Fig. 12.—Pinning. Moths, a, and butterflies, b, are pinned through the center of the thorax (instead of to the right of the median line) between the bases of the front wings.
Fig. 13.—Pinning block. The block is 1¼ × 1¼ × 2¼ inches, with holes drilled to the depths shown and having diameters only slightly greater than the largest pin that will be used. A specimen is pinned and the pin inserted into one of the holes until the pin touches bottom; thus, insects may be pinned uniformly at a desired height.
4. Beetles.—Pin near front margin of right wing cover near middle line, [fig. 11]e.
5. Moths, butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies.—Pin through the center of the thorax between the bases of the front wings, [fig. 12].
The insect should be pushed about three-quarters of the distance up the pin, but not so close to the top that no room is left for easy handling of the pin with the fingers. It is well to have all insects the same distance from the top of the pin. To insure a uniform distance, the collector should use a pinning block. This is a small piece of wood or metal usually in the form shown in [fig. 13], into the top of which are drilled holes slightly larger than the pin diameters. Such a block may be fashioned of wood with holes made by small nails and covered with a cardboard rectangle through which have been stabbed holes the exact size of those in the wood. The depths of the holes in the block should be three-eighths inch, three-quarters inch, and 1⅛ inches, respectively. To use the block, pin the insect and insert the pin into whichever hole allows the specimen to be pushed up the pin and still leave room, allowing for the thickness of the insect’s body, for handling at the top.
Fig. 14.—Pinning small insects and labeling. The insect may be glued to a card point, a, which has been crimped to meet the right side of the body, b, c; or it may be pinned with a minuten pin, d, to a piece of cork or pith, which in turn is regularly pinned. All pinned insects should be labeled, as at e. In the case of some small insects, such as tiny moths, the minuten pin may be run down through the body and then into the cork; in the case of others, such as mosquitoes, it is often desirable to run the minuten pin up through the cork first and then impale the specimen on the point of the pin.
Tiny Insects.—Very small insects should be mounted on card points or on minuten pins. Regular pins would break too many of the insects’ body parts.