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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 11, 2013 19:57:13 GMT -8
Pardon the noobish question. ;D I bought a couple gorgeous Neptunides polychrous for a couple bucks off eBay last week, and I got four (NOID? They sure don't look like N. polychrous) freebies with the pair. Wow! Then I looked close, and saw something interesting going on with the four. They have lines of white fuzz along each belly segment, and more on the end of the abdomen and on the rostrum. Is it part of the beetle, or is it mold? If it's the latter, how do I get it off? I'd like to use them in a mirror-backed shadow box to show off the pretty tops and bottoms. ETA: You know, the more I look at them, the more I wonder if it isn't just part of the beetle.    Just for fun, here are the two I actually bought:   |
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 11, 2013 22:14:14 GMT -8
I asked a couple insect savvy friends over in the carnivorous plant forum, and thy think its part of the beetle. I'm willing to accept that.
Edit: stupid iPhone autocorrect.
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Post by nosorog on Jan 11, 2013 22:59:46 GMT -8
I think it's Dicronorhina derbyana oberthueri.
Nice. This freebie would normally cost $10.
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 12, 2013 4:14:59 GMT -8
Three are in the relaxing bin now. Thanks for the tentative ID.  I have so many, I can pose them in various activities. This will be fun. I looked it up. Looks right. Where do I find a red one? Heck, where do I find grubs in the US? I better quit looking, before I get carried away. |
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Post by bandrow on Jan 12, 2013 8:10:41 GMT -8
Greetings,
Your beetles are fine - the white is very densely packed fine pubescence forming the pattern, and is natural. Not a bad little group for freebies - they're worth as much, if not more, than the ones you purchased. Good job!
Cheers!
Bandrow
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 12, 2013 8:40:37 GMT -8
Thanks, Bandrow!
Gosh, I really ought to get a microscope. I used to work at a place where I could bring in anything I wanted to look at, but where I work now, no can do. Ah, well. My camera does well enough, if I use a beanbag.
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 12, 2013 18:43:25 GMT -8
There's pinning a specimen, and then here's pinning a specimen. I can't believe I went through this many pins. Not a one pierces the beetle.  A friend told me that they're gonna stink for a bit, but this..... This..... Do these beetles have a scent? Like some blattids, for example. Because they STINK, and I can't get it off my fingers. It's not a rotten stink, it's sweet, spicy, clingy, and funky, all at once. Yuck. Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humor. |
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 12, 2013 18:50:24 GMT -8
Can you see the picture? I sure can't. I don't get it, I did it right, copied it right off Photobucket, and then used the board-provided IMG tags, but yet I get the "moved or deleted" sign. Oh, bugger.
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Post by bandrow on Jan 13, 2013 8:35:13 GMT -8
Howdy, Nope - can't see the image - and don't have the expertise to tell you why  Big beetles like your scarabs often have an "aroma" if they were allowed to start to slightly decay before drying. This is often caused by the specimens languishing too long before being papered. Or it can happen when the specimens are papered fresh and the plastic covering is sealed too tightly to allow moisture to wick out and allow complete drying. Really big specimens can slightly rot even when handled properly due to the extreme amount of body fluids and fats they contain. Sometimes they just can't dry fast enough to prevent some rot. In any case, removing the smell is seldom easy, but they do lose a bit of their stink as time goes on. I have soaked smelly specimens in ethyl acetate and this seemed to help a bit - I left them in for a week. However, these were specimens of Phyllophaga that had rotted slightly - "de-stinking" big specimens would be difficult. Maybe try a clothes-pin - placed firmly over the nasal passages  Cheers! Bandrow |
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Post by nosorog on Jan 13, 2013 11:54:39 GMT -8
About removing the smell from rotten specimens. Somewhere Johnny on this forum wrote and I made a note for myself:
"The smell of decay is due to the release of breakdown products from the bacteria living in the decaying soft tissues of the beetle. Ethyl Acetate will kill the bacteria, and remove some the body fat and odourous volatiles. An alternative is to soak the specimens in petrol which will quickly dissolve the fat and kill the bacteria. If you soak them for a few days, once all the petrol has evaporated there should be little smell. /Johnny"I
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 13, 2013 11:56:20 GMT -8
Ha ha ha! Yeah, OK. I just thought it was something chemical, because of the funky not-really-rotten smell. I know house crickets have this "BO", as well as some blattids like B. latteralis, which spray a lot, and smell of rancid onions. (I hated those suckers, traded the whole bin full for some B. dubia.) Who wants to see them without the paper? First let's try the other one again. I think I figured it out, I thin the file name is too big.      Bingo! There they are. I can't wait for the other three beetles I bought last week. This is gonna be COOL. BTW, has anyone else used insulin syringes to hasten relaxing? Just a drop is all I need, and it works in a couple hours. |
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Post by Borja Gómez on Jan 16, 2013 15:07:40 GMT -8
Hello
I use siringes with very hot water as a complement to three days in relaxing chamber for the most difficult to spread butterflies.
For beetles I just boil some water and then let it get a bit cold, but hot anyways (like 60-70º), a small drop of dishwasher, and left the beetles there for 15 minutes. I wash them with hot water again to remove soap, and then left them one hour drying in absorbent paper. They are very relaxed and ready for pinning this way. I never noticed any damage in the beetles with this method. Some even, get cleaned from grease with this method.
Regards
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Post by lilstinkpot on Jan 16, 2013 17:14:57 GMT -8
I'll try that next time, thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 20:00:59 GMT -8
If I may pop in, I'd like to suggest that when you mount beetles in the flying position, you should have the elytras (green wing covers) out at 45 degree angles horizontally and approx. 45 degree angles upward if you want them to look natural in flight. A beetle has to get the elytra s "out of the way" for the membraneous wings to do the flying. I am only trying to help, not be negatively critical. If I get time, I will post a pic for if you would like.
I love this group of coleops and think you got some nice ones.
With good intentions,
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 20:24:38 GMT -8
Here's the idea I mean. Hope it helps. Attachments:
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I have so many, I can pose them in various activities. This will be fun. 
