Rotating heads

[Ron Gatrelle]

I would just ditto everything Ken says below - main point being a fully
relaxed specimen. I don't freeze stuff either. I have found that in some
specimens I have gotten in exchange which had been in a freezer, that they
seem to handle differently - usually less stiff. I have attributed this to
the freeze drying effect over a long time that seems to actually degenerate
tissue? Thoughts on this?
Ron

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kenelm Philip" <fnkwp at aurora.alaska.edu>
To: <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2001 8:13 PM
Subject: Rotating heads


>
> Mark Walker asked about rotating heads of papered butterflies when
spread-
> ing them. I have noticed the same problem--with papered material the head
> often ends up rotated to one side or the other, making it difficult to
> position the antennae correctly.
>
> What I do is as follows: 1) make sure the specimen is fully relaxed--
> which takes about 24 hours in my relaxer. 2) after pinning the specimen
> through the thorax, and before pinning it into the groove in the
spreading
> board, inspect the head position. If the head is rotated, use a probe to
> rotate it about the same amount in the opposite direction. One or more
such
> attempts will usually bring the head, after you remove the probe, to
> something close to the correct position as far as rotation goes. 3) pin
> the specimen to the board and spread.
>
> I have never had a head 'lock' into the rotated position--the head always
> rotates freely when pushed. However, I don't freeze them--I use ethyl
> acetate to kill them. Maybe something about freezing does that?
>
> Ken Philip
> fnkwp at uaf.edu
>
>
>
>
>
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