Insect Pins
Insect Pins - Related Videos
07:42
A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects
0 Views •
Cited by 37 •
2015
Flight in insects is influenced by a number of factors and the propensity to disperse is an important variable in understanding insect ecology and biological control strategies. We describe the construction and use of a simple, relatively inexpensive, and flexible flight mill for measuring parameters of tethered flight in insects.
01:47
Osmoregulation in Insects
0 Views •
2019
Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area. Malpighian tubules extend from the digestive tract, typically the area between the midgut and hindgut, into the hemolymph—a mixture of blood and interstitial fluid found in insects and other arthropods, as well as most...
01:21
Euler's Formula for Pin-Ended Columns
0 Views •
2024
In structural engineering, the stability of columns under compressive axial loads is a critical consideration, described as buckling. A typical example involves a column PQ, which is pin-connected at both ends and subjected to a centric axial load F applied at one end, with a reaction force of F' = -F at the other end. Here, it is crucial to understand that when an applied load exceeds the critical load, buckling occurs as the system becomes unstable. To calculate the critical load, envision...
19:14
Early Metamorphic Insertion Technology for Insect Flight Behavior Monitoring
0 Views •
Cited by 4 •
2014
We present a novel surgical procedure to implant electrodes in Manduca sexta during its early metamorphic stages. This technique allows mechanically stable and electrically reliable coupling with the neuromuscular tissue to study flight neurophysiology dynamics. We also present a novel magnetic levitation platform for tethered studies of insect yaw.
03:57
Transverse Fracture of the Mouse Femur with Stabilizing Pin
0 Views •
Cited by 3 •
2021
This protocol describes a method to perform fractures on adult mice and monitor the healing process.
FAQs
Standardized diameters and lengths make pinning more consistent across specimens, allowing researchers to place and handle mounted insects in a comparable way. Consistency supports examination of external morphology and helps collections maintain organized, durable material for taxonomic identification, biodiversity surveys, museum curation, and laboratory teaching.
Passing a pin through an appropriate part of the thorax secures the dried insect while keeping important diagnostic features visible. That balance matters because identification depends on examining external morphology. Appropriate placement therefore helps preserve the specimen’s usefulness for comparative study, taxonomic work, and instruction without unnecessarily obscuring structures needed for examination.
Corrosion-resistant construction supports long-term preservation by helping the pin remain suitable for mounted specimens over the life of a collection. This matters because insect preparations can serve as durable records for future comparison, rather than only as temporary teaching materials. The pin therefore contributes to the stability and continued usability of preserved biological material.
After the insect has dried, the pin is passed through an appropriate part of the thorax to secure it. The specimen is then positioned with its legs, wings, and antennae arranged for examination, followed by attachment of collection data. This workflow creates a stable preparation that can be studied without repeated direct handling.
These structures should be arranged so the specimen’s external morphology remains available for examination. Careful positioning supports recognition of diagnostic features and makes specimens easier to compare within a collection. It also reduces the need to manipulate the dried insect directly, helping protect the preparation from handling damage during teaching, identification, or research.
Insect pin preparations support taxonomic identification, biodiversity surveys, museum collections, and laboratory teaching. They preserve visible external features while pairing the specimen with collection data, creating a durable biological record. Because the material remains available for later comparison, it also contributes to future research on specimens gathered in different studies or locations.