7 replies to this topic

[Miles]

Hi all,

 

Please check out this excellent tutorial video from Michelle Kirchner, a NC State graduate student and myrmecologist. She demonstrates the proper technique for pinning/pointing ants, which is important for specimen curation and identification.

 

https://youtu.be/T-lQ25Z79Fs

 

Miles

 

[Zeiss]

After working in an entomology museum and doing a lot of point mounting, I do have to say that this method is fairly time-consuming if you're trying to process large samples for curation.  I would always have the points already on the pins by the time I'm ready to mount.  From there, just manipulate the specimen to be easily accessible to the point and then use your adhesive of choice.  Gluing the specimen to the point before having the point on the pin could cause damage when getting it to 1cm down from the pinhead.  What I was taught and performed yields identical results as to what is shown in the video.

Edited by Zeiss, May 28 2022 - 1:05 PM.

[Tai_pan1]

Interesting.

[Miles]

After working in an entomology museum and doing a lot of point mounting, I do have to say that this method is fairly time-consuming if you're trying to process large samples for curation.  I would always have the points already on the pins by the time I'm ready to mount.  From there, just manipulate the specimen to be easily accessible to the point and then use your adhesive of choice.  Gluing the specimen to the point before having the point on the pin could cause damage when getting it to 1cm down from the pinhead.  What I was taught and performed yields identical results as to what is shown in the video.

This is also how I approach it and learned it at the Smithsonian, but we have generally had more success teaching folks using this method and then they can move forward with the ant-to-point method when they're comfortable. Usually, this sort of thing comes down to personal preference. I have seen point-to-ant folks move surprisingly quickly too.

 

Thanks for your comment.

[Zeiss]

This is also how I approach it and learned it at the Smithsonian, but we have generally had more success teaching folks using this method and then they can move forward with the ant-to-point method when they're comfortable. Usually, this sort of thing comes down to personal preference. I have seen point-to-ant folks move surprisingly quickly too.

Thanks for your comment.

People can definitely be very proficient in ways others think take longer.  It's interesting to know there is this method out there as well when I had originally thought what I was taught was the standard.  

[gcsnelling]

Way too tedious a method, ant to prepared point is the way to go.

[dspdrew]

I've never had to pin a large amount, so I've never been concerned about how long it takes me. I also have not had any formal training on this, but I've always had the point on the pin, and then pushed it into the foam that the ant is laying on to hold it in place until the glue dried. I then pull the pin out and flip it around. I guess that's kind of a cross between both methods since I've already pushed the pin through the point.

[Tai_pan1]

As someone who has never pinned anything, I found this very interesting.  Would you do this if you were sending a sample away yo be identified?