How to drying beetles fast.

[manuelfer001]

Hello, i´m Manuel Fernando and i have a question.



I´m a amateur entomologist and now i´m realizing an entomological investigation, focussed in Coleoptera. I collected many specimens in alcohol, and now i need pinning and dry it. Always i dry the insects at enviroment conditions during 1 week, but here in the rainforest of Colombia the humidity is around 95% and i´m scared leave the insects exposed to the enviromental hight humidity for 1 week while they dry because the mold growth.



Someone have a fast method for drying beetles? Hair dryer maybe?



Thank you.

[karan]

I sometimes use an infrared light lamp, you speed up the drying a lot, but when drying quickly both legs and elitros can move irregularly, so before putting the insect under the light fix well the position of the legs you want, and fix the elitros Also or they will open, keep the specimen light for short periods of about 20 seconds, with stops to cool the insect or burn it, go changing its position as you dry on one side, change the light on the other.

I put the light like a span of the insect, do not look directly at the light that is not good for the eyes.




A second untested idea, but what I have in mind could be this.
www.ebay.com/itm/Emperial-Food-Dehydrator-Drying-Machine-Fruit-Beef-Jerky-Preserver-5-Trays/
It would allow you a deep and fast drying, besides you can control the temperature.

Another thing, I am not entirely sure, since I do not keep any specimens in alcohol, but I think that by keeping them like this they remain britle, and maybe now you have problems to place them.
Perhaps another member can contribute more than me on this matter.