British Wildlife is the leading natural history magazine in the UK, providing essential reading for both enthusiast and professional naturalists and wildlife conservationists. Published eight times a year, British Wildlife bridges the gap between popular writing and scientific literature through a combination of long-form articles, regular columns and reports, book reviews and letters.
Conservation Land Management (CLM) is a quarterly magazine that is widely regarded as essential reading for all who are involved in land management for nature conservation, across the British Isles. CLM includes long-form articles, events listings, publication reviews, new product information and updates, reports of conferences and letters.
Insects, and their close relatives, the arachnids, centipedes, millipedes and woodlice, make ideal material for study by the recreational microscopist. Moreover for the entomologist, the addition of the use of the microscope to their tool kit adds a whole new dimension to their study, revealing in finest detail the appearance and structure of these tiny creatures. Insect Microscopy reveals the basics of insect microscopy, explaining what equipment is needed and how to get the best out of it. Topics covered include insects and their relatives; trapping insects for study; dissection, slide mounting, and publishing your work.
1. The Insects and Their Relatives 5
2. Microscopes 15
3. Equipment 27
4. Media for Mounting 43
5. Preparing Insects 51
6. Dissection 63
7. Compounds, Chemicals and Potions 67
8. Slide Mounting 77
9. Publishing Your Work 109
10. Further Information 116
References 124
Appendix – A Simple Identification Key 126
Index 128
Author Andrew Chick has been fascinated by the insect world since childhood. He holds a BSc in Environmental Biology, and MSc in Forensic Science and is currently working towards a PhD in Forensic Entomology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and enjoys field work and species identification.