Hello: do you intend to store living or dead insects for your experiments ?

All the best,

Charles VINCENT

Hello,

I'm storing dead ones.

Best regards,

Anna

Hello,

This question has been addressed for necrophagous larvae stored for forensic entomology studies.

You can have a look to these articles:

- Adamek M, Mlček J, Adámková A, Suchánková J, Janalíková M, Borkovcová M & Bednářová M (2018) Effect of different storage conditions on the microbiological characteristics of insect. Potravinarstvo 12.

- Bugelli V, Campobasso CP, Verhoff MA & Amendt J (2017) Effects of different storage and measuring methods on larval length values for the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina. Science & Justice: Journal of the Forensic Science Society 57:159–164.

- Richards CS, Rowlinson CC & Hall MJR (2013) Effects of storage temperature on the change in size of Calliphora vicina larvae during preservation in 80% ethanol. International journal of legal medicine 127:231–241.

Kind regards

Damien

It depends on the size of the insect and the state of development (larva, nymph or adult). For large adult insects with a rigid body, such as Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Mantodea, Hymenoptera, the best way to preserve them is mounted and extended dry in entomological cabinets. For small, soft-bodied insects (aphids, thrips, scales, fleas, mealybugs, whiteflies, mites, collembola, etc.), the best way is to mount them on glass plates with coverslips glued with balsam of canada .If it is for DNA analysis, some parts of the body can be preserved in a 90% ethanol solution. For details of how to mount and preserve insects consult a basic entomology book like Borror, De Long and Triplehorn, Introduction to the study of insects.