drying specimens in humid conditions

[Liz Day]

Hello all,

I'm going to be mounting a lot of big fat moth specimens.  The ambient 
humidity is around 65-85% (including indoors unless I air condition).  This 
is normal for summer here.  In these conditions I've found that bumblebees 
rot before they dry, so big moths probably would too.   I decided this 
could be fixed by putting the specimens in my car sitting in the sun.   I 
just measured the temperature in there and it's 51C (124F).   This should 
be sufficient to lower the humidity enough, but I worry that the heat will 
hurt the specimens in some way.  (They are not in direct sun.)   Does 
anyone know?

I'm also gonna try a big cardboard box with an incandescent light bulb in 
it.  The specimens can go in here for a week after the initial drying in 
the car.   Any experience/advice with this type of setup?

(Paying to aircondition the whole apartment for two weeks to dry bugs is 
too painful to consider.  The oven won't work either for various 
reasons.  In the past, specimens dried well under an incandescent desk 
light, but now there are too many of them to fit.)

Thank you....

Liz


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Liz Day
Indianapolis, Indiana, central USA  (40 N, ~86 W)
USDA zone 5b.  Winters ~20F, summers ~85F.  Formerly temperate deciduous 
forest.
daylight at kiva.net
www.kiva.net/~daylight
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