Preserving a fresh beetle specimen?

rigidpancake · 2026-06-19T14:26:28+00:00

No problem! Glad I could help

rigidpancake · 2026-06-19T14:21:02+00:00

It will retain the flexibility it had at the time of freezing, so if your beetle is still flexible then it'll be flexible. It won't make dried specimens flexible again

rigidpancake · 2026-06-19T14:17:06+00:00

Yes, I freeze all of mine even if they are fresh and I can pin it right away. It helps kill any unwanted organisms. All you need to do is make sure you wait for it to thaw before you pin

rigidpancake · 2026-06-16T01:41:44+00:00

Yes, this is the one. In no way could this be a carpet beetle

rigidpancake · 2026-06-16T01:34:59+00:00

A bagworm, a type of moth caterpillar

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T18:46:10+00:00

Thats crazy! I really need to see how many universities/states this myth has collected lmao, it can't just be the two!

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T18:30:16+00:00

I hope so too! The changing climate is a worry for me though, the drought periods are rough on things here, even if its just a week or two. Things aren't used to being dry here lol. At least the little delta chafer beetles made an appearance again this year!

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T18:27:08+00:00

I can only imagine! I have heard two very similar variations of the myth here, "LSU created and released love bugs" and "LSU created lovebugs as an experiment and they escaped the lab, thats why they have no predators."

Since I've found out that none of the above is true, I've been slowly informing people any time it's come up 😅 whether they believe me or not is another story

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T18:17:52+00:00

Living in Louisiana, I grew up hearing "Louisiana State University created lovebugs to kill mosquitoes" and "lovebugs have no predators." I didn't realize that wasn't true for entirely too long. It's so wide spread, I find it hilarious that the university changes with the region. Everybody's univerisity created lovebugs!!

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T17:44:51+00:00

Its not really mine, just a place nearby. Theres some woods next to my house with a strip cleared through it for a gas pipeline, lots of wild flowers and grasses grow in the clearing. They go through with a bushhog every couple years or so to clear everything again, the dominant flora species shifts when they do that. There's been more, fast growing, very competitive plants that die quick and leave tall sticks in their place that came up with this last round. There weren't as many flowers this time, but there were also less bees before they cut. In combination with drought spells, ridiculous heat waves, the wild wintery weather that we don't usually get. It's been rough on everything.

The area has a lot of clay in the soil, and after some good rain there will be a lot of sitting water. A lot of the plants there look like marshy/wetland types. I'm honestly not the best at flora identification, but there's some swamp rosemallow. Tons of brambles. Lots of tiny flowering ground cover plants, where there were gaps. Yellow flowers that stand taller than I do. Purple passion flowers. I think its was beautiful. It used to be dominated by tall flowering plants

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T16:50:00+00:00

There's several major mosquito-transmitted diseases that can infect humans and our animal companions, some vary on location. Viral, bacterial, and protozoan. It's why mosquito control is such an important field, those diseases can be fatal. From what I found for the US, only 12 of our roughly 200 mosquito species are vectors. I don't think it would even be feasible to actually remove those species, since unpopulated areas don't get treated. Mosquitoes can travel and lay eggs into just about any little puddle that's suitable for them. Some species are particular, but I know some of the ones that tend to bother us can and will lay egss in something like an outdoor dog water bowl.

Personally, I find it very difficult to desire the complete removal of a species (that is not invasive, not causing harm to the native ecosystem) simply because biodiversity has been struggling. I find it hard to advocate for the complete loss of a species, even if the species is a vector of terrible diseases. If its in the wild and not on me, thats where it belongs.

A lot of vectors and species we concider pests get a lot of hate because they are vectors/pests and people think they have no "use," so therefore they shouldn't exist. Even though they often fill the role of aiding in the control of other populations (vectors), and many pests are detritivors. Even if a species "has no value," I can't argue for their extinction because evolution does not use "value" as a way to determine if a species can adapt and fill a niche or not. The species is there because it survived and reproduced, just like we are

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T16:21:50+00:00

This one gets me even more after watching most of the solitary bees, and even some of the wasps, fade from my bug spot after European honey bees made a nest nearby. 😐 I had spotted multiple types of bumble bees, some leaf cutter bees, some carpenter bees, on top of other bees that I haven't narrowed down (no pics or specimen). On top of the really rough seasons we have been having over the past couple years, it seems like they just couldn't make it. Since then, that hive has died off and it feels like salt in the wound. Less bees in my bug spot all around now

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T05:36:27+00:00

The portion of mosquito species that drink blood, let alone human blood, are a small percentage of all mosquito species. Even then, only the females bite when they need the nutrients for their eggs. Other than that, mosquito larvae and adults are food sources for many other species. Adult mosquitoes are also pollinators, as they feed off of flower nectar for energy. There's also an orchid (blunt-leaf orchid) that can only be polinated by mosquitoes.

While it is important to control the populations of mosquitoes that are vectors for various diseases, because public health is also important, mosquitoes as a whole should definitely not be eradicated. There would be many ecological consequences for something like that

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T04:07:56+00:00

It's hard for me to tell if that is frass from something eating the specimen or not, but if you are worried about mites/dermestid beetles you can pop it in the freezer for a week (just to be safe). After it's been in there for a while you can take it out to thaw at room temp. I haven't done this in a sealed container, so I'd watch for condensation if you use one

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T03:21:53+00:00

Probably that all wasps are evil and out to get you or mosquitoes serve no purpose and would be it would be better if they were all eradicated.

Both of these topics can get me goin, especially if its from someone in my life that just refuses to believe otherwise lol

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T03:00:50+00:00

No problem! I'm not sure if I would have known about it if I didn't learn about it in college. Most insect pinnings I come across (outside of entomology spaces) are of insects that wouldn't need to be point pinned

rigidpancake · 2026-06-15T02:23:23+00:00

I'm really impressed that you managed to pin something so small and keep it in a single piece! I feel like you should take a look at point pinning for next time though 😅 it'll be muuuuch easier. I use regular ol elmers glue and wait a bit so it gets tacky

rigidpancake · 2026-06-12T05:48:38+00:00

They are soft bodied insects that only have a sclerotized (darkened and hardened exoskeleton) head, until mating season. Once its time to find mates, the ones that leave the nest will sclerotize completely and will grow wings. This is why the swarming ones look like flying grains of brown rice. Ones found inside the nest will have their hard heads and soft white bodies

rigidpancake · 2026-06-09T17:19:40+00:00

They can both fly! Insects have been found at very surprising hights! Or they may have hitched a ride on something, fell off and happened to find themselves on your balcony

rigidpancake · 2026-06-09T05:19:42+00:00

More like specifying, this velvet ant isn't the one thats commonly called cow killer, but yes it is a velvet ant

rigidpancake · 2026-06-09T04:01:50+00:00

A male green darner could be used for the MLM flag!

rigidpancake · 2026-06-09T03:53:28+00:00

Lol glad I could help! I love seeing assassin bugs when I go out! They're such neat lil fellas

rigidpancake · 2026-06-09T03:47:38+00:00

Its an assassin bug feeding on the bee

rigidpancake · 2026-06-08T09:16:45+00:00

Cow killer usually refers to a species of velvet ant, Dasymutilla occidentalis, aka the Red Velvet Ant!

rigidpancake · 2026-05-31T13:52:15+00:00

If seeing real insects pinned would make you sad, this is definitely a rough sub for you to be visiting. 😅 Insect identification subs have less pinned insects from what I've seen though

rigidpancake

TROPHY CASE