Sonntag, 19. Februar 2017

Convenient life-hack for an entomologist - solution to troublesome pin holding

If you ever have tried to identify a pinned insect, you may have been either irritated that holding the pin in your hand to see all sides is exhausting your muscles, or have been irritated that the pin is fixed somewhere and you can't see the side you need to observe. This very simple aid solves the problem.

convenient entomology

Take a rectangular piece of polyethylene foam used as bottom inlay for insect boxes (or use something similar), about 5 by 5 cm. Take an apple corer and rotate very slowly with mild pressure into the foam to get the nice round hole in it. It exactly fits a finger! I usually use it on my forefinger or my thumb; sometimes I use two at the same time! And you can pin multiple specimens on one at the time and compare them. A very convenient life-hack for an entomologist.