I have been trying to get the wings of my Mirids for morphometrics. The insects are less than 1 mm and preserved in 70% EtOH. I have tried to use forceps and razor blade without removing them from the alcohol. Most of the time I end up with the legs detached, and the wings are incomplete or slightly damaged. Thanks
Dear Melina,
You can try to empty the entire contents into a glass plate, then move the insects into a well slides with a drop of glycerin (in this way the ethanol will not evaporate while doing dissection). For detaching the wings you can use a Alcon 20ga V-lance, or you can use a superfine forceps, or a dissecting needle (you could get an idea about the instruments by looking on the website - http://www.insectnet.eu/preparation_collecting.php#narzedzia_preparacyjne.
Good luck,
Lavinia
Hi Lavinia,
Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I've been trying to get some dissecting equipments which were not readily available a.k.a. should be imported. In the mean time perhaps I will make the best use of what we have here, such as refining and sharpening the forceps and needles.
Best,
Susi
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