Paper Triangles / Papillottes

[cabintom]

I'm wondering what you all do for paper triangles?

I've been making mine from scrap paper of all sorts, and have noticed the quality is significantly less than the paper triangles of other collectors I've met.

Do you use a particular type of paper? What about templates? Do you have any tips/tricks for compact and efficient storage, especially when they're in use?
Also, any tips for using them in the field? I'm finding that on good days, it takes less time to capture a specimen than it does to get it into the paper triangle. This of course means my hands are busy while all kinds of interesting specimens are flying around me...

Thanks,
Tom

[Paul K]

Oct 23, 2015 14:14:28 GMT cabintom said:

Also, any tips for using them in the field? I'm finding that on good days, it takes less time to capture a specimen than it does to get it into the paper triangle. This of course means my hands are busy while all kinds of interesting specimens are flying around me...

I feel your pain   

[wollastoni]

I just buy them of different sizes, it's not so costly and I think the time to make them doesn't worth the cost.

"Also, any tips for using them in the field? I'm finding that on good days, it takes less time to capture a specimen than it does to get it into the paper triangle. This of course means my hands are busy while all kinds of interesting specimens are flying around me... "
--> that's the nightmare of the lucky tropical collectors, so many interesting specimens everywhere !

My technique :
- catch one interesting lep
- pinch it
- put it in the paper triangle
- put the triangle in your killing box
- catch another one
When used to do so, it takes less than one minute to do the whole process.

Doing so you can catch many specimens a day without damaging them.

And once back at home, you just have to write collecting data on the triangle papers.

[Deleted]

I have used the technique Olivier refers to for years with no trouble at all, it means you travel light in the field, no messing around with killing jars, it is much quicker to dispatch insects this way, once you have perfected the pinching technique there is no damage either, I usually make up a batch of envelopes before a field trip out of normal greaseproof paper as used in cooking and write the data on each envelope when I return home.

[cabintom]

Thanks for the detailed response Jan!

[Adam Cotton]

In the field a triangular envelope belt box is a real necessity. You can fill it with empty envelopes, strap it on around your waist and just open the flap, and put the butterfly into the triangular envelope and the triangle back into the box. I always put the full envelopes on one side, so I know that the empties are on the other side.



Adam.

[Adam Cotton]

A local metal shop can easily make one for you. Here you can see how the belt is attached, and the hinged lid fits over the edges of the box top:

[trehopr1]

That's a rather niffty idea Adam. I've seen a couple of "old hands" in the hobby (old collectors) do something very much like this utilizing a larger size metal Band-Aid box.

[Adam Cotton]

It's a Japanese invention (of course) except theirs are made of leather and rather better looking, although not as wide as the ones I had made locally for 100 Baht each (less than US$3).

I remember seeing the Japanese versions more than 30 years ago, so they have been using them for a long time.

Adam.

[jmg]

On the field, I do exactly as explained by Adam Cotton :

"In the field a triangular envelope belt box is a real necessity. You can fill it with empty envelopes, strap it on around your waist and just open the flap, and put the butterfly into the triangular envelope and the triangle back into the box. I always put the full envelopes on one side, so I know that the empties are on the other side."

I bought these metal triangular boxes ( I got two) from Roppon Ashi :

kawamo.co.jp/roppon-ashi/index-e.html

kawamo.co.jp/roppon-ashi/sub256.htm

●志賀昆虫　三角ケース　金属製(13x18x4.5cm, 200g) （志賀カタログNo.181）：　1,366円
●志賀昆虫　三角ケース　特大型(15x20x5cm, 250g) （志賀カタログNo.182-I）：　1,565円
●志賀昆虫　三角ケース　アルミ製(15x20x5cm,140g) （志賀カタログNo.182-II）：　2,172円　
●志賀昆虫　三角ケース　牛皮製 新型（15x20x6cm, 190g） （志賀カタログNo.187）：　8,143円

Very practical, ingenious ! The first time I observed a such metal box was, about 15 years ago, in the well known butterfly "hot spot" Pouncak Palopo in Sulawesi (P. blumei, A. dixoni and so on flying around): needless to say that the box was attached to the belt of a Japanese entomologist! 

As already said, I ordered two boxes: one metallic, the second painted green. I first used the second I found more "elegant", but the humid tropical climate makes the hinges to the lid rusty. The first (grey metallic) is preferable: it does not corrode.

[jmg]

Here are the two japanese boxes :