To give the full story, I’ve decided to get my feet wet in the genus Steiroxys, a genus of shieldback katydids known to have many undescribed species. I’ve used iNat as a platform to view all the males of the genus to find potential species. Now here’s my inexperience kicks in, I would like to collect specimens to do one of two things:
- Aid a more experience entomologists in revising the genus and describing new species.
- So I can revise the genus and describe the new species.
However, I’ve never collected insects before but I do know parents who do with their kids so I believe it’s not that hard. I’ve heard various methods of collecting insects. Probably the biggest question for me is, what’s the most humane way of killing the insects. I’ve heard some use poison, but others freeze them in a glass jar. Any tips that can help me will do great. I suspect it will take me several years to collect all of the insects but I figure the sooner you start, the better.