Help! Mites on mounted butterflies

Ron Gatrelle rgatrelle at home.com
Mon Nov 6 11:55:13 EST 2000


To Miss Molly and all beginner collectors.
    You are now an official butterfly collector. This can not be said of
someone until they have their first bout with dermestids (beetles),
Corrodentia (book lice) and/or mold. It sounds like you have your specimens
in a Riker mounts -- flat on cotton. Most of us started with Rikers. You
will eventually switch to a cabinet with drawers. So you might as well bite
the financial bullet and start now. Contact Bio Quip at bioquip at aol.com and
as for their catalogue -- if you have not already done so.
    The problem with Riker mounts. The glass will eventually rub the scales
off your specimens. The flip side is just as important as the other.
Specimen collections are esthetically pleasing but the main reason to have a
collection is the scientific data that each specimen represents. There are
hundreds of undescribed species (mostly moths) of Lepidoptera in just the
US.
    Every collection needs to have some type of pesticide inside with the
specimens. And if humidity is a problem, then humidity removing crystals are
needed. Specimens will last forever if kept dry, out of the light, and away
from hungry cousins.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Miss Molly Grue" <missmollygrue at aol.com>
To: <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 1:22 AM
Subject: Help! Mites on mounted butterflies


> I am an amature butterfly collector, and I've gotten reasonably good at
it.
> Unfortunately, I discovered in one of my mounts a tiny mite.  About one mm
> long, and white/clear in color.  I don't know what it is, how/why I got
it, and
> if I should just get rid of that mount so that it doesn't spread to the
rest of
> my butterflies.  I would like to get rid of it in that mount if possible,
but
> I'm at a loss.  Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
>
> ~J
>
>
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>    For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:
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