a. Locality. The first label is the localitv label. The following information should
be recorded: state, county, city, or miIitary installation where collection is made. If the
collection is made outside the United States (OCONUS), the appropriate information as
pertains to the foreign country should be recorded. In all labeling procedures, only
standard abbreviations should be used.
b. Habitat. Directly below the locality is the habitat label. On this label should
be recorded information on the habitat of the arthropod, such as tree hole, tire track,
slow-moving stream, and so forth. The date of the collection with the month in Roman
numerals and the first initial and last name of the collector must be included.
c. Determination. The next label is the determination label. The genus and
species of the arthropod, the date of determination, and the determiner's name are
placed on this label.
Section III. ALCOHOL PRESERVATION
4-7.
TEMPORARY ALCOHOL MOUNTS
Arthropods such as scorpions, spiders, mites, ticks, and ants cannot be mounted
on pin mounts because their bodies wiII shrivel or become distorted. These specimens
are usually mounted in temporary alcohol mounts.
a. Killing Procedures. Soft-bodied adult arthropods can be killed by freezing,
or 95 percent ethyl alcohol (ethanol). When the volume of alcohol is great compared to
the size of the arthropod (mites, ticks, Iice, and so forth.), the specimen should be kilied
in 75-80 percent ethyl alcohol. The specimen should be left in the alcohol for 24 hours
before transferring it to the preserving media. Mosquito larvae should not be killed in
alcohol because they tend to become distorted. The correct way to kiII mosquito larvae
is to place them in hot water (greater than 65 degrees Celsius).
b. Mounting Procedure. Temporary alcohol mounts are made in appropriately
sized jars or other glass containers. The container should allow easy viewing, insertion,
and removal of the specimen. A very large jar for a small specimen is a waste of
medium and space.
(1) The jar should be filled with selected medium. For adult arthropods, 70-
75 percent ethyl alcohol is generally used. Small, soft-bodied arthropods may be
mounted in 75-80 percent ethyl alcohol. Larvae killed in water should be preserved in
75 percent alcohol. Spiders should be preserved in 95 percent ethyl alcohol. When
using ethyl alcohol, one part glycerin must be added to every nine parts of alcohol. The
glycerin coats the specimen and protects it from desiccation.
.
(2) Once the composition of the medium is determined, the jar should be
filled and the specimen added. If the kiIIing media is the same as the preserving media,
the specimen can be kept alive untiI preservation. Specimens of the same species and
MD0170
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