A Method for Mounting Small Insects on Microscope Slides in Canada Balsam

Abstract

Traditional methods for mounting insects in Canada balsam have often proven unsatisfactory because of shrinkage of delicate structures such as the antennae and palpi in the highly viscous mounting medium. Clearing in potassium hydroxide and subsequent gradual dehydration in a series of alcohols are very time consuming and often require isolation of individual specimens, and separate treatment of the wings when adults are being mounted. While satisfactory mounts may easily be made of relatively large and heavily sclerotized insects, mounts of fragile insects are often inadequate for detailed taxonomic study. This problem has led many workers to try other mounting media, but none has proven entirely satisfactory.