Looking at beetles' bits

[Gascar]

I'm trying to look at and photograph parts of things like beetles: mouthparts, how their wings fold, etc. Can you point me to a resource which gives guidance on how to hold and manipulate them? I have a dissection microscope and enough camera stuff.
Hard bodies tend to go flyng across the room when held in tweezers, and they become rather brittle. I read of steam, alcohol/water solutions and relaxing fluid, but more detail would be useful.
Thanks

[Paul mabbott]

I'm not sure that there's any detailed work on dissection but the basic handling (killing, storing, labelling &c) is given in most books on beetles (Collins, Richmond Handbooks, AES 'Coleopterist's Handbook').

A couple of points.
Most external parts of the beetle are intrinsically hard so there's no point in softening or relaxing them. Other parts will harden and become brittle if allowed to dry up. While this is the standard means of preserving beetles it is far better to do any photography before drying and/or to store specimens in dilute (50-70%) propanol. This keeps wings &c sof but after a while it will extract colour from the beetle.
For dissection you will need sharp pins and scalpels. It is easiest if you can immobilise the insect on a piece of fairly soft plasticine or dental wax - stops it moving and also helps keep an edge on your instruments.
Examination of the male genitalia is a bit specialised and involves dissolving soft parts with 10% potassium hydroxide before dehydrating and mounting on a microscope slide. The methodology is certainly given in most beetle books!
Some small parts of the anatomy such as setae (hairs) and microsculpture of the surface benefit from incidental lighting: just a matter of experimenting.

I'll write if I think of anything else! Good luck.

Originally Posted by Gascar

I'm trying to look at and photograph parts of things like beetles: mouthparts, how their wings fold, etc. Can you point me to a resource which gives guidance on how to hold and manipulate them? I have a dissection microscope and enough camera stuff.
Hard bodies tend to go flyng across the room when held in tweezers, and they become rather brittle. I read of steam, alcohol/water solutions and relaxing fluid, but more detail would be useful.
Thanks

[Gascar]

Thanks for that. Dental wax, hmm, until I see my dentist I'll try candle wax!
I've also been referred to this good looking site:
Identifying beetles

I wasn't thinking of dissolving out the soft parts with NaOH just yet...
But the beast currently nestling in Blu-tak ( an ordinary ground beeetle) has his "jaws" firmly together. I'd like to pull them apart but don't want to break them off. One of the longer "hairs" has already gone, which spoils the picture.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, an excellent site and getting better all the time.

Hadn't thought of blu-tak - anything fairly soft like that should be okay.

Originally Posted by Gascar

Thanks for that. Dental wax, hmm, until I see my dentist I'll try candle wax!
I've also been referred to this good looking site:
Identifying beetles

I wasn't thinking of dissolving out the soft parts with NaOH just yet...
But the beast currently nestling in Blu-tak ( an ordinary ground beeetle) has his "jaws" firmly together. I'd like to pull them apart but don't want to break them off. One of the longer "hairs" has already gone, which spoils the picture.

[Gascar]

A thought - If I put the animal's rear end into melted candle way ( or something made for the purpose) it would be nice and strong, and I could maybe melt/dissolve ( with IPA??) it away without risk of pulling legs off??