drying specimens in humid conditions

[Mark Walker]

Here in Oceanside we have a serious problem with introduced ants from
Argentina.  To my horror, they managed to find my spreading boards a few
weeks ago.  They decimated an immaculate Callophrys nelsoni, chewed the
insides away from some Hesperia juba, and started to ream the abdomen of an
immaculate Papilio bairdii.  For some reason, they completely ignored two
perfect Euphydryas editha.  There is nothing worse than having some
parasitic insect cruelly destroy the beautiful little creatures that I have
mercilessly annihilated.

Seriously though, nothing is worse for the lepidopterist.  All the work of
hunting, relaxing, and spreading - only to provide lunch for some vagabond
cousin.  Too bad these pests are rarely worthy of being mounted themselves.

Mark Walker
Oceanside, CA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Grkovich, Alex [mailto:agrkovich at tmpeng.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 12:58 PM
> To: 'Ron Gatrelle'; beebuzz at kiva.net
> Cc: Leps-l
> Subject: RE: drying specimens in humid conditions
> 
> 
> ...and watch out for pests; I lost about 10 specimens to ants on the
> spreading boards about a month ago, including a beautiful 
> Hybrid Admiral
> (albofasciata; Red Spotted Purple/White Admiral) and a Hoary 
> Edge. I now let
> everything dry in a large sealed tupperware container 
> (occasionaaly with PDB
> crystals inside). Talk about being stupid.....
> 
> And, like Ron, I don't use heat; I just give it time...
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:	Ron Gatrelle [SMTP:gatrelle at tils-ttr.org]
> > Sent:	Thursday, July 19, 2001 3:43 PM
> > To:	beebuzz at kiva.net
> > Cc:	Leps-l
> > Subject:	Re: drying specimens in humid conditions
> > 
> > You do have a dilemma.  Having tried various drying 
> techniques myself I
> > will just address here for you, and those reading, a couple 
> of pit falls
> > to
> > avoid.
> > 
> > It was really stupid on my part, but I once used wax paper 
> as pinning
> > strips and inserted the specimens into the oven. You can 
> figure the rest.
> > A
> > point here is that techniques that work fine in one 
> situation can be a
> > disaster in another. I don't expect anyone to be as stupid 
> as I, but just
> > consider all possibilities before proceeding and ruining 
> good specimens.
> > No
> > Styrofoam mounting boards in the heat either. Nothing that 
> will warp,
> > melt,
> > bleed color, etc.
> > 
> > Something needs to cover the entire wings as quick drying 
> will curl them.
> > I
> > rarely heat dry specimens any more. As in Liz's case, it is 
> the big fat
> > stuff we do this with. the tiny guys will dry OK on their 
> own. The key
> > word
> > if FAT. It melts. You may not see it for a several months - but heat
> > begins
> > to break it down and greatly accelerates greasing. For me, no more
> > Megathymus (Giant Skippers) in the oven. I now freeze them, 
> slice open
> > their abdomen, remove the cold contents, stuff with cotton, 
> super glue the
> > incision, and by now they have thawed and I mount them.
> > 
> > So my bottom line here is that I have no alternative dryer 
> suggestion.
> > Just
> > a warning to all to think it through before damaging 
> specimens. Very low
> > heat is essential, drying by evaporation takes time.
> > Ron
> > 
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Liz Day" <beebuzz at kiva.net>
> > Subject: drying specimens in humid conditions
> > 
> > 
> > > 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
> > >
> > >
> > > -------------------------------------------------------------
> > > 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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> > 
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