Odds & Ends

[58chevy]

Sometimes drawers containing multiple families of insects rather than a single family or species can be interesting. Here are a few of mine. Let's see yours.

[livingplanet3]

Very nice!

[Trehopr1]

Superb displays of lepidopteran variety indeed !

Especially like all those Red-spotted purple's, Zebra
swallowtails, Lorquin Admirals, and the sheer variety
of moths.

Nice thread....

[Trehopr1]

Now here's a topic which I have indulged in myself.
Someone once said: "Variety is the spice of life" !

I do have drawers of singular species which I am
particularly fond of however, I have many more
drawers featuring either lepidopteran variety or
insect/lepidopteran variety.

So, here goes a preview of some of mine.....

[58chevy]

Excellent displays, Trehopr. I was hoping people would respond with drawers like that.

[livingplanet3]

Now here's a topic which I have indulged in myself.
Someone once said: "Variety is the spice of life" !

I do have drawers of singular species which I am
particularly fond of however, I have many more
drawers featuring either lepidopteran variety or
insect/lepidopteran variety.

So, here goes a preview of some of mine.....

Again, very nice!

[mothman55]

Beautiful drawers all. Mine are all by family, but with a mixed bag, the eye must linger longer to take it all in, superb.

[jhyatt]

Lovely specimens, and beautiful drawers to look at. But still (I guess it's some German in me), I prefer rigid organization which approaches at least somebody's idea of phylogenetic order.

Cheers,
jh

[Chuck]

Lovely specimens, and beautiful drawers to look at. But still (I guess it's some German in me), I prefer rigid organization which approaches at least somebody's idea of phylogenetic order.

Cheers,
jh

Me too. Though I do keep some specimens I use regularly for morphological comparison together, with a couple specimens of canadensis separated from the others of the species and in with glaucus/ MST. It's a never-ending issue: if I put them with all the canadensis it takes forever to find them, if I put them with the MST I can't compare readily with other canadensis. Which reminds me, I have specimens from thoughtful collectors in with canadensis that I'm certain now are not canadensis, so have to properly label and collate.

Funny me, I see the drawer below and immediately think "oooh, oohh, just gotta move those specimens on the sides so they're all together and it would be perfect!"



I'd go nuts with taxa spread all over, but to each their own.

Trehopr, why do you keep them in unit trays?

[Trehopr1]

Hello Chuck,
After Bioquip closed last year I found myself without ANY foam- bottomed drawers and without anyone in the US selling them. Afterward, I was able to find a seller here that manufactures the drawers only (without foam) and suitably capable of holding unit trays which he also sells.

So, I have purchased 10 drawers so far and have been outfitting them with unit trays appropriate for the specimens needs.

I actually started my unit tray system of specimen storage back in 1987. Back then, Bioquip was selling bare bottom drawers for $25 each. The unit trays might add 7 or 8 bucks to that once you filled the drawer. I wound up purchasing some 8 drawers before switching to foam-bottomed drawers which I purchased continually after that.

To be honest, the unit tray system is really BEST suited for specialist collections or museum environments. There you have a situation where organization (at a taxonomic level) is foremost in importance.

As a private collector/enthusiast I could never afford to do things (entirely) using the unit tray system. The drawers I now receive run $55 each and you can add another 10 to $12 for unit trays. I suppose there are sellers up in Canada that sell drawers with full-foam bottoms but, then there are the shipping costs and possible taxes which present another dimension in cost.

I'll probably switch back to foam-bottom drawers when the right opportunity presents itself.

[jhyatt]

Lovely specimens, and beautiful drawers to look at. But still (I guess it's some German in me), I prefer rigid organization which approaches at least somebody's idea of phylogenetic order.

Cheers,
jh

Me too. Though I do keep some specimens I use regularly for morphological comparison together, with a couple specimens of canadensis separated from the others of the species and in with glaucus/ MST. It's a never-ending issue: if I put them with all the canadensis it takes forever to find them, if I put them with the MST I can't compare readily with other canadensis. Which reminds me, I have specimens from thoughtful collectors in with canadensis that I'm certain now are not canadensis, so have to properly label and collate.

Funny me, I see the drawer below and immediately think "oooh, oohh, just gotta move those specimens on the sides so they're all together and it would be perfect!"

Chuck,

That Parides at the top center of your photo outranks all the other bugs so much that it deserves a drawer all of its own!

Cheers,
jh

[evra]

My mixed drawers are either full of stuff that I just collected this year and haven’t had time to integrate into the rest of my collection, or it’s extra stuff that I’ve collected and pinned that I’m looking to trade or give away.

[Trehopr1]

I just wanted to mention that I do not do (my entire) collection in this manner. If I can pull together enough OF SOMETHING then I do dedicate an entire drawer to it whether it be a genus or a given species.

I have drawers dedicated to Morpho, Catocala, and Chalcosoma (for example) as well as having drawers dedicated to singular species such as Monarch, Orange Sulphur, Giant Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail etc....

And then of course I still have drawers dedicated to certain (families) like exotic Cicadidae, exotic Cerambycidae, Membracidae and so forth.

So, by and large I am a "splitter" at heart and I very much enjoy bringing like things together in a collated and taxonomic manner. However, where I have specimens present which cannot fill an entire drawer I then pull together these "fun drawers" which really tend to thrill the onlookers that may see them.

[jhyatt]

I must admit to having a few catch-all drawers myself. They're mostly neotropical Lycaenids or small moths that are awaiting determination... some for several years!

jh

[Chuck]

To be honest, the unit tray system is really BEST suited for specialist collections or museum environments. There you have a situation where organization (at a taxonomic level) is foremost in importance.

It hadn't occurred to me until now, but it seems that unit trays would be ideal for mixed taxa display drawers- how easy to re-mix and organize. Interesting.

True, for museums and such unit trays are good for separating distinct taxon. Yet, aside from "splitting" and adding new specimens, the trays are largely static. In such as case, I suppose unit trays aren't ideal. But any time specimens are often moved around/ remixed, unit trays are a very easy way to do it.

[livingplanet3]

Thanks again for all the great photos above - really superb! I sometimes feel like I'll never actually find the time to get my collection all properly mounted and arranged - seems a bit overwhelming. But when I see the sheer number of specimens that some of the collectors on this forum have, I realize that my own assemblage is actually rather modest by comparison, and that with the right methods and motivation, I could probably get the task done more quickly than I realize.

[Chuck]

Thanks again for all the great photos above - really superb! I sometimes feel like I'll never actually find the time to get my collection all properly mounted and arranged - seems a bit overwhelming. But when I see the sheer number of specimens that some of the collectors on this forum have, I realize that my own assemblage is actually rather modest by comparison, and that with the right methods and motivation, I could probably get the task done more quickly than I realize.

While I usually put in a half hour / day on the collection, I find that blocking out an entire day is the most effective way to get complex moves/collation/etc done.

If you want your collection to look like those above, you'd better have $$ for drawers. Most of my specimens are tiled, stuffed in sideways, etc.

[Chuck]

I'll probably switch back to foam-bottom drawers when the right opportunity presents itself.

I recently re-posted somewhere the link to where I bought foam in sheets. Easy to cut yourself. But it has memory so you have to press it flat for a while. MUCH MUCH less expensive than buying individual pre-cut sheets.