Cold to preserve specimens.

[Roger Kendrick]

O.k., I'll accept that cooling leps in refridgerators works - I've
done so successfully with many British moths. However, I don't
advocate this method for most tropical (South-east Asian) species,
though - a couple of nights in the 'fridge kills almost all the
species I've tried so far (in excess of 1000 spp.), including the
local Saturniidae and Sphingidae.

regards,

Roger.

--- "Martha V. Lutz & Charles T. Lutz" <lutzrun at AVALON.NET> wrote: >
Taking a break from a take-home toxicology exam, and this is what I
> saw on
> the leps list:
> 
> " The subject here is the long term preservation of adult specimens
> via
> refrigeration. This is presented as general information to
> everyone.
>     In the discussion between Linda Rogers and Yo, we considered
> the
> possibility of preserving living adult butterflies via subjection
> to cold. I
> say this works. She says it does not. Well, I have often employed
> this
> method to keep specimens alive for weeks. I learned this technique
> many
> decades ago from some of the "old" collectors who collected adult
> females,
> then kept them alive until suitable host plants were located to
> present to
> the females for them to oviposit on."
> 
> Et cetera.
> 
> 
> My $0.02 worth is that using 'cold' (as an agent of preservation)
> to keep
> specimens alive is peachy.  It works.
> 
> I have been working with Saturniids since 1988.  The adults have no
> mouths,........


=====
Roger C. KENDRICK
Ph.D. candidate
Dept. of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong Moths Website - http://hkusub.hku.hk/~kendrick/hkmoth.htm
An Illustrated Guide to the Moths of Hong Kong - http://hkusub.hku.hk/~kendrick/IGMHKinfo.htm
mailto:hkmoths at yahoo.co.uk or mailto:kendrick at hkusua.hku.hk

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