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Angus MacLean wrote:
> Thanks Chris.
>
> In another message you spoke about collecting beetles for you. Which
> would be the best way of collecting beetles, presuming most of us
> don't have the specialized equipment for it.
>
> Cheers,
> Angus
Hi Angus, May 16, 2007
By way of supplementing Chris's general reply, I have collected
beetles off and on for 47 years, mostly off while earning a living,
mostly in Kings County and continue to find things new to me, new to NS
or new to Eastern Canada (or e.g. second for NA in my compost pile).
Rarely I go looking but mostly they find me.
I gather from some of your naturens posts that you sometimes travel
to Cape Breton. If so, then most things that you collect while on the
road would be new to the county in question because most distributions
are relatively unknown. Not that there is not still much to learn in
Kings County.
ID manuals have been a frustration over the years because they go
out of print very rapidly, sometimes decades before a replacement comes
along. The two volume American Beetles that (in theory) takes one to the
Genus level is still in print at CRC Press. Mine cost $238.46 (US) in
2002 and I expect it is about the same now.
A hand lens is just about essential and a 20X; 40X dissecting
microscope suffices for all but tiny beetles that are mostly the domain
of specialists. Apart from a mike, plastic vials and insect pins, my
specialized equipment is mostly home-made.
If you care to drop by sometime to examine books before ordering,
talk shop etc. you will be most welcome; 16 Overlook Rd., 678-7824.
We never did get together last summer for an Odonata walk. Perhaps
we shoud aim for a beetle/ode outing.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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