[Taxacom] Other: Tissue Storage for MORPHOLOGICAL work

[Peter Oboyski]

Please excuse the cross-posting.

I would like to know about any recent literature and people's personal 
experiences with storing specimens, particularly insects and spiders, for 
morphological work. There has been recent discussion regarding tissue 
preservation for molecular work which appeared to come to a consensus 
(majority rule?) that 95-100% EtOH and -80 degrees C is optimal. But this is 
not optimal for morphological work. Moreover, many of us do both molecular 
and morphological work and need to find a balance.

Personally, I like to have a long series of specimens that can be stored in 
several different ways for different purposes (I work with insects so I can 
do this). But for soft-bodied critters (spiders, termites, larvae, etc.) 
and/or the very small (mites, aphids, etc.), what do people recommend for 
collection and storage? The answer to this will be somewhat dependent on the 
taxon (eg. caterpillars often turn black if killed in EtOH and should be 
killed in very hot water), and what the ultimate purpose will be (eg. study 
of internal organs, clearing-staining-slide mounting, etc.). Meanwhile, new 
methods are continually being tested (and old ones remembered).

Given all these caveats, I would like to hear your opinions, experiences, 
references and preferences.

Please reply off list and I will compile the results and repost.

Thank you,

Pete

-----------------------------------------------------------
Peter T. Oboyski, PhD candidate
University of California
ESPM Insect Biology
137 Mulford Hall MC3114
Berkeley CA  94720-3114

poboyski at nature.berkeley.edu
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~poboyski/

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