I have tried to preserve some ant species by pining them on a board, and that kinda work on big ant species. But in the end made to much damage in the ant. So if any one has any tips or tricks I would be very grateful!
Personally, I point mine like this stock image shows:
That’s really the only way I’ve seen ants preserved aside from ethanol preservation.
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For detailed study and long-term storage, ants should be point-mounted on insect pins. Pointing allows specimens to be easily manipulated while being examined with a microscope and is essential for viewing fine details such as sculpturing and pilosity. In all cases, ants, even large species such as those in the genus Myrmecia, should be placed on points and not directly pinned. This is because the mesosoma is relatively thin and in many species there is a flexible suture between the pronotum and mesonotum. If a pin is placed through the mesosoma the pronotum will often break away from the mesonotum, seriously damaging the specimen.
A commonly used procedure for curating ants is as follows. Field-collected specimens are transferred from the original collecting vial to a small dish and covered with alcohol. Several specimens are selected for mounting, with the exact number depending on several factors. For example, if the species is represented by only a single caste (no major or minor workers, or queens or males present) then about 6 workers should be sufficient. If, however, the species is polymorphic or queens or males are present, then representatives of all castes should be selected.
Another factor influencing the number of specimens is their size. It is desirable to place 2 or 3 workers on separate points but on the same pin. This saves space in collections, allows several specimens to be examined at the same time under the microscope, and associates polymorphic workers with each other and queens and males with workers. Because of this it is common to mount ants in sets of 3. For example, 3 workers on each of 2 pins, or a queen, male and worker on a single pin, or a major, medium and minor worker on a single pin. Large species should mounted similarly, but in sets of 2 on 3 pins. The remainder of the series can be stored in alcohol for future use.
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