1.

0 Introduction

Dry preservation is the process of preserving dry specimens such as plants and
insects for various purposes that include the study of the insects. There are many reasons
why dry preservation is carried out. One of the many reasons is because properly preserved
and stored insect specimens can be enjoyed and studied for hundreds of years while most
insects live only for a period of days to months before they die and decompose. Specimens
in museums, along with the data provided on the specimen labels constitute an historic
record of biological diversity and can be used to document changes in distribution and
abundance of species over time. Some museums contain specimens of now-extinct insect
species.

Besides that, the study of insects in collections provides knowledge that can lead to a
better understanding and higher tolerance of this group of animals in our environment.
Ignorance about insects and their relatives can lead to an irrational fear of insects, called
entomophobia (fear of spiders is arachnaphobia), or even psychological problems such as
imagining that your body is infested with insects (delusionary parasitosis). Inability to
determine beneficial insects (pollinators, predators, parasites) from pest insects can lead to
unnecessary pesticide (insecticide) use.

Last but not least, during the exercise of collecting insects, collectors learn about
relationships between insects and their environment, the importance of habitat, keys to
species survival, and the relationships between species groups such as hosts, predators and
parasites, i.e., trophic levels. Closer inspection of predaceous insects, for instance, reveal
adaptive features enabling those species or groups or species to capture prey or what
features allow a walking stick to mimic a twig.

2.0 Process of dry preservation of Pterostichus melanarius

The insect caught is a black beetle, scientifically called Pterostichus melanarius. This
insect comes from the Phylum Arthropoda family. It has a shiny black surface and had 3
pairs of legs. It is collected using a funnel net that is bought from the store. The location in
which it was collected is in the rural area of Inanam, Kota Kinabalu. The condition of the
location was damp and cold due to the continuous rainfall.

The killing method that was used to kill the insect was the freezing method. This
method does not involve the use of alcohol and killing jars, thus saving the cost of the
experiment. Once the insect was collected, it is put inside a container and is stored in the
fridge for 1 day. It is noteworthy to avoid using glass jars as condensation will occur and the
body of the insect will be harmed due to water contact.
 After the insect is frozen, it is taken out from the container to be dried under the sun
for a day. After drying the insect, it should be mounted on a Styrofoam, but before that, the
insect needs to be moisturised. Take a jar and place a few cotton balls in the bottom.
Saturate the cotton balls with water. Place your specimen in the jar and after about twenty-
four hours, it should be movable. After it is moisturised, only then can the insect be mounted
on a Styrofoam.
The mounting of the beetle onto a Styrofoam involves the process of pinning the
insect’s body parts. Pinning is used for medium to large insects. The pin is inserted in the
wing sheath. The thickness of the Styrofoam should be at least 1-inch thick.
After the insect is properly mounted onto the Styrofoam, it should be labelled
accordingly. The labels are printed. The first label that was put on the Styrofoam contains
the location of the insect collection, date of collection, and collector’s name. Next labels are
the names of the different body parts of the insect.
Last but not least, after all the process involved, the last step is to store the specimen
properly. The specimen is sealed tightly with a piece of wrapping paper in order to keep
pests from destroying it.
3.0 REFERENCES

Beetles. Richard E. White. 1983. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Eastern Moths. Charles V. Covell, Jr. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Field Guide to the Butterflies of North America, East of the Great Plains. Alexander B. Klots.
1951. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Field Guide to the Insects of America North of Mexico. Donald J. Borror and Richard E.
White. 1970. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders. Lorus and Margery Milne. 1980. Alfred A.
Knopf, New York.

Field Guide to North American Butterflies. Michael Pyle. 1995. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects. Richard Jacques Jr. 1981. Simon and Schuster Inc.,
New York.

Insects of the Great Lakes Region. Gary Dunn. 1996. University of Michigan Press, Ann
Arbor.

(An) Introduction to the Study of Insects (6th ed.). Donald Borror, Charles Triplehorn,
Norman Johnson. 1989. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia.
4.0 APPENDIX

1.0 Location of insect

2.0 Beetle (Pterostichus melanarius)

3.0 mounting of the insect

4.0 Labelling the specimen