which microscope? and which keys guides

[meinchewster]

Whilst im on a mission digging for advice regarding terrestrial invert idetification, I was wandering if there was any preferance of microscope. I will be getting a new one in april as my old olympus (ex uni) shot it at the end of last year. I presume a binocular or stereo microscope with wide field and lower magnification is better for the job than lab microscope with high mag for slides/bacteria etc?

So the question is, what do you use and why...and how much does it cost?

Also as posted in another thread, does anyone reccomend any keys/guides to the various groups of terrestrial inverts, for intermediate upwards? has anyone got any such material for sale?

Thanks.

[Laurence Clemons]

I have an Olympus zoom stereoscopic microscope with standard x10 eyepieces and additional x 20 eyepieces and x 1.5 accessory objective which is used in conjunction with a Schott fibre optic light. There is a comprehensive range of microscopes and accessories at
GX Optical Microscopes for digital microscopes, digital microscopes, portable microscopes, stereo microscopes, low cost microscopes, education microscopes, inverted microscopes Home

Good illumination is preferable to high magnification.

As for key works a good range can be seen at
FSC Publications - Identification Guides, Resources for Schools and Environmental Professionals

[eucera]

I use a Meiji EMT stereo microscope with a Schott KL1500 illuminator. The light is delivered through a fibre optic cable and a ring illuminator

The magnifications I have are 20x and 40x. I agree totally with Laurence, that quality illumination is far more critical than big magnification


As for costs, it would be best to check the websites, I bought my 'scope 20 years ago! Various suppliers advertise in the pages of British Wildlife

[squishy]

the FSC (as mentioned above) is very good. they also have a very good range which are of a level i can't find anywhere else, sort of above an intermediate field guide, without going all the way up to the specialist publications

out if interest, which (if any) particular area of terrestrial inverts are you looking at?

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by eucera

The magnifications I have are 20x and 40x. I agree totally with Laurence, that quality illumination is far more critical than big magnification
.............

Agreed - good illumination is critical. As mentioned an adjustable lateral light source is very useful for seeing surface textures, especially on beetles. Another thing that's useful for many beetles (esp. ground beetles) is to have an optional bottom light source - this is great for rapidly scanning for setae and other hairiness!

Guides depend rather on what you are looking at; and there's a good case for saying stick to one or two orders (one if you're talking, Coleoptera, Diptera ...) and taking those family by family. That way you won't have to start at the beginning of every key! For the larger orders you will be looking to keys for each family (or super-family) and these keys are mostly published by the RES - not cheaply. Unless you have money to burn, it might be worthwhile borrowing keys for a weeks trial or some such?

[meinchewster]

thanks for the replies fellas, It looks like im going to have to start narrow and maybe expand slowly from what youve said. Being as they are most numerous the coleoptera should keep me busy for a while!

Thanks again

[Laurence Clemons]

Originally Posted by meinchewster

thanks for the replies fellas, It looks like im going to have to start narrow and maybe expand slowly from what youve said. Being as they are most numerous the coleoptera should keep me busy for a while!

Thanks again

You've hit the nail on the head. Studying invertebrates can be very expensive (I spent about £2500 pounds on materials and books last year alone!). I would like to be able to identify many more groups to species level but the sheer number of references needed make this impractical.

[meinchewster]

I hadnt quite considered spending £2500 this year but I know from aquatic inverts and wildlife in general, identifaction can become somewhat of an obsession, wanting to be able to learn them all is a bitter sweet challenge!