Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Pinning flies and wasps and some curious questions.

Posted by Tony T on 11-09-2007 19:06
#63

An embarrassing question. Earlier this year Nikita offered to collect tabanids for me in exchange for NA flies that he was particularly interested in. Knowing that he would be able to collect dozens, if not hundreds of tabanids, and expecting that I would catch maybe just 1 of the flies that interested him, I thought it best to tell him that I collected only NA tabanids. Not sure how he would have reacted to receiving essentially nothing in return for the considerable effort on his part. In fact, I am interested in obtaining tabanids world wide and welcome any you collect for me. The only specimens I can guarantee for exchange purposes are local Canadian tabanids.
Tabanids and most flies seem to be magnets for lepidoptera scales, therefore they should be caught in a net that has never seen, or been within 1 Km., of a butterfly or moth. Same goes for collecting containers. Tabanids should be killed soon after collecting. Killing by freezing (-17C) is ideal as the wings, upon thawing, move away from the abdomen and point upwards at a 45 degree angle. Simply pin the thawed fly though the center of the thorax. Important not to lose the antennae, or legs.
If Nikita reads this, my sincere apologies.