, DETAILS.

100

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

from nearby flowers. A midget net will be found useful for much of this
collecting. Many species of wasps and bees can be taken from flowers
with a fine forceps. Others can be captured with the fingers, as few

bees can sting severely. The cap-
tures from each species of flower
should be kept in separate cyanide
bottles, and on pinning should have
a label with the name of the plant.
Soil collections. — It has long been
noted that sandy places, such as sea
beaches, are inhabited by a peculiar
set of insects ; a few of each order.
These are modified to suit their
surroundings, often protectively
colored, of strong flight, or resistant
to submersion in sea water. Other
kinds of soils have also a peculiar
fauna, although hardly as striking as that of sandy beaches. A low,
wet spot with black soil will have its peculiar forms of grasshoppers,
Hemiptera, Coleoptera, etc. In this kind of collecting one must often
get on his knees, and, bending close to the ground, watch for any
moving object as he carefully pushes
aside the leaves and sticks. A fine
forceps is the best instrument to pick
insects from such situations.

Fungi. — The various fungi that are
so abundant in our woods in summer

Fig. 157.— A Tachina fly. Trichopoda penni
pes.

m>

Fig. 158.— The saltmaksh moth, Isia Isabella, family Arcthd.e: Moth and caterpillar.

and autumn conceal hosts of insects. Until one systematically
gathers and breeds them one has no idea of the wealth of material.
Fungi in different conditions afford food for different insects.
Nowadays it is quite possible to have the fungi identified by special-
ists in mycology, so that one may label the specimens with the name
of the fungus from which it was bred. The fungus, if moist, should

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS.

101

Fig. 1.59.— An ant, Monomorium pharaonis: a, Female; b, worker.

be placed in a tin box, and, if necessary, braced with twigs so that it
will not shake about; if a dry species, it may be wrapped up closely
in a piece of stout tissue paper and carried home in any kind of box.
Some fungi require wet or a moist atmosphere for the development
of these insects, and these should be taken up with some soil about
them and placed in a jar or cage where the soil can be kept wet. Other
fungi, particularly those on the bark of trees, may be kept in a dry
jar or jelly glass until
all the insects have-
issued from them.
In many cases the
larva? pupate in the
soil under the fungus,
and so it is useful,
especially with beetle
larva*, to have soil
under the fungus in
the breeding cage.

Ants' neMs. — Ants'
nests harbor many
curious insects outside of the rightful owners. These insects are
known as "Myrmecophiles." Some are tolerated or even fostered by
the ants; others are their unwelcome guests; they are rats, and mice,
and fleas. To secure these insects one must examine the nest and
sift its material. Many of the ant guests are beetles, and these have
been discussed by Mr. Schwarz. The nests of white ants or termites
also have their guests. These are known as "Termitophiles.'"

Wasps and bees. — Many wasps (fig. 160)
and bees nest in colonies, and if these
colonies are large it will be soon noted
that a number of other insects can be
found around the holes or reared from
the nest. When one discovers such a
colony he should visit it several times
and secure the numerous insects that are
associated with the wasps and bees.
Galls. — Many insects can be reared
from galls, aside from the gall-makers, there being numerous insects
called "inquilines " which occur witli them. Beetles and Lepidoptera
are sometimes obtained from galls made by other insects.

Moss. — Many minute insects find in that tiny forest we call moss
a most hospitable shelter. Numbers of mites, small spiders, and
spring tails, many beetles, and a great variety of Hemiptera as well
as some delicate flies are here at home. In the winter time there

FlG.lfiO.— A WASP OF THE FAMILY VES-
YWJE, POLISTES BELLICOSUS.

102

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

are also many of the Micro-Hymenoptera. The best way to get at
this hidden fauna is by sifting the material through a sieve net,
but one can obtain many specimens and learn a great deal about the
habits of these pygmies by getting down on his knees or lying prone
and picking away the moss. These specimens should be labeled
as from moss, and when possible one should give the name of the
moss.

Nests. — A considerable number of insects occur in the nests of
birds, moles, mice, and other animals. The material can be sifted,
and sometimes, if kept in a jar, one may breed a number of these
insects.

Excrement. — The droppings of cattle are rich in insect inhabitants.
Many of them breed or feed in the material, while quite a number
are predaceous and feed on the other insects. The manure may be
placed in a pail of water and the insect inhabitants will float to the
surface. Some of the species burrow in the soil under the manure,

and if one wishes to rear them it is
necessary to take up this as well as the
manure to the breeding cage.

Dead animals. — Many beetles and flies
are attracted to carrion and the parasitic
Hymenoptera to oviposit in their larvae.
One visit will not be enough, as later one
may find different species from those
captured on the first trip. Many species
that occur in carrion may be trapped by
placing a few bits of wood or bark on
the ground near the body. The speci-
mens if soiled may be cleaned in benzine or gasoline.

Forest insects. — The collection and study of insects injurious to
forest trees has developed new tools and methods ; these are briefly
summarized by Doctor Hopkins as follows:

The equipment for collecting specimens need not be expensive or
elaborate. The necessaries are: A hatchet or light ax, carried in a
scabbard, which may be fastened to a stout belt ; a hunting coat, or
an ordinary sack coat, with many pockets: a supply of collecting
vials of various sizes, fitted with the best cork stoppers; a small bottle
of alcohol; a medium and a small cyanide bottle; tweezers; camel's
hair brushes; a stout knife with small and large blades; a small saw;
a net, and umbrella; and last, but not least important, a notebook
and pencil. With this equipment, or such part of it as is required
for the special kinds of specimens desired, a good observer can go
out in the woods any day in the year and find plenty of material.

The best places to collect species infesting wood and bark are along
the edge of the woods, or where trees have been girdled or felled a

Fig. 161.— A Scolytid or engraver-
beetle, Xyleborus perforans, male
and female.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING TNSECTS— BANKS.

103

few months previous. Here one will usually find in the bark of the
roots, stumps, main stems, tops, branches, and twigs different stages
of many species of barkbeetles and bark-inhabiting larva?, together
with their natural enemies and associates; and the wood will yield
many more.

Lumbering regions and sawmill yards are especially prolific in
specimens at all times, as are also broken branches, individual trees,
and groups injured or killed by
insects, felled by storm, or
otherwise rendered attractive
to insects. During the spring,
summer, and fall the foliage will
yield specimens almost unlim-
ited in number and variety.
But one should remember, as
has already been indicated,
that it is not the number and
variety, but those of most im-
portance that are to be sought
out, noted, collected, and
studied. It is often better to
spend a day in the diligent
search for all that can be found
in or on a single tree, or in
observing and recording in the
notebook all that can be found
out about a single species, than
merely to collect hundreds of
specimens or many species
without careful records.

Indeed, the proper recording
of what one sees at the time
the observations are made is of
the greatest importance, and is the one thing the student should
practice more, perhaps, than anything else.

The collector should be constantly on the lookout for the natural
enemies of the principal injurious species. One class of the enemies
of insects consists of parasitic Hymenoptera, Diptera, etc., found in
the adult, larval, or pupal stage, associated with their host, the larvae
as external or internal feeders on the larva?, pupa?, or adults of
the injurious species, and the adult parasites ovipositing on or in
the victims, or in the bark or other infested parts of the plant.
The insect enemies of the other class are predatory species of
Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and other kinds of insects
which attack and kill their victims, and either devour them or suck
out the liquid parts of their bodies. There are also insect diseases
which maj7 be indicated by a white powdery substance on the bodies

Fig. 1(>2. — Galleries of aScolytid beetle. Pityi
genes cariniceps.

104

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

of the dead insects, and whenever numbers of examples are found to
be dead or dying, specimens should be collected and submitted
without delay to some specialist on this class of diseases.

The specimens of work of insects should have the surplus parts
removed, and should be labeled and stored where they will be readily
accessible for future reference. Broad shallow drawers or trays are
convenient for the smaller wood and bark specimens, while wood or
heavy paper boxes serve for larger ones. Common florists' paper
boxes, which are shipped flat ready to be made up, are excellent for
storing the classified material.

Every individual specimen, mounted set of alcoholic specimens,
specimens of work, etc., should bear the note number referring to it
in the notebook.

Aquatic collecting. — By watching a certain
pond or stream for several years one will find
it full of insect life. The number of species
there associated together in their different
stages is remarkable. Doctor Needham has
devised a method of gathering these insects
from a limited area of the water. He erects
a tent of white muslin over a favorable spot
in the stream, and fastens the edges down
close to the water. A flap is left so that one
can enter each morning and gather the insects
that have issued during the night. Mr.
Roberts has shown that one may gather many
rare aquatic insects from a stream by stretch-
ing a net across it and disturbing the pebbles
and stones above the net. The loosened in-
sects will float down-stream against the net.
Most of the aquatic insects can be carried
home alive, wrapped in wet waterweeds.
Sometimes one can find insects transforming;
these may be collected and carried home in
paper bags, where, in a day or two, they will
attain full development. In this collecting
one should be careful to save the moulted
skins. By closely observing one particular
stream or pond one can often connect the insects with their larvae
without the necessity of rearing them.

INSECT BOXES AND CABINETS.

Insects should be kept in a tight, dry, and dark place; tight to
exclude insect pests; dry to prevent mold; and dark to preserve the
colors. Light will gradually fade the colors, so that if glass-top

\a

Fig. 1G3— o, A caddicefly,
Macronema zebratum; b,
a mayfly, ilexagenia bili-
neata; c,its larva.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS — BANKS. 105

boxes are used they should be placed in a dark cabinet. There are
two styles of insect boxes, the small box about 10 by 12 inches
with a lunged cover, and the drawers about 18 by 20 inches, with
a removable cover and which slide into a case or cabinet. The
small boxes are usually stood up on one of the long edges. The
drawers are by far preferable for most insects, and are especially
useful in museums, or for large and valuable collections. Beginners
sometimes use empty cigar boxes, lined with pith or cork. These,
however, are not tight, and should be used only for temporary
storage of recently collected specimens. Pasteboard boxes, if kept
in a well-dried place, are useful for beginners, and may be pur-
chased cheaply from the dealers in insect supplies. The small
folding boxes, about 10 by 12 inches, are used by a great many
entomologists.

There are several makes of these boxes, the best being the Schmitt
box (fig. 164), which has the top and bottom of two thin pieces cross-
grained so as to prevent warping. The top fits down tightly over a
raised ledge of the lower part. They are best made of well-seasoned
pine, white wood, or linden. The Schmitt box is usually 8 J by 13
inches, but a size 12 by 15 inches is also for sale. The bottom is lined
with pressed cork, or, what is better, patent cork. Sheet cork is still
better, if one can afford to buy the best quality. Most of the dealers
also make a cheaper box similar to the Schmitt box, but without a
double top and bottom. A metal case is now manufactured for
holding Schmitt boxes in a horizontal position. Each metal case holds
two rows of fourteen boxes, and is provided with a clasped cpver,
which keeps out the dust, as well as pests. The drawers are made
of various sizes — 18 by 23 inches is often used for Lepidoptera;
oihers use 16 by 20 inches. These commonly have a glass top and
fit into a glass case or cabinet, holding sixteen to twenty, which is
better if closed by doors. These drawers often have a hardwood
front, and the cabinets are sometimes expensive^ made so as to be
an ornamental piece of furniture.

The U. S. National Museum uses a drawer 18 inches square and 2 J
inches deep (figs. 165, 166). The box has an inside partition inclosing a
space about one-fourth inch wide all around, which is filled with flake
naphthalene to form a poison chamber (<•/) . The sides are of mahogany
and the bottom is of three-ply, cross-grained veneer, and is covered
with patent cork (b) and fined with white paper. The cover is of glass,
fitting into a flat frame three-fourths inch wide with a one-fourth
inch tongue, which fits into the space between the inner and outer
boxes. A groove (g) is made in the sides of the drawers, upon which
they slide on a strip in the cabinet. The cabinets now being used are
of metal, a double tier, the lower box of thirteen the upper of twelve

106 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

drawers. These cabinets have a removable metal cover. Formerly
the drawers were 3 inches deep and fitted into double wooden cabi-
nets, holding twenty drawers and closed by paneled folding doors.
These drawers can be made more cheaply if of some other wood,
as pine or white wood. It is well to have a small label holder

Fig. K14.— The Schmitt folding insect box, opened and showing akrangement of insects.

attached to the end of the box, or front of the drawer. Formerly
double boxes, or book boxes, were very popular with some collectors,
two boxes of about 10 by 12 inches hinged together, one serving
as the top of the other, and each of the same depth, so that insects
may be pinned in each box. They are stood up on ends and the
backs covered to resemble books.

COLLECTING AND l'KKSKKVTNG INSECTS BA X KS.

107

The Museum of Comparative Zoology keeps its insects in drawers
15 by IS inches, inside measurement. The drawers are in double
cabinets with hinged doors, holding nine drawers each. No cork
is used in the bottom, which is made of soft wood, so that a pin may

Fig. 165.— The II. S. National Museum drawer, showing arrangement of specimens.

be inserted into it. The tops are of glass, and the frame has a groove
which fits very tightly over a tongue from below. The tops are
held down closely by hooks and eyes. Professor Comstock usi . . a
drawer with glass bottom as well as top. A number of small flat

Fig. 166.— Construction of the insect cabinet drawer of the u. S. National Museum : A . Cross-
section of front; B, same of side: (', view of front exd of side, two-thirds natural size.
a, Bottom; b, cork lining; c, inside strip forming naphthalene poison ■ sambi b; ^naphtha-
lene poison chamber; /, top; g, groove.

blocks, arranged in rows, cover the bottom. The cork is fastened
to each block. One species or genus can be pinned on each block
and the block transferred to a different part of the box, if desired,
without handling the specimens.

108

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

The Carnegie Museum uses a drawer 16 by 22 inches and 2 inches
deep inside. The top is of glass. The sides have a pocket on the
inner edge. The paper over this pocket is perforated with small
holes. Naphthalene crystals are placed in the pocket and the fumes
reach the interior of the box. Mr. Martindale had his Lepidoptera
in drawers with glass bottom and top. Across the bottom were
narrow strips of cork, supported in narrow tin frames. The speci-
mens are pinned into this cork strip, and by turning the box upside
down, one can see the underside of the insect. For large insects
only four or five strips were used in each box; for smaller forms
ten or twelve strips. Each strip was fastened at its upturned edge
by a thumb tack to the end of the box.

The Deyrolle drawers used by some entomologists are light boxes
about 15 by 18 incites-, with a narrow strip of zinc set edgewise all
around the top of the lower part of the box. The cover is glass,
and the frame of cover has a narrow groove to fit over the strip of

zinc. They are very tight, and for
some insects too tight, as one has
to lift up the top very gradually
else the suction will break the
wings of frail specimens. These
Deyrolle drawers are lined with
either pith or cork.

Various substitutes have been
used for cork. The compressed
cork is usually of uneven texture ;
patent cork is a much better ma-
terial. Many have used sheets of
peat covered with paper, which is
very soft, and for study collections it is handy, but is apt to pro-
duce too much dust. It is cheaper than cork. Pith of various
plants has been recommenced. Corn pith can be readily obtained
and if well dried can be used by the beginner for lining cheap boxes.
A material called "Suberit" is being used by many collectors. Cor-
rugated paper can also be used for temporary boxes. A substitute
for cork is a soft thick paper, drawing or log paper, stretched on a
frame that fits in the bottom of the box. If the paper is moistened
slightly before being glued to the frame it will tighten in drying.
Paper may be glued to both sides of the frame as in figure 167.
The frame rests on a one-fourth inch ledge, leaving a little space
between it and the bottom of the box.

Special mounts of insects. — The Denton brothers have invented a
way of mounting insects known as Denton tablets. These are blocks
of plaster of Paris with a depression for the body of the insect, and
glass covers. The glass cover is hermetically sealed to the block

Fig. 167 .—Paper lining for insect box: A, A,
Side and bottom of box; B, frame; C, open
space; P, P, paper. (After Morse.)

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 109

by paper strips. These tablets can be purchased for a moderate
price.. What are known as Riker mounts are used to exhibit insects.
There are pasteboard boxes, having tightly fitting covers with a glass
top. The box is lightly filled with white cotton, the insect spread
out on top of it, and the glass cover put down and fastened (pinned)
or sealed with gummed paper. These boxes are made in various
sizes, and can be procured from the dealers. They are not pest-
proof, but insects may be kept a long time in them without any
trouble. Flake naphthalene may be scattered in the lower layers
of cotton to keep out pests.

ARRANGEMENT OF INSECTS.

Within the boxes or drawers insects are customarily arranged in
vertical columns, the larger species in three or four rows, the smaller
species in from six to eight rows. It is generally possible to adopt a
uniform width for the insects of each family; four columns in a
Schmitt box and six in a drawer are the usual number. Many ento-
mologists make no marks to indicate the edge of the column;
some use strips of colored paper; others make a pencil or ink mark;
and Doctor Britton has suggested the use of a fine wire, bent down
at each end. The specimens should be carefully pinned in to pre-
serve the alignment of each row. Some prefer to arrange the speci-
mens beginning with the larger ones and ending with the small
forms; others put them in alphabetically; but the best way is to
follow a catalogue or published list. Formerly four specimens were
considered a "set" of the species; now, most collectors wish eight
specimens, and collections in the museums usually run up to twenty-
five or more. A large series enables one to present the variations
and range of the species. Museums sometimes make a duplicate
collection of the overflow from the regular series. It is desirable to
leave some vacant space in each box for additional species. Where
the sexes are separated, the males are kept in the first row and the
females behind them. Each species in the collection should, if pos-
sible, be labeled with its generic and specific name. Some prefer
to phi the label to the first specimen of each species, and this is suit-
able for most collections. Many entomologists prefer to have a
small label with specific name pinned behind the series of each spe-
cies and a larger label with the generic name hi front of the first
species of the genus. Others include also order, family, subfamily,
and tribe labels, but an overlabeled collection detracts from the
specimens. Blank labels are for sale by all dealers. One should
not use a label larger than necessary to write legibly the name of
the insect. Museums sometimes purchase two copies of the various
catalogues and cut them up,' fastening with short pins these printed
labels behind each species.

110 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Some collectors arrange valuable specimens, such as types of new
species, differently from the regular collection. Mr. Ball and others
keep the type-specimens in separate boxes, taking care to handle
them as little as possible. Mr. Caudell puts up types of Orthoptera
in Riker mounts, but this will hardly do for insects of any other
order. Many entomologists send their types to some large museum.
Several entomologists, who have sufficient means for the purpose,
construct a small building of brick or stone to house their valuable
collections.

PESTS IN COLLECTIONS.

After the entomologist has collected, pinned, spread, labeled, and
arranged the specimens in the cabinet he is not permitted to keep
them in peace. Certain other insects, mites, mold, grease, etc., make
their appearance, and unfailing vigilance is the price of perfect
specimens. Neglect to attend to a collection will surely invite its
destruction. In some parts of the country these pests are not nearly
as abundant or as destructive as in other portions. The most injuri-
ous insect pests are beetles of the families Dermestidre, Bostrychidse,
Ptinidse, and Tenebrionidse.

The larvje of the Dermestidie are hairy creatures with short legs
and often with tufts of hair at the ends of the body. They feed and
breed all the year, except when it is too cold. They will feed on a
great variety of substances, boring into and reducing them to a mass
of fine dust. The forms most injurious belong to the genera Dermestes,
Trogoderma, Anthrenus, Attagenus, and Perimegatoma. Anthrenus
verbasci (varius) is the common pest in most collections in the north-
eastern part of the United States. Trogoderma tarsale is more abun-
dant in the South and West. Anthrenus scropJiularise is occasionally
found in collections. Two species of Attagenus, A. peUio, and A.
megatoma, sometimes attack insect collections, and Dermestes lar-
darius is also an occasional enemy. Perimegatoma variegatum is so far
only found in collections in California. Recently a peculiar and
remarkable dermestid has been found in some collections; it is
Thelydrias contractus, better known as Ignotus xnigmaticus. The
Chilean insect pest Cryptorhopalum jlavopictum will doubtless some
day be introduced into our collections. Of the Ptinidse, one species,
Ptinus fur, is sometimes found feeding in collections, and one Tene-
brionid, Tribolium ferrugineum, a cosmopolitan beetle feeding on
many kinds of stored foods, is found but rarely, most often on im-
ported collections. One Bostrychid, Dinoderus pusillus, has been
also taken a few times in insect collections. Of the Psocidse, several
species of wingless forms, principally Troctes divinatorius , often do
much damage to pinned insects. The delicate specimens are espe-
cially subject to their attack. A few mites and a Tineid larva are

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. Ill

sometimes injurious to dried insects. When in the field, ants some-
times get into the collecting box. If the box be soaked in oil of tar,
the odor, which keeps for many }Tears, will prevent the entrance of
ants. In the South, ants of the genus Monomorium somel imes ;ii I ack
collections, getting into Schmitt boxes through the crack near the
hinges.

Remedies. — Insects will get in where one would hardly suppose it
possible, so that the collector should be extremely particular as to the
tightness of boxes. There are two excellent methods of lighting
insect enemies of insect collections. One is the use of carbon bisul-
phide to fumigate the boxes. A little poured into an infested box
will destroy all living insects. A good plan is to put the open box
into a larger box in which is placed a little of the carbon bisulphide.
In this way one will not stain the paper of the insect box. Museums
often have a large box especially prepared for fumigating specimens.
A good way is to fumigate all specimens received before placing them
in the cabinet. Carbon bisulphide is highly explosive,
and should not be used near a light.

The best repellent against insect attack is naphtha-
lene. Agood quality will not only keep out the insects,
but will hinder the development of their larvae and
eggs. The best form in which to use this material is
that of the crystals, known as "flake naphthalene."
The dealers supply cones of naphthalene (fig. 16S), with
a pin, which may be fastened in the corners of the box.
It is easy, however, to make these for oneself by utilizing
the common moth balls. A heated pin is thrust head- fig.168.— a naph-
first into a moth ball. As it cools it is fastened solidly
into the ball. The cones and moth balls in evaporating leave a dirty,
blackish deposit. One may prevent this from soiling the paper of
the box by pushing a small paper pill box up the pin under the cone
before pinning the cone into the box. Another way is to wrap the
moth ball in a bit of Swiss netting and pin this in the corner of the
box. Some collectors use creosote to kill pests. A wad of cotton
soaked in creosote is placed in a small metal box or thimble, which
is fastened or pinned in the corner of the box. The English often use
carbolic acid and sometimes oil of lavender for protecting their col-
lections. A piece of camphor is dissolved in the carbolic acid, and
then this is poured on a small sponge which is pinned to the cover of
the box.

Mold. — If a collection is stored in a damp place, or if pasteboard
boxes are used in a moist climate, the specimens are apt to mold.
Carbolic acid is the best remedy. A little pound into a box, or,
better, on a sponge pinned in a pill box in the corner, will prevent
mold. Moldy specimens can be cleaned with carbolic acid applied
with a fine camel's-hair brush.

112 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Verdigris. — The acid juices in the bodies of certain insects have an
affinity for pin metal, so that when these specimens are mounted on
bright pins a green substance known as verdigris will accumulate
about the pin, finally corroding it so that it will easily break. Black
or japanned and silvered pins do not verdigris, and therefore are to
be preferred for many insects. In collections there are often speci-
mens which have been pinned with a white pin and later have verdi-
grised. If it is desired to save these they should be remounted with
black pins. This may be done by putting the insect for a day or two
into the relaxing jar; then pull out the pin and place the insect in
ether or gasoline, which will dissolve the grease and verdigris; then
clean and put in a new pin. It is claimed by some that ammonia will
dissolve and remove the verdigris. Aquatic insects and those whose
larva? live in wood are particularly subject to verdigris. Insects
saturated with salt water are also apt to corrode the common bright
pins.

Grease. — Some insects have so much fat in their bodies or itds in
such a condition that in drying it spreads over the insect and out on
the wings. This is a common trouble with many moths. They can
be readily cleaned with gasoline or ether. Pin the specimen tightly
to a piece of cork which is fastened in a deep vessel, then fill up the
vessel slowly and carefully with gasoline until the specimen is cov-
ered. It may be left for two or three days, and when taken out and
dried in a place where there is no dust it will become as fresh and
clean as a perfect specimen. If only the abdomen is greasy this may
be broken off and put into the gasoline, and later glued to the thorax.
Sometimes it will be necessary to keep badly greased specimens in
the ether or gasoline a longer time, or to change to fresh gasoline
at the end of two or three days.

The Denton brothers put papered Lepidoptera, papers and all,
into the gasoline and leave for two weeks; then take out and dry,
without removing the insects from the papers. When dry they are
fluffy and fresh as though never wet. Of course gasoline should not
be used when near a light. Collections of insects should be looked
over twice a year for pests, at least in a region where pests are at all
common. The dates will vary somewhat according to latitude, but
the best times will be in March or April in the spring, and again late
in August or early September. No one who really loves the speci-
mens he has collected and studied will fail to take proper care of

them.

REARING INSECTS.

It has already been indicated that the best way to secure perfect
specimens of Lepidoptera is by rearing them from the immature
stages. Many entomologists, however, soon become interested in the
life histories of insects, and find the collecting and rearing of the

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS RANKS.

113

larvae as attractive as even the study of the minute details of struc-
ture in the adult insect. In no branch of natural history are life
histories more readily studied than in insects. The ease with which
the caterpillars of many butterflies and moths may be kept in cap-
tivity make them the most suitable subjects for experimentation in
many lines of biological inquiry. As in collecting so in rearing, the
simplest apparatus is usually the best. However, different groups
respond better to different treatment, and there are many wrinkles
in the handling of living material that can only be obtained by long
practice.

For many caterpillars almost any sort of a wooden box, with some
sand in the bottom and covered with mos-
quito netting, will make a suitable rearing
cage. Branches of the food plant can be put
in each day, the moist sand keeping it fresh
until the next day. Tight boxes may be
used, provided they are kept clean. For
small insects glass jars or jelly glasses are very
useful, and many species can be reared in ordi-
nary glass test tubes, plugging the top with
a bit of cotton. A pot cage is readily made
by taking a flower pot with soil in which
there is inserted the plant, and over the plant
an ordinary lamp chimney, pressing it down
well into the soil and covering the top with
netting. (See fig. 169.) By pouring water
into the saucer of the flowerpot the plant
may be kept moist. Mr. Foster has modified
the plan slightly by using a tin can of earth
containing a bottle of water in the center, the
top of the bottle even with the top of the soil.
The plant or branch is placed in the bottle
and about its base a wad of cotton, so the
larva can not fall into the water. Over the plant is placed a glass
Welsbach gas chimney covered with netting.

A more elaborate breeding cage utilized by Doctor Riley is shown
in the illustration (fig. 170). The box is of wood, with a removable
to}) covered with wire netting. The sides are of glass, or may also
be of wire netting. One side is made into a door. The cage can be
placed on a zinc base made as in figure 171. This cage may be made
any size. A convenient one is 12 inches square and 18 inches high.
The inner box of the metal vase has holes in it so that water put in
the outer box will moisten the sand in the inner box. The branch or
plant may be put in the top "eZ" with a wad of cotton to hold it in
place. Many species will breed in almost any situation, but with

Fig. 169.— A lamp chimney cage.

114

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

others one must be particular about fresh food, sunlight, and ven-
tilation. The amount of moisture necessary for the proper develop-
ment and expansion of the wings varies, and one must learn this by
experience. A wet sponge or blotting paper will give a supply of

moisture. One should be care-
ful not to put too much food in
the cage at one time, as it may
mold and injure the larva.
Some larvae feed better in a
darkened place. This may be
simulated by wrapping the
jelly glass or other cage with a
piece of black muslin. Other
larvse will feed only at night,
and should have some soil
or litter in the bottom of
the box under which they
may conceal themselves dur-
ing the day. After once
starting a larva on a certain
food plant it is not well to
change it, although it can
sometimes be done with
safety, and seems to be
preferred by a few cater-
pillars.

Sometimes it is impossible to obtain the ordinary food plants of
the larvse, and one must resort to a substitute food plant. Often an
allied plant will give satisfactory results. If, for example, a larva

Fig. 170.— An insect breeding-cage, ok vivarium.

Fig. 171.— The improved base for breeding-cage.

should feed on apple, and this can not be had, one may discover that
an allied larva feeds on walnut, or both apple and walnut; then
walnut ma}^ be the substitute for apple in the first case. There are a

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

115

number of plants that are eaten generally by a large number of cater-
pillars. Polygonum, for example, is noted as a food plant for many
Geometridse; lettuce is eaten by many Noctuidao; apple by many
Notodontida?, etc. Buds are sometimes split and fed to larvae that
issue before the leaves are out.

In some cases it is better to put a cage over an outdoor plant. A
headless keg covered with gauze makes a good outdoor cage. Two
or three pieces of willow may be bent over a plant, the ends stuck in
the ground, and this frame covered with gauze or netting. Moths
and butterflies may sometimes be induced to oviposit in such a cage
when they would not in the laboratory. Mr. Fletcher succeeded
in getting a few eggs from reluctant females by gently pressing the
tip of the abdomen until one or two eggs were deposited. This
may be done with specimens that have just died. Outdoor cages are
used by the cotton boll weevil investigators and at the gipsy moth
laboratory. They arc light frames covered with wire netting, and
tall enough for a person to
stand in them. Some styles
are described in Technical
Bulletin No. 12, part 6,
Bureau of Entomology, U.
S. Department of Agricul-
ture. Others may be de-
vised to suit special cir-
cumstances by any ingeni-
ous mind. One may find
it advantageous to tie a
piece of netting over a
branch or twig on a tree or
bush outdoors. This is especially useful in getting the insects that
are developing within the seeds of plants.

A breeding cage (fig. 172) used by the California Board of Horti-
culture and by the cotton boll weevil investigators is a wooden box
lOor 12 inches long and6 to 8 inches wide and of about the same depth.
This box is fitted with an inner cover of glass and an outer cover of
wood. One can therefore examine the material without permitting the
escape of the insects. In one side of the cage several holes are bored
and a glass tube fitted into each. The insects will be attracted by
the light and come out into the tubes. The tubes can be quickly
removed, the hole stopped with cotton, and the insects dumped into
a cyanide bottle. For insects that pupate in the soil a layer of sand
may be put into the bottom of this box.

Professor Comstock has devised a root cage, as shown in figure 173,
in which to rear and study hypogean or underground insects. The
cage consists of wooden ends with glass sides. It is filled with soil,
88552— Bull. 67—09 9

Fig. 172.— a breeding-cage foe parasites.

116

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

and the plants send their roots down near the glass. The glass sides
are covered with a sheet of tin or zinc which excludes the light. This
cage may be let down into a hole in the soil and so kept at about the
normal temperature of the soil. A large number of wood-boring
insects may be reared by collecting dying wood and fallen twigs in the
autumn and carrying them into a room. In the spring the insects
will issue and fly to the window. Similarly galls, acorns, and seeds
of various kinds may be placed in jars to rear the insects.

Mr. Elliott, who raised many pupse, kept them in a pupa box made
as follows: A box about 20 by 16, and 8 mches deep, with a bottom of
coarse wire cloth placed about 2 inches from the bottom, is divided
into four compartments by thin wooden partitions. Over the wire
cloth is placed a thick layer of baked sphagnum moss which has been

Fig. 173.— A root cage, for rearing insects "which live underground, a, Frame with

SLIDE REMOVED; 6, MOVABLE SLIDE; C, TOP VIEW.

pulled into fine bits. The pupre are laid on this floor of moss and cov-
ered with a thick layer of moss prepared in the same manner as that
beneath. The box is covered by a glass plate. In the summer and
autumn this box may be kept over a pan of water, but in the winter
time it should be left in a cool room or even out of doors where it will
not be injured nor become too wet. Pupa? should not be kept in a
heated room. They are apt to dry out or else the imago will not
properly expand its wings.

Mr. Burke made a neat cage for rearing some insects infesting bark
by knocking off the bottom of a baking-powder can, cutting the sides
into narrow strips, and tacking these to the tree over the spot where
the insect was feeding. This cage is shown in figure 174.

COLLECTING AND rilESKHVl NO INSKf'TS HANKS.

117

It is very instructive to keep ants in an artificial nest. A simple
one may be made by taking a piece of l.l-inch hoard, say 12 inches
square, and make near the edge a channel three-
fourths inch deep and 1 inch wide, and put in
the center two panes of glass 8 inches square,
and between them a thin layer of soil or com-
minuted wood. Cover the top glass with a
piece of tin. The channels around the edge of
the bottom board should be nearly filled with
water. Ants placed between the glass will ex-
cavate tunnels, and may be kept a long while.
A better nest (fig. 175) for studying the habits
of ants was prepared by Miss Fielde, and is as
follows : It is made of panes of glass glued
together by Le Page's liquid glue. A large
square pane is used for the bottom. The wall
and partitions are narrow strips of glass laid
flat. Two strips of "double thick" glass make
it the right height. An aperture at "a" is left,
but plugged up with cotton except when one
wishes to transfer the ants to another nest. On
the top of each wall and partition is a narrow
strip of coarse toweling. It is glued to the top
of the glass and then the free edge turned back,
walls are then less than one-half inch high

Fig. 174.— A cage fcr bear-
ing BARK-INFESTING IN-
SECTS, FASTENED TO TREE.

The partitions and
Two panes of glass are

Fig. 175. — The Fielde ant nest: a, b, Glass base; c, c, partitions.

used for the roof, so that one can be removed at a time. These roof
panes are just laid on and not fastened. Over each is a piece of black
blotting paper to darken the rooms. The outside walls are also
painted black. In one room is a thin, flat piece of wet sponge : this is
to furnish drink for the ants and moisture for the rooms. If the ants
have many cocoons, a piece of dry cloth should replace the sponge,
as ants keep their pupa? in dry situations, while the larva1 need mois-
ture. The whole nest can be placed on a sheet of white blotting

118 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

paper. Food is placed in one room. The other room is kept for
the nursery. More elaborate nests can be made on this same plan,
with more rooms and with some slender partitions near the larger
walls to simulate ant runways. The roof may be fastened down
and the nest carried about, or several nests may be fitted into a
case especially made to carry them.

Doctor Barth has kept ants in artificial nests made by placing a
glass jar or cylinder inside another glass jar of slightly greater diam-
eter, the space between the two filled with soil, or wood dust, in
which the ants can tunnel and form their nests. The inner jar is
shorter than the outer, and the inner space or well is used as a food
chamber. A stick leading from the bottom of the well to the top
of the inner jar permits the ants to go from the nest to well and
back. A net of wire can be placed over the top of the outer jar to
prevent the escape of the ants. A cylinder of dark paper can be
slipped over the outer jar to darken the ant burrows.

To rear the predaceous beetles, like Cychrus and Carabus, one
should place them in wooden boxes with fine-mesh wire covering.
In the bottom of the box put about 2 inches of earth, moss, and
decayed wood. On the top of this sprinkle the ground with water
every two days. The Cychrus feeds on snails. Other forms will
eat meat, or the maggots on fly-blown meat. When eggs are observed
in the cage, remove the beetles and keep the cage in a dark, cool
place. When the larvae are a few days old, each should be kept in
a separate box. The principal enemies of breeding insects are mold
and mites. The mold must be prevented by using no more moisture
than necessary and by ventilation. The mites, often of the genus
Pediculoides, are kept out by thorough cleanliness and washing the
cages and jars in a solution of carbolic acid and later in hot water.

Rearing aquatic insects is often more difficult than rearing terres-
trial species. In some cases one can take a large Mason fruit jar,
or purchase a glass jar from the dealers, and put some sand and peb-
bles in the bottom, and with a few fresh-water plants he can keep
a number of species for some time. The main difficulty is in the
water becoming stale. All decaying matter and uneaten food should
be removed with a pipette or long glass tube. It does not pay to
try to keep too many kinds of insects in the same aquarium. Some
of the dealers sell flattened jars, 2 or 3 inches thick and 6 or 8 inches
wide, and a foot or more high, which are very suitable for aquaria.
Any large predaceous species will, of course, soon free an aquarium
of its other inhabitants. Where one has a flow of water available,
he can arrange a siphon outlet and insure fresh water all the time.
Many aquatic larvae will not develop properly unless in running
water. If near a stream, one can arrange a cage of wire screening

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

119

or Swiss netting over a stone or plant in the water on which arc the
larvae of the desired insects.

Doctor Needham has used for rearing aquatic insects a wire cage
shown in figure 176. It is a cylinder of galvanized wire screen, open
at both ends, with a loose screen cover. The cylinder may be
pushed down over the plant or rock deeply enough into the bottom
so that the larvae or nymphs can not escape, sometimes 2 or 3 inches
into the mud.

A water cage or aquarium can be made by cementing together
panes of glass. Make a bottom of one piece of wood, with a groove
around the edge. Set the panes of glass in the groove and bind
their edges where they come together with strips of muslin glued on
the outside, and place a narrow, oblong strip of glass inside across each
corner. Fill this space and also the bottom groove with a cement
made as follows : White sand, 1 part; plaster of Paris, 1 part; litharge,
1 part ; and powdered resin, one-third part. Make into a thick paste
with boiled linseed oil. Let the
cement harden for several days
before putting the water into the
aquarium.

In rearing mosquitoes it has been
found necessary to isolate the larvae.
Doctor Dyar does this as follows:
When a batch of larvae is gathered
in a vessel from a pool a number of
flat-bottom vials (8-dram) are half
filled with, water from the same pool
and a little dirt or mud from the bottom of the pool placed in the bot-
tom of each vial. Then with a pipette each larva is transferred to a
vial, one larvae only in each vial, and the top plugged with cotton.
When the larva changes to a pupa the last larval skin is removed and
put into a tiny vial of alcohol with a little glycerin. This vial is then
inserted in the cotton, plugging the larger vial until the mosquito
emerges from the pupa. Then both mosquito and larval skin are
given the same number. One is thereby certain that the skin and
adult are of the same species. The adult mosquito should not be
killed as soon as it issues, but allowed a day or so to chitinize and
attain its colors. The vials with larval skins may be stored or canned
in larger bottles until one desires to study them, when they should
be mounted on slides. Anopheles mosquitoes need more surface than
is afforded by a small vial and can be reared in open saucers.

In rearing caddiceflies, Vorhies has found that for those that
inhabit standing waters ordinary crystallization dishes, 6 or 8 inches

Fig. 176.— The Needham aquatic cage.

120 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

in diameter, provided with a screen cover, are suitable receptacles.
Whenever possible one should try to obtain the pupae, as results are
more certain, and in several families the larval exuvia is retained in
the pupal case, and can be compared with larvae collected at the
same place. With other species occurring in running water it will
be necessary to supply them with running water, or else to place a
small cage over a larva in a stream and await its development.

SHIPPING INSECTS.

Entomologists increase their collections largely by exchange. A
collector in one part of the country writing to one in another tells
him what he wants and what he has to offer in exchange. These
lists are called "desiderata" and "offerta." Sometimes, in exchang-
ing, collectors use the numbers of some recognized catalogue instead
of writing out the names. It is customary in sending to number
the specimens and in the letter give the list of numbers with the
names. In exchanging, one should endeavor to send as good speci-
mens as possible, neatly mounted and labeled and carefully packed
in secure boxes. Most insects are fragile, and one must use great
care in packing them. The specimens should be securely pinned
in the box, but not hammered down. If there are any with large
bodies or long, slender abdomens, these parts should be braced by pins
placed crosswise. The top of the box should be so fastened that it
can not be easily mashed in. A strip of wood is sometimes fastened
on the inside at the top of the box to give further support to the
cover. The box should, if sent by mail, be wrapped, not too tightly,
in cotton or excelsior about 1 inch thick around it. However, it is
better to put this box into a larger box, with 1 inch space or more each
side, and this is filled, but not too tightly, with cotton or excelsior.

Sometimes a little cotton is placed around the outside of the outer
box. Most Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera are not very
fragile, and a good wrapping of cotton or excelsior is all that is neces-
sary. With Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, and Diptera one can not te
too particular in packing. The Lepidoptera and Neuroptera are
more safely shipped in papers in a tin or wooden box; then there
is no danger of breakage.

If one has a box of specimens as large as an ordinary cigar box it
had better be sent by express, especially if it contains fragile insects.
There should be at least 2 or 3 inches space between the cigar box
and the outer box; the latter should be a stout one and the space
lightly filled with excelsior; never try to cram in all the excelsior you
can, but only enough to keep the box securely in its place. It is
much better to screw the top on than to nail it, as the jar in nailing
may break or loosen something. The handiest way to ship by ex-
press is to use a flat half-bushel basket, packing it with excel-

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING TNSECTS BANKS.

121

sior and covering the top with stiff manila paper. The basket can
be tied across each end, lengthwise through the middle, and then
around the sides. The handle should be left on, and the address, as
well as the name of the sender, written plainly on the cover, and the
word ''care," in large letters, will do no harm. In sending insects
abroad by mail the package should be registered; if by express, use
a box with cover tied with plenty of strong twine, so that the custom
officers can examine without hammering or breaking the cover.
Some use a glass-top box for the inside box. In sending by mail,
never pack a small box on top of a larger one; it will break in the
larger box.

In shipping alcoholic material, one vial may be placed in a wooden
or pasteboard mailing tube (fig. 177) manufactured for such purposes.
These are often lined with cork and have a screw top. The cotton
packing around the
vial should not be
crowded in too
tightly. When
many vials are to
be sent, each
should be wrapped
in a bit of soft
paper and then all
packed in cotton in
a stout wooden or
tin box; some cot-
ton wrapped out-
side these boxes

will prevent break- ^^^IPv o

age. A bit of cot-
ton placed in the
vial with specimens will wad up and shake back and forth in travel-
ing, and so destroy fragile specimens.

Never send insects in a letter; it can be done over and over again,
but it is risking the specimens. In sending living specimens use a
tight box and do not punch holes in it; the insect will not suffocate.
Sometimes it is necessary to put food in with the living insect, as a
caterpillar sent for a considerable distance, but usually anything
inserted with the specimens will simply help to kill them. The pupa
may be shipped in dry moss. Postal regulations affecting natural-
history specimens vary from time to time; usually such specimens are
sent as fourth class, 1 cent an ounce. Many foreign countries have
a parcels-post regulation, which enables one to send large packages
cheaply. When shipping papered specimens a long distance, a little
flaked naphthalene sprinkled over them, or, better, in the packing, may

Fig. 177.— A maiung-ture: o. Tuns; 6, cover.

122 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

help to keep out insect enemies; if for a long sea journey, a little
carbolic acid poured on the outside of the box will prevent mold.
It should be remembered that insects imported from abroad are
subject to customs duty of 10 per cent on unmounted and 20 per
cent on mounted specimens.

Many of the leading entomologists in the United States are willing
to name specimens sent to them for that purpose, provided, of course,
they are permitted to keep any specimens that are new to their
collection. Most of these specialists do this work in their leisure
moments, and the sender should, therefore, do all he can to lighten
the labor of identification. The specimens should be sorted in groups
in the boxes as far as possible, and each specimen or each species
should have a number. In sending Lepidoptera or other insects with
large spread of wings they may be "shingled," that is, the specimens
may be pinned obliquely backward, so that the wings overlap the
specimens in front and to the side. This saves much space. Many
collectors put a thin layer of cotton over the cork of a shipping box;
this sometimes saves legs and abdomens.

COLLECTING ARACHNIDA AND MYRIOPODA.

Spiders (fig. 1 78) , mites, thousand-legs, etc. , are not insects, but belong
to several related groups. The spiders and mites are Arachnida, dis-
tinguished by having eight
legs and only two parts to
the body — the front part,
known as the cephalothorax
and bearing the legs, and the
hind part, called the abdo-
men. The true spiders, or
Araneida, have no segmen-
tation to the abdomen, which
is attached to the cephalo-
pig. i7s.— a spider, peucetia viridans. (After c<>M- thorax by a slender pedicel.
ST0CK) This cephalothorax in front

has eight simple eyes, and below in front is a pair of stout jaws, man-
dibles or chelicerse. The palpi are short, leglike appendages near the
mandibles. At the tip of the abdomen are four or six little proc-
esses, close together, the spinnerets. From these spinnerets issues
the silken thread that spiders use to make their webs, cocoons, etc.
The majority of spiders do not make a web, and live by hunting for
their prey. The orb-weaving spiders (Epeirida?) (fig. 179) make a geo-
metrical or orb web, like spokes of a wheel, with cross threads; and
there wait, head down, on the center of this web until some insect
falls into it. The tarantulas (Theraphosidse) are the largest spiders
and have very hairy bodies and legs. Many of them live in holes,

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

123

Fig. 179.— An orb-weaver, Argiope trifasciata: o,
Male; 6, female; c and d, enlarged parts.

mostly in the southern part of the United States. Sometimes they
are found in the North in bunches of bananas.

The daddy-long-legs, harvest-men, or Phalangida (fig. 180) have the
two parts of the body broadly joined together, so there is no pedicel.
The abdomen shows the seg-
ments more or less closely
united. The legs are longer
than usual in spiders, and
there are only two simple
eyes situated on a little tu-
bercle or eye-eminence on
the front part of thecephalo-
thorax. They have no spin-
nerets. The scorpions, or
Scorpionida (fig. 181), have
the body elongate, plainly
segmented, and behind nar-
rowed to form a tail or cauda, which ends in a vesicle with a
sting. The abdomen is broadly united to the cephalothorax, and the
palpi are long and end in two pairs of claws. There are two or three
simple eyes on each side, and a pair in front on the cephalothorax.
On the under side of the body, near the hind pair of legs, is a pair of
appendages called "combs." The book or false-scorpions (pseudo-
scorpions) (Chel-

onethi) (fig. 182)

are diminutive

editions of the

scorpions but

without a tail.

They have only

one or two eyes

on each side of

the head and no

" combs."

The mites and

ticks, or Acarina,

have no division

of the body into

parts or segments,

or it is only

faintly indicated.

The mouth-parts

are usually close together and form a beak or rostrum. They are

nearly all of very small size and of very diverse shapes and habits.

Fig. 180.— A harvest-man, Lio-
bunum ventricosum. (from
Packard.)

Fig. 181. — A true scorpion, Cen-
trurus carolinianus. (from
Packard.)

124

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Many are parasitic on man or other animals. The red spiders
(Tetranychidse) (fig. 183) are soft-bodied forms, feeding on the foliage
of trees and plants, and they spin a thread wherever they go. The
harvest mites (Trombidiidse) are large, red
mites sometimes seen wandering in the spring-
time. Their larvae are called "red bugs," and
attack people as well as animals. The cheese
mites (Tyroglyphida?) (fig. 184) feed on stored
foods, cheese, flour, seeds, dried fruits, and the
roots of plants. They are soft-bodied, and
of a pale whitish color. The ticks (Ixodoi-
dea) are larger than most mites, and with a
tough, leathery skin. They have a breath-
ing pore in a granulated plate just above
the hind legs. The cattle tick (Margaropus
annulatus) (fig. 185) is the carrier of Texas
fever, and the Rocky Mountain tick (Dermacentor venustus) is the
disseminator of spotted fever. The scab or itch mites (Sarcop-

flg. 182.— a false scorpion,
Chellfer cancroides.
(From Packard.)

Fig. 1S3.— The Six-spotted mite of the
orange, Tetranyciius 6-maculatus:
o, From above; 6, tarsus; c, rostrum
and palpus; d, tip of palpus, a,
Greatly enlarged; 6, c, more en-
larged; d, still more enlarged.

Fig. 184. — A cheese mite, Tyroglyphus.

tidse) are small, soft-bodied forms that burrow in the skin of
various animals, including man, thereby causing scabies, a disgust-
ing disease. The Eriophyidse, or gall-mites (fig. 186), are so small

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS.

125

Fig. 185.— The Cattle tick, Marga-
ropus annulatus. (after pack-
ARD.)

one can hardly see them without a glass. They make galls on the
leaves of trees and shrubs. These galls have an opening which
distinguishes them from most insect
galls, excepting those of the Ilomoptera.
There are three other smaller groups
of Arachnida. The Solpugidse, or ringed
spiders, sometimes called vinagarettes
or vinagarones, have the abdomen seg-
mented, the palpi are simple, and the
mandibles are very large and prominent.
The Phrynida are flat creatures with
segmented abdomen connected to the
cephalothorax by a slender pedicel. The
palpi are spiny, and the first pair of
legs very long and fine. The whip-
tailed scorpions (Thelyphonida) have a
segmented abdomen with a fine fila-
ment at the tip. Their palpi are very
heavy and spiny. They are also called vinagarones and mule-
killers, but are not poisonous. Most of the Arachnida are preda-
ceous or parasitic on animals, but quite a
number of mites are phytophagous. In most
of our spiders the jaws are so small and weak
that they can not pierce a person's skin, and
those that can do so have not a poison suffi-
ciently strong to cause much pain. The
tarantulas of the West 'and South should not
be handled, but the cases of dangerous bites
from these creatures are extremely few. The
ticks attach themselves to people, and some-
times their bite causes much pain, and one
kind carries a disease. The red bugs, the
young of harvest mites, are an intolerable
nuisance in many parts of the South. The
sting of our scorpions is rarely more severe than
that of a wasp or hornet.

The Myriopoda include two very distincl
groups which really are not related to each
other. One, the centipedes or Chilopoda, are
like long wingless insects with a pair of logs
to each segment of the body. The house
centipede, Scutigera (Cermatia) forceps (fig.
187), is an example of this group. Its bite
is often quite severe. Its poison comes from
a large pair of jaws under the head, which is developed from
the second pair of legs. They occur under leaves and stones,

Fig. 180.— One of the gall-
mites, Eriopuyes.

126

BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

or rotten wood, etc. The millipedes, or Diplopoda (fig. 188), are very
remote from insects. They have a hard, round, or flattened body of

many rings, and each ring bears two pairs of
legs. Their mouth-parts are weak, and they
feed on vegetation or decaying matter. None
of them can bite.

Most of the directions given for collecting
insects apply to these groups. They are
treated as alcoholic insects, but not so much
apparatus is needed. A net is useful ; a fine
forceps is necessary, and a sieve net is very
handy to get the small forms. All of these
should be collected in vials of alcohol of
about 60 per cent and later put in 75 or 80
per cent alcohol, with a little glycerin. The
mites can be obtained by sifting leaves and
moss, and under boards, in fungi, and on
foliage. The egg sacs or cocoons of spiders
can be collected in pill boxes. In collecting
spiders one should learn to distinguish the
adults from the young. The mature male
has the tip of the palpi developed into a
complicated accessory genital apparatus.
The mature female has the vulva or genital
opening exposed at the base of the venter
of the abdomen. Spiders not having either
of these two characters are immature. It
is useful to collect the immature stages of
spiders, but if one does not know the differ-
ence he is apt to gather a great number of
young specimens. When one finds a spider in the young condition he
may be able, by visiting the spot later, to find some adult specimens.
Most Arachnids and Myriopods should be kept in corked vials of
alcohol with a little glycerine, just as alcoholic insects. Empty
cigar boxes or Marx trays, made for a double row of vials, are suit-
able for arranging collections.
The labels should always be
inside of the bottles. Many
mites are better when mounted
in balsam or glycerin on slides.
This is done as for mounting small insects.
be killed in hot water or acetic acid
of insects.

Fig. 187. — The house centipede,
scutigera forceps.

Fig. 188.— A millipede, Cambala annulata.

Many of these should
The slides may be kept as those

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 127

COLLECTIONS OF INSECTS.

It will be of interest to the collector to know where some of the
larger public collections of insects are kept. The principal public
museums of the country containing important entomological collec-
tions are the U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. ; the Museum
of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. ; the Academy of Natural
Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. ; the American Museum
of Natural Plistory, Central Park Vfest, New York, N. Y. ; the Car-
negie Museum, Pittsburg, Pa.; the Museum of the Erooklyn Insti-
tute, Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; the Field Museum of
Natural History, Chicago, 111.; the California Academy of Sciences,
San Francisco, Cal.; the Boston Society of Natural History, Berk-
eley street, Boston, Mass.; and the Milwaukee Public Museum,
Milwaukee, Wis. Besides these there are large collections in many
of the universities and colleges, such as Cornell University, Univer-
sity of Kansas, University of Illinois, Rutgers College, New York
State Museum at Albany, the Massachusetts Agricultural College,
Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Colorado Agricul-
tural College, University of Nebraska, Stanford University, University
of California, etc. There is a directory of entomologists published
by the American Entomological Society, Box 1577, Philadelphia, Pa.

PERIODICALS AND DEALERS.

The entomological periodicals of the country are as follows: Trans-
actions of the American Entomological Society, American Entomo-
logical Society, Box 1577, Philadelphia, Pa.; Proceedings of the
Entomological Society of Washington, Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C; the Canadian Entomologist, Entomological
Society of Ontario, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Psyche, Cambridge
Entomological Club, Boston Society of Natural History, Berk ' y
street, Boston, Mass. ; Entomological News, Academy of Natural
Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa.; Journal of the New York
Entomological Society, W. T. Davis, 4G Stuyvesant place, New
Brighton, Staten Island, N. Y. ; Annals of the Entomological Society
of America, II. Csborn, Ohio State University, Columbus, Chio ; Jour-
nal of Economic Entomology, E. D. Sanderson, Durham, N. II. Many
entomological papers are published in journals on general natural
history and by the Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, and in the Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum.

The dealers in entomological supplies are: The Knv-Schcorcr
Company, 404 West Twenty-seventh street, New York, N. Y. ; the
American Entomological Company, 55 Stuyvesant avenue, Brooklyn,
N. Y. ; M. Abbott Frazer, 93 Sudbury street, Boston, Mass.; A. Smith

128 BULLETIN 6*7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

& Sons, 269 Pearl street, New York, N. Y. ; Charles C. Riedy, 432
Montgomery street, San Francisco, Cal.; Bausch & Lomb Optical
Company, 154 Sutter street, San Francisco, Cal.; Thiebaut Brothers
(boxes), 2122-23, Lombard street, San Francisco, Cal.; the Simplex
Net Company (nets), Ithaca, N. Y. ; Queen & Co. (microscopes,
lenses, etc.), 1010 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Bausch & Lomb
Optical Co. (microscopes, lenses, etc.), Rochester, N. Y. ; the Spencer
Lens Company (microscopes, lenses, etc.), Buffalo, N. Y. ; the
Wiegner Printery (labels), 2234 North Twenty-ninth street, Philadel-
phia, Pa.; C. V. Blackburn (labels), 32 Chestnut street, Stoncham,
Mass., and the Entomological Society of Ontario, Guelph, Canada.

OBTAINING AND KEEPING TRACK OF LITERATURE.

Although some of the books treating of insects can be purchased
through the regular book trade, the larger number can only bo secured
through dealers in second-hand books. Many of these dealers adver-
ties in the various entomological journals. Various societies fre-
quently have for sale reprints of articles published in their proceedings.
Such are the American Entomological Society, Philadelphia, tho
Entomological Society of Washington, the New York Entomological
Society, etc. Some of these issue lists of the papers they have on
sale. The various foreign dealers in second-hand books issue cata-
logues, which are sent free on request. It is cheaper to buy of these
dealers directly than through an agency.

Owing to the great number of journals containing articles on ento-
mology, it is often difficult to keep track of the literature on any par-
ticular subject. The Entomologische Litteraturblatter, published
monthly by R. Friedlander & Sohn, Karlstrasse 11, Berlin, N. T7. G,
Germany, at 25 cents a year, contains the titles of the greater
number of articles published on insects. The Bulletin de la Societe
Entomologique de France and the Zeitschrift fur Wissenschaftliche
Insektenbiologie also contain lists of current literature. The Zoolo-
gischer Anzeiger publishes a nearly complete list of the literature on
all zoology. The Zoological Record, published each year by the
Zoological Society of London, contains practically all of the litera-
ture. The volumes are usually a year or more behindhand, and are
rather expensive. The Concilium Bibliographicum at Zurich, Switz-
erland, issues references on cards. A list of works of value in study-
ing North American insects is published by the Bureau cf Ento-
mology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and can be obtained on
request.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING INSECTS BANKS. 129

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY.

Comstock, J. H. — A Manual for the Study of Insects. Ithaca, N. Y., 1895.

Insect Life. New York, 1901.

Folsom, J. W. — Entomology, with special reference to its Biological and Economic

Aspects. Philadelphia, 1906.
Hagen, II. A. — Bibliotheca Entomologica, Leipsic, 1862. (A list of all the articles

published on Entomology down to 1862.)
Howard, L. 0.— The Insect Book. New York, 1904.
Hyatt, A., and Arms, J. M. — Guide for Science Teaching, No. 3, Insecta. Boston,

1890.
Kellogg, V. L. — American Insects. New York, 1905 and 1908.
Lubbock, J. (Lord Avebury). — The Senses, Instincts, and Intelligence of Animals,

with special reference to Insects. International Science Series. London and

New York, 1890.
Miall, L. C. — The Natural History of Aquatic Insects. London, 1895.
Packard, A. S. — A Text-book on Entomology. New York, 1898.

Entomology for Beginners. New York, 1888.

Guide to the Study of Insects. New York. (Many editions.)

Say, Thomas. — Complete Writings on the Entomology of North America; edited by

John L. LeContc. 2 vols. New York, 1859.
Sharp, D. — The Cambridge Natural History. Insects. 2 vols. London, 1895-1899.
Smith, J. B. — Explanation of Terms used in Entomology. Brooklyn, 1906.
Westwood, J. A. — An Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects. 2 vols.

London, 1839-1840.

HYMENOPTERA.

Ashmead, \Y. II. — A Monograph of the North American Proctotrypidaj. Bulletin No.
45, U. S. National Museum. Washington, 1893.

Cressox, E. T. — Synopsis of the families and genera of the Hymenoptera of North
America north of Mexico, together with a catalogue of the described species and
bibliography. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. Supple-
mentary volume. Philadelphia, 1887.

Maulatt, C. L. — A Revision of the Nematinaj of North America. Technical series,
No. 3, Division of Entomology. U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1896.

Peckham, G. W. and E. G. — Instincts and Habits of the Solitary Wasps. Bulletin
No. 2, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, 1898.

Saussure, II. de. — Synopsis of American Solitary Wasps. Smithsonian Institution,
1875.

Wheeler, W. M. — The Ants of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Bulletin of the
American Museum of Natural History, vol. 24, 1908, pp. 399-485 (and later vol-
umes) .

diptera.

Aldricii, J. M. — A Catalogue of the North American Diptera. Smithsonian Institu-
tion, 1905.

Baker, C. F. — A Revision of the American Siphonaptera or Fleas, together with a
complete list and bibliography. Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum,
vol. 27, 1904, pp. 365^69.

Howard, L. O. — Mosquitoes: How they Live, how they Carry Disease, how they are
Classified, and how they may be Destroyed. New York, 1901.

Loew, II., and Osten-Sacken, C. R. — Monographs of the Diptera of North America.
Smithsonian Institution. 4 vols., 1862-1872.

130 BULLETIN 67, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Williston, S. W. — Manual of North American Diptera. 3d edition. New Haven,

Conn., 1908.
Synopsis of the North American Syrphidse. Bulletin No. 31, U. S. National

Museum, 1886.

LEPIDOPTERA.

Clemens, B. — The Tineina of North America; edited by H. P. Stainton. London,
1872.

Comstock, J. H. — How to Know the Butterflies. New York, 1904.

Dyar, H. G. — A List of North American Lepidoptera. Bulletin No. 52, U. S. National
Museum, 1902.

Edwards, W. H. — The Butterflies of North America. 3 vols. Boston, 1893.

Forbes, W. T. M. — Field Tables of Lepidoptera. Worcester, Mass., 1906.

French, G. H. — The Butterflies of the Eastern United States. Philadelphia, 1886.

Holland, W. J.— The Butterfly Book. New York, 1905.

The Moth Book. New York, 1903.

Packard, A. S. — A Monograph of the Geometrid Moths or Phalsenidae of the United
States. U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories, vol. 10, Washington, 1876.

Scudder, S. H. — The Butterflies of the Eastern United States and Canada, with
special reference to New England. 3 vols. Cambridge, 1889.

Skinner, H. — A Synonymic Catalogue of the North American Rhopalocera. Phila-
delphia, 189S; Supplement, 1905.

Smith, J. B. — A Monograph of the Sphingida? of North America north of Mexico.
Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 15, 1888, pp. 49-242.

Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Boreal America. American Entomological

Society, Philadelphia, 1903.

Wright, W. G. — The Butterflies of the West Coast of the United States. San Fran-
cisco, Cal., 1905.

COLEOPTERA.

Fall, H. C. — A List of Coleoptera of Southern California, with Notes on Habits and
Distribution, and Descriptions of New Species. Proceedings of the California
Academy of Sciences, vol. 8, 1902, 282 pages.

Henshaw, S. — A List of Coleoptera of America north of Mexico. American Entomo-
logical Society, 1885; 3d supplement, Philadelphia, 1895.

Le Conte, J. L., and Horn, G. H. — The Rhynchophora of America north of Mexico.
Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 15, 1876, pp. 1^155.

Classification of the Coleoptera of North America. Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, 1883.

Leng, C. W. — Revision of the Cicindelidae of Boreal America. Transactions of the
American Entomological Society, vol. 28, 1902, pp. 93-186.

hemiptera.

Fernald, Mrs. M. E. — A Catalogue of the Coccidae of the World. Special Bulletin
No. 88, Massachusetts Experiment Station, 1903.

Hinds, W. D. — Contribution to a Monograph of the Insects of the Order Thysanoptera
inhabiting North America. Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, vol. 26,
1902, pp. 79-242.

Hunter, W. D. — The Aphididse of North America. Bulletin No. 60, Iowa Agricul-
tural Experiment Station, 1901.

Uhler, P. R. — Checklist of the Hemiptera-Heteroptera of North America. Brooklyn
Entomological Society, 1886.

Van Duzee, E. P. — A Catalogue of the described Jassoidea of North America. Trans-
actions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 21, 1894, pp. 245-316.

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING [NSECTS — BANKS. 131

ORTHOPTERA .

Blatchley, W. S. — The Orthoptera of Indiana. 27th Annual Report, of the Depart-
ment of Geological and Natural Resources of Indiana for 1002, pp. 123-471.

Lugger, 0. — The Orthoptera of Minnesota. The third annual report of the Ento-
mologist of Minnesota for 1897, 285 pages.

Scudder. S. H. — A Revision of the Orthopterous group Melanopli, with special
reference to North American forms. Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum,
vol. 20, 1887, pp. 1-421.

— Guide to the Genera and Classification of the North American Orthoptera.
Cambridge, 1897.

— Catalogue of the described Orthoptera of the United States and Canada. Pro-

ceedings of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, vol. 8, 1900.

NEUROPTERA.

Banks, N. — Catalogue of the Neuropteroid Insects (except Odonata) of the United
States. American Entomological Society, Philadelphia, 1907.

Calvert, P. P. — Catalogue of the Odonata of the Vicinity of Philadelphia. Tran-
sactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 20, 1893, pp. 152-272.

Hagen, H. — Synopsis of the Neuroptera of North America, with List of the South
American Species. Smithsonian Institution, 1861.

Williamson, E. B. — The Dragonflies of Indiana. Indiana Geological Report for
1899, pp. 229-333. 1900.

THYSANURA.

Guthrie, J. E. — The Collembola of Minnesota. Geological and Natural History

Survey of Minnesota. 1903, 110 pages.
Mac Gillivray, A. D. — A Catalogue of the Thysanura of North America. Canadian

Entomologist, 1891, pp. 267-276.

MYRLAPODA.

Bollman, C. H. — The Myriapoda of North America. Bulletin No. 40. U. S. National

Museum, 1893.
Cook, O. F., and Collins, G. N. — The Craspedosomatida' of North America. Annals

of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 9, 1895.
Wood, H. C. — The Myriapoda of North America. Transactions of the American

Philosophical Society, vol. 13, 1865, pp. 137-248.

ARACHNIDA.

Banks, N. — Families and Genera of Araneida. American Naturalist, 1905, pp.

293-323.
A Catalogue of the Acarina or Miles of the United States Proceedings of the

U. S. National Museum, vol. 32, 1907, pp. 595-625.
— A Revision of the Ixodoidea or Ticks of the United States. Technical Series,

No. 15, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1908.

— A Treatise on the Acarina or Mites. Proceedings of the 0". S. National .Museum,

vol. 28, 1904, 114 pages.
Emerton, J. II. — The Common Spiders of the United States. Boston, 1902.
IIextz, N. M. — The Spiders of the United Slates. Occasional papers. No. 2. Boston

Society of Natural History, 1875.
Marx, G. — A Catalogue of the Described Araneseof Temperate .North America. Pn -

ceedings of the U. S. National Museum, vol. 13, 1889, pp. 497-594.
88552— Bull. 67—09 10

NDEX

Page.

Acridiidae 11

Adephaga 18

Alcoholic material 72

Amlmlatoria 10

Anisoptera 8

Anoplura 16

Ant cages 117

Anthomyidse 31

Anthophila 35

Ants 33

Ants' nests, collecting in 101

Aphidse 15

Apidae 35

Aquatic collecting 104

Aquatic insects, rearing 118

Arachnids, collecting 122

Archiptera 7

Arrangement of insects 109

Asilidae 30

Barkbeetles 21

Beach collecting 84, 100

Beating net 40

Bed-bug 13

Bees 35

Beetles 17

Berlese collecting cage. 43

Bibliography 129

Bird-lice 7

Black flies 29

Blattidae 10

Blister-beetles 20

Blowing larvae 69

Bombyces 20

Bombyliidae 30

Boxes 104

Brachycera 29

Braconidae 33

Breeding cages 113

Bruchidae 21

12

Bugs

Bumblebees

Buprestes

Busck box

Butterflies

Cabinets

Caddiceflies

Calandridse

Capsidae

Carabidse.

Cassidae

Caterpillars, collecting,
recidomviid*"

36
20

lit
23
104
23
21
14
IS
21
88
28

Centipedes, collecting. . .

Cerarnbycidas

Cercopidae

Chalastogastra

Chalcididae

Characteristics of insects

Chironomidae

Chrysomelidae

Cicada

Cicindelidae

Classification of insects. .

Clavicornia

Clear-winged moths

Click-beetles

Coccida?

mounting

Coccinellidae

Cockroaches

Coleoptera

collecting .
Collecting apparatus ....
Collections of insects. . . .

Collembola

Conopidae

Coreidae

Corrodentia

Crane-flies

Crickets

Cryptocerata

Culicidae

Curculionidae

Cursoria

Cutworms

Cynipidae

Dealers

Denton tablets

Denuding wings

Dermaptera

Diploptera

Diptera

collecting

Dolichopodidae

Double mounts

Dragonflies

collecting- . .

Drying cage

oven

Duplicates, mounting.

Dytiscidse

Earwigs

Elateridae

Empididse

'age.
125
21
14
32
33

1
28
21
15
18

5
IS
26
19
15
94
19
10
17
75
37
127

(i

30
13

27
12
14
28
21
10
25
33
127
108
71

133

134

INDEX.

I'iige.

Ephemeridae 8

Excrement, collecting in 102

Fielde ant nest 117

Fireflies 19

Fishmoths 5

Fleas 32

Flies 27

Flowers, collecting on 99

Forceps 49

Forest insects, collecting 102

Forficulidre 9

Formicidas 33

Fossores 34

Fulgoridae 15

Fungi, collecting in 100

Gallflies 33

• Jails, insects in 101

Geometridae 26

Grasshoppers t 11

Grease 112

Gryllidar 12

Grypocera 25

Hemiptera 12

collecting 93

Heterocera 24

Heteromera 20

Heteroptera 12

Homoptera 14

Honey bee 36

Horseflies 30

Hydrophilidae 19

Hynienoptera 32

collecting 90

Ichneumonidae 33

Importance of entomology 3

Inflating larvae 09

Isoptera 6

Jassidae 14

June-hugs 22

Katydids 11

Killing insects 50

Labels <2

Lace wing flies 17

Ladybird beetles 19

Lamellicornia 22

Lampyridee 19

Leafhoppers 14

-rollers 26

Lens 49

Lepidoptera ■. 23

collecting 86

Leptidae 29

Lice 16

Lights 45

Locustidse 11

Long-horned beetles 21

Lucanidae 22

Lygaeidae 13

Mallophaga 7

Mantidae 10

Marx trays 74

May-beetles .'. 22

Mayflies 8

Measuring worms 26

Mecaptera 17

Megaloptera 16

rage.

Meloidae 20

Membracidae 14

Microlepidoptera 26

collecting 89

Micro-pins 55

Millipedes, collecting 126

Mites, collecting 124

Mold ill

Mordellidae 20

Mosquitoes 28

rearing 119

Moss, collecting in 101

Moths 24

Mounting specimens on slides 67

Mud dauber wasps 35

Muscidae 31

Mutillidae 35

Mycetophilidae 28

Myriopoda, collecting 125

Myrmecophilous insects 77

Myrmeleon 17

Naphthalene Ill

Nemocera 28

Nets 37

Neuroptera 16

collecting 97

Noctuidae 26

Odonata 9

Odyneridae 35

(Estridse 31

Ortalidae 31

Orthoptera 9

collecting 96

Otiorhynchidae 21

Packing insects 120

Panorpidae 17

Papering specimens 65

Parasitica 33

Pediculi 16

Pentatomidae 13

Periodicals 127

Perlidae 8

Pests 110

Phasmidas 10

Phytophaga 20

Phy tophthires 15

Pinning insects 53

Pins i 53

Plant-lice 15

collecting 91

Platyptera 6

Plecoptera 8

Points 56

Preparing wings 71

Proctotrypidae 33

Psocidae 7

Psychidae 26

Pulicidse 32

Pupae, rearing 116

Pupipara 31

Pyralidas 26

Raptoria 10

Rearing insects 112

Reduviidae 14

Rhopalocera 24

Rhynchophora 21

INItlX.

135

Page

Rhynchota 12

Riker mounts 109

Rove-beetles 19

Sanatoria 10

Sarcophaga (lies 31

Sawflies .12

Scale insects 1 5

Scarabaeidae 22

Sehmitt box 10.5

Scolytidae 21

Serricornia 19

Shipping insects 120

Sieve 42

Silphidffi 19

Stmuliidse 29

Siphonaptera 32

Skippers 25

Slide box 68

mounts 67

Soil collecting 100

Sphegidae 35

Sphinges 25

Spiders, collecting 122

Spreading insects 58

pins 60

Spring-tails 6

Staphylinidae 19

Stegoptera 17

Stink bugs 13

Stoneflies 8

Storage of specimens 65

Storing alcoholics 74

Stratiomyiidae 30

l'age.

Strepsiptera 22

Stylopidse 22

Sugaring 47

Syrphidse 30

Tabanidae 30

Tachinidse 31 •

Tenebrionidae 20

Tenthredinidse 33

Termites 6

Termitophilous insects 77

Thrips 16

Thysanopt era 16

Thysanura >

Tiger- beetles 18

Tineidae 26

Tingitidae 14

Tipulidae 28

Tortricidse 26

Trap lights 46

Traps 46, 79

Treehoppers 14

Trichoptera 23

Trypetidie :tl

Umbrella 42

Uroceridae :i3

Verdigris 112

Vespidae 35

Walking-stick 10

Wasps :«

Water nets 40

Weevils 21

White ants 6

o

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