Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-15
STUDENTS OF AGRICULTURE
SHOULD LEARN ABOUT PESTS

Most insects, like butterflies, moths,
bees and flies, should be pinned
through the middle of the thorax Chat
part of the body to which the wings
are attached), but beetles should be
pinned near the upper end of the
right wing-cover, and true bugs
through the scutellum Ca triangular
piece between the bases of the wings).
Grasshoppers are often pinned
through the tip of the ''prothorax,"
little in front of the base of the wings.
The insect should be pushed fully
two-thirds of the way up on the pin,
and the collection will make much
better appearance if all the specimens
are of an even height.
Insects should be prepared and
mounted as soon as possible after they
are collected, for If they are left for
any length of time the wings and legs
will become stiff and easily broken,
and it will be impossible to spread the
wings, as will often be desirable in
order to give the specimens a lifelike
attractive appearance. If it should be
impossible to mount the specimens
until they have become rigid, they
can be relaxed by placing them for
a time on a piece of paper in box
partly filled with moist sand. 1t will
be we'll to put a few drops of carbolic
acid on the sand, in order to prevent
molding. After being left in this way
for a few days the insects viii gener-
ally be sufficiently relaxed to make 1t
possible to mount them without great
difficulty. In mounting butterflies, a
spreading board, which has a groove
to hold the body and fiat surfaces on
either side to which the wings are
pinned, will be found convenient.
If 1t is desired to keep the insects
for several years. it is necessary to
put them in tight, dry and dark box
tight to exclude other insects which
would eat them, dry to prevent mold,
and dark to preserve their colors.
While the regular collectors COM
monty use special boxes for collec-
tons, cigar boxes will do for the pur-
pose of temporary study. The bottom
of the box should be lined with some
soft material, such as cork, peat,
well-dried corn pith, or corrugated
paper, and covered with soft paper.
TO prevent other insects from coming
in and eating the specimens, a pinch
of flake naphthalene or a naphthalene
cone should be placed In each box.
Within the box the specimens should
be arranged, each kind by itself in
row. A label with the name of the
insect can be placed behind the row
of each species, or attached to the
pin on the first specimen in the row.
Live Insects Interesting Subjects for
Study.
One of the most interesting phases
of insect study is the rearing of in
sects. The simplest way Is to collect
the cocoons attached to various trees
in the autumn, and the fine moths,
red, brown, or pea-green, will appear
the following spring. 1t is more in
structive, however, to collect the lar
vac or caterpillars and place them in
a box where they can be supplied each
day with the proper kind of leaves
for food BY this means one can
watch the caterpillars change their
skins while they grow, and also note
| the change from the caterpillar to the
chrysalis. Any box with a top of
netting to prevent the caterpillar
from geeting out will be suitable. By
putting moist sand in the bottom of
the box, the food will keep fresh a
longer time.
Many other details regarding this
Interesting study will be found in
the new bulletin. Every amateur in
sect collector should have it to help
him obtain better results.