Insects and pins

I’ve been thinking about doing a science project at school that involves collecting and then displaying insects. I can’t find any of the really thin pins needed for this. Tried a few pet shops but had no luck. Does anyone know of a shop (in Taichung), that looks like it might have such things…Insects R Us, Waspco…

A strange request I know, but I foolishly told my students before I realized they would be tricky to find. Now everyday I’m questioned, badgered and begged to tell them when to start collecting! If i can’t find any by next week I’ll have to staple gun the little things to a board…and that ain’t gonna be too pretty.

Thanks in advance

bait

Use that Internet thing and search for insect pins. You can order them online. You will also need a killing jar, a net, a spreading board (for the winged buggers) and ID slips, among other things.
:wink: …Wolf did the entomology thing too, many moons ago… :slight_smile:

Wolf, pulling the wings off of flies is not “doing the entomology thing”. :sunglasses:

The last few times I’ve been up in the mountains, I’ve seen several groups of insect collectors. They have a very cool capture method whereby they stretch out a big white sheet on a kind of projector screen tripod thing, upon which they shine a powerful white light powered by a portable generator. The night-flying bugs are attracted to the light, alight on the screen and are netted.
However, insect pins for some of these creatures would be useless – you’d need six-inch nails to mount some of the weird and wonderful things these guys catch. There are some seriously strange-looking creatures flying around out there at night!

Just in case anyone else is interested. This “insect museum” can supply all your entomological needs.

Muh Sheng Museum of Entomology
6-2 Nan Choon Rd
Puli
Nantou
Tel: 049 2913311
www.insect.com.tw

Thanks for the link, Crisp. That place looks really interesting and a must-visit next time I’m down that way.

I wouldn’t call it a must visit but is interesting if you’ve time to spare. Rooms lined with cases of crucified flutterbies and some enclosures where they fly free. There are other similar enclosures around so don’t make a special trip for this - another good one is at one of the huge garden centers on the road from Puli to Wushe

Tootled off today to the “world famous” Museum of Entomology"…

The good news is that it’s easy to find with a nice brown sign pointing the way. It was however, less less than spectacular, old and running to decay, paint peeling and a general feeling of mustiness and disrepair.

They did have a large collection of insects from aroung the world, including all the requisite enormous rhino beetles, moths, and assorted foot long thingies (all seeming to be found in either Malaysia or Australia). A few spiders, scorpions and something that was curled up and looked like the creature that leapt out of the guys chest in “Alien”. The displays are pretty old, some dating from the early 1940’s!

I turned up and was given a personal tour of the whole lot by a really informative keeper/entomologist (I was the only visitor there!). The staff were friendly and the keeper chappie was most knowledgable and proud of the collection.

The outdoor free flying butterfly cages were lovely, lots of bushes and foliage with plenty of butterflies. Judging by what was flapping and fluttering in the cages, Taiwan has a large and colorful butterfly population.

All in all a little run down but the collection was rather large, albeit a tad long in the tooth. I’m taking my class there in a few weeks, so I’ll see if it is as appealing for the younger ones.

By the way I got the pins…