13 Insect Orders, Key Features, and Preservation Notes
PDF version of table: Orders-KeyFeatures-Preservation Notes
Insect Orders, Key Features, and Preservation Notes
| Order | Pin Location | Most Important Features | Other Notes |
| Protura | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Diplura | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Archaeognatha = Microcoryphia | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Zygentoma = Thysanura | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Ephemeroptera | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Odonata | Between bases of forewings, slightly right of centre line | Wing venation, features of thorax and claspers | Wings can be flattened using spreading board; abdomen often needs support as it dries |
| Plecoptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | Wing venation, mouthparts | Can be spread, but not essential |
| Dermaptera | Front of right elytron (as for beetles) | ||
| Orthoptera | Middle of metathorax, slightly to right of centre line | Legs, sternites, wings | Wings are sometimes spread (both sides or only one), but not essential |
| Phasmatodea | Middle of metathorax, slightly to right of centre line | Legs, sternites | Abdomen often needs support as it dries |
| Blattodea (cockroaches) | Front of right elytron (as for beetles) | Abdomen often needs support as it dries | |
| Blattodea (termites) | Between bases of forewings, slightly right of centre line | Only winged reproductive stages are normally pinned; all others are preserved in ethanol | |
| Mantodea | Middle of metathorax, slightly to right of centre line | Abdomen often needs support as it dries | |
| Psocodea | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Thysanoptera | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Hemiptera | Right corner of scutellum (triangular sclerite between wing bases) | Mouthparts, forewings, legs | Many plant-parasitic Hemiptera (Homoptera) are too soft-bodied to be pinned, and must be preserved in ethanol |
| Coleoptera | Front of right elytron | Ventral midline; legs, antennae | Can be helpful to spread legs if they are curled up together: being able to count tarsal segments is essential! |
| Megaloptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | ||
| Raphidioptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | ||
| Neuroptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | Wing venation | Often shrivel as they dry, but pinning is acceptable |
| Lepidoptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | Wing venation | Wings must be spread (enough to allow viewing of all wing veins) to be an acceptable specimen |
| Trichoptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | Mouthparts, antennae | Spreading is possible, but not essential |
| Siphonaptera | None | Preserved in ethanol | |
| Diptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | Wing venation, thoracic bristles, head structures | |
| Hymenoptera | Mid-thorax between wings, slightly right of centre line | Wing venation | Spreading is not required, but can make identification much easier (tradeoff!) if the wings are folded together |
**Note that ALL immature insects, and soft-bodied adults, must be preserved in ethanol in order to keep them from shriveling. Do not attempt to pin immature stages.
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