Does your preservative preserve? A comparison of the efficacy of some pitfall trap solutions in preserving the internal reproductive organs of dung beetles

Aristophanous, Marios (2010) Does your preservative preserve? A comparison of the efficacy of some pitfall trap solutions in preserving the internal reproductive organs of dung beetles. ZooKeys, 34 (Special). pp. 1-16.

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DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.34.215

View at Publisher Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.34.215

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Abstract

Eight pitfall trap preservatives, brine, saturated borax solution, propylene glycol (33%, 50%, 75%), white vinegar, 100% ethylene glycol, FAACC (Formaldehyde 4%, Acetic acid 5%, Calcium chloride 1.3%), 4% phosphate buffered formaldehyde and 96% ethanol, were compared for their ability to preserve the internal reproductive organs of the dung beetle Liatongus militaris (Laporte) (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) for up to 28 days in the field. Relative evaporation rates of the preservatives in riparian vine thicket and low open woodland environments were also compared. 96% ethanol, FAACC and 4% phosphate buffered formaldehyde were the only solutions found to preserve all of the internal reproductive organs. Evaporation rates were lower in the vine thicket and some preservatives such as ethanol completely evaporated within seven days. 4% phosphate buffered formaldehyde is recommended as a preservative for pitfall traps left in the field for periods longer than one week. Possible ways to prevent trap interference by mammals and risks to the environment due to overspill are also discussed.


Item ID:	16676
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1313-2970
Keywords:	pitfall traps, preservative, killing agent, dung beetles, reproductive organs, ovary, oocytes, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, mammal exclusion, evaporation
Additional Information:	ZooKeys 34 (2010) : Special issue: 1-16 Current advances in Scarabaeoidea research. Copyright M. Aristophanous. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Date Deposited:	15 May 2011 12:55
FoR Codes:	06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060208 Terrestrial Ecology @ 50% 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0608 Zoology > 060808 Invertebrate Biology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 100%
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