Well, collection of specimens does go on in judicious amounts. For several reasons: some insects are impossible to identify for sure unless they're under a microscope and/or dissected. Similarly, if a new species or some such is found then it needs deep examination and description (to form a reference collection so that other people can learn to recognise it).
Fortunately, 99.99% of ladybirds can be identified without killing - and, generally, with the advances of digital photography it is much easier to record insects
and provide evidence for verification.
For interest, the common means of killing beetles nowadays is to drop them into the freezer - this is, after all, how most of them die naturally. (I've been listening to the weather forecasts of snow blowing from Siberia!)
PS: most of the pinned specimens are rare species and undoubtedly were collected some time ago: I note, for instance, the 13-spot, Hippodamia tredecimpunctata which is not common in Europe - it has been seen twice in the UK in the last hundred years!
Quote:
Originally Posted by goosey
Oh, what a brilliant reference! The photo's are amazing, I love the detail of Anatis ocellata spines. The hatchling images are so clear. I spent days in the summer waiting for ladybird eggs to hatch and watched as the yellow eggs changed colour and the final hatching of what looked like tiny spiders - even on the macro setting of the camera. Seeing them in Gilles images is remarkable.
The only disaapointment was seeing those which were on pins - I hope they were already dead. You see them and other insects like that in old Victorian collections - does it still go on?
Otherwise I am so impressed - great find!
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