A killing jar or killing bottle is a device used by entomologists to kill captured insects quickly and with minimum damage. [1] The jar typically contains plaster of Paris on the bottom to absorb a killing fluid. The killing fluid evaporates into the air and gasses the insect. Typically only adult hard bodied insects are killed in a killing jar; other insects require different methods of killing.
The jar, typically glass, must be hermetically sealable. One design has a thin layer of hardened plaster of Paris on the bottom to absorb the killing agent. The killing agent will then slowly evaporate, allowing the jar to be used many times before it needs to be refreshed. The absorbent plaster of Paris layer also helps prevent the agent sticking to and damaging insects. Crumpled paper tissue is also placed in the jar for the same reason. A second method utilises a wad of cotton or other absorbent material placed in the bottom of the jar. Liquid killing agent is added until the absorbent material is nearly saturated. A piece of stiff paper or cardboard cut to fit the inside of the jar tightly is then pressed in. [2]
The most common killing agents are ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate has many advantages and is very widely used. Its fumes are less toxic to humans than those of the other agents, and specimens will remain limp if they are left in an ethyl acetate killing jar for several days and the ethyl acetate is not allowed to entirely evaporate from the specimens. It also preserves the body colors of some insects, such as dragonflies, that would otherwise lose their color, especially if there is a liquid layer to saturate their body tissues. A disadvantage is that, although the insects are quickly stunned by ethyl acetate, it kills them slowly and specimens may revive if removed from the killing jar too soon. Isopropyl alcohol is an easy to find and use killing agent for amateurs. Potassium cyanide or other cyanide compounds, including calcium cyanide, are also used, but only by experts due to its extreme toxicity. It also has the disadvantages that it makes the specimens brittle when left in the jar for several hours and that it may also cause some discoloration of colored specimens. It does kill rapidly, and the cyanide charge will last a long time. A few drops of acetic acid will increase the cyanide gas production. If the jar is not used for long periods it may dry out and produce little gas; a few drops of water will help get the process going again. [2] The potassium cyanide slowly decomposes, releasing hydrogen cyanide. In former times, amateur entomologists commonly used the thick green leaves of the Cherry Laurel ( Prunus laurocerasus or Prunus caroliniana ) which, crushed or finely sliced, will similarly release hydrogen cyanide. [3] [4]
Gassing in a killing jar is typically only used on adult hard-bodied insects. Soft-bodied and hard-bodied immature insects, such as the larval stage of many insects, are generally fixed in ethanol at 70–80% concentration in a vial. Dropping them in the vial containing ethanol both kills and preserves them. Higher concentrations of ethanol are not recommend for use with soft bodied insects, as it can distort and harden the body. [5] Parasitic wasps are typically fixed in 95% alcohol to preserve the wing structure. [5] Butterflies and moths are generally killed manually by crushing the thorax, as they can often destroy their wings by beating them against the jar. [6]
The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used as a herb in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. The flavor that a bay leaf imparts to a dish has not been universally agreed upon, but many agree it is a subtle addition.
An azeotrope or a constant heating point mixture is a mixture of two or more components in fluidic states whose proportions cannot be altered or changed by simple distillation. This happens because when an azeotrope is boiled, the vapour has the same proportions of constituents as the unboiled mixture. Azeotropic mixture behavior is important for fluid separation processes.
A permanent marker or indelible marker is a type of marker pen that is used to create permanent or semi-permanent writing on an object.
A jar is a rigid, cylindrical or slightly conical container, typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic, with a wide mouth or opening that can be closed with a lid, screw cap, lug cap, cork stopper, roll-on cap, crimp-on cap, press-on cap, plastic shrink, heat sealed lidding film, an inner seal, a tamper-evident band, or other suitable means. The English word "jar" originates from the Arabic word jarra, which means an earthen pot or vessel.
Potassium cyanide is a compound with the formula KCN. It is a colorless salt, similar in appearance to sugar, that is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include jewellery for chemical gilding and buffing. Potassium cyanide is highly toxic, and a dose of 200 to 300 milligrams will kill nearly any human.
Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3CH2)2O, sometimes abbreviated as Et2O. It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling, extremely flammable liquid. It belongs to the ether class of organic compounds. It is a common solvent. It was formerly used as a general anesthetic.
Insect collecting refers to the collection of insects and other arthropods for scientific study or as a hobby. Most insects are small and the majority cannot be identified without the examination of minute morphological characters, so entomologists often make and maintain insect collections. Very large collections are conserved in natural history museums or universities where they are maintained and studied by specialists. Many college courses require students to form small collections. There are also amateur entomologists and collectors who keep collections.
Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3CO2CH2CH3, simplified to C4H8O2. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and the decaffeination process of tea and coffee. Ethyl acetate is the ester of ethanol and acetic acid; it is manufactured on a large scale for use as a solvent.
An inhalational anesthetic is a chemical compound possessing general anesthetic properties that is delivered via inhalation. They are administered through a face mask, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal tube connected to an anesthetic vaporiser and an anesthetic delivery system. Agents of significant contemporary clinical interest include volatile anesthetic agents such as isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane, as well as certain anesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide and xenon.
In entomology, an aspirator, also known as a pooter, is a device used in the collection of insects, crustaceans or other small, fragile organisms, usually for scientific purposes.
The eastern tent caterpillar is a species of moth in the family Lasiocampidae, the tent caterpillars or lappet moths. It is univoltine, producing one generation per year. It is a tent caterpillar, a social species that forms communal nests in the branches of trees. It is sometimes confused with the spongy moth and the fall webworm, and may be erroneously referred to as a bagworm, which is the common name applied to unrelated caterpillars in the family Psychidae. The moths oviposit almost exclusively on trees in the plant family Rosaceae, particularly cherry (Prunus) and apple (Malus). The caterpillars are hairy with areas of blue, white, black and orange. The blue and white colors are structural colors created by the selective filtering of light by microtubules that arise on the ball cuticle.
A Malaise trap is a large, tent-like structure used for trapping, killing, and preserving flying insects, particularly Hymenoptera and Diptera. The trap is made of a material such as PET (polyester) netting and can be various colours. Insects fly into the tent wall and are funneled into a collecting vessel attached to its highest point. It was invented by René Malaise in 1934.
Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is a form of normal phase chromatography that uses a supercritical fluid such as carbon dioxide as the mobile phase. It is used for the analysis and purification of low to moderate molecular weight, thermally labile molecules and can also be used for the separation of chiral compounds. Principles are similar to those of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); however, SFC typically utilizes carbon dioxide as the mobile phase. Therefore, the entire chromatographic flow path must be pressurized. Because the supercritical phase represents a state whereby bulk liquid and gas properties converge, supercritical fluid chromatography is sometimes called convergence chromatography. The idea of liquid and gas properties convergence was first envisioned by Giddings.
Insecticidal soap is used to control many plant insect pests. Soap has been used for more than 200 years as an insect control. Because insecticidal soap works on direct contact with pests via the disruption of cell membranes when the insect is penetrated with fatty acids, the insect's cells leak their contents causing the insect to dehydrate and die. Insecticidal soap is sprayed on plants until the entire plant is saturated because the insecticidal properties of the soap occurs when the solution is wet. Soaps have a low mammalian toxicity and are therefore considered safe to be used around children and pets, and may be used in organic farming.
Entomological evidence collection is the process of collecting evidence based on insect clues used in criminal investigations. If evidence is not carefully preserved at a crime scene after a death, it may be difficult or impossible for an entomologist to make an accurate identification of specimens, if for example, all morphological characteristics are not preserved.
Isopropyl alcohol is a colorless, flammable organic compound with a pungent alcoholic odor.
A zoological specimen is an animal or part of an animal preserved for scientific use. Various uses are: to verify the identity of a (species), to allow study, increase public knowledge of zoology. Zoological specimens are extremely diverse. Examples are bird and mammal study skins, mounted specimens, skeletal material, casts, pinned insects, dried material, animals preserved in liquid preservatives, and microscope slides. Natural history museums are repositories of zoological specimens
Insect euthanasia is the process of killing insects "in a way that minimizes or eliminates pain and distress." It may apply to animals in the laboratory, schools, as pets, as food, or otherwise.
The conservation and restoration of insect specimens is the process of caring for and preserving insects as a part of a collection. Conservation concerns begin at collection and continue through preparation, storage, examination, documentation, research and treatment when restoration is needed.
EA-3990 is a deadly carbamate nerve agent. It is lethal because it inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Inhibition causes an overly high accumulation of acetylcholine between the nerve and muscle cells. This paralyzes the muscles by preventing their relaxation. The paralyzed muscles include the muscles used for breathing.
