Collecting of adults
Adults are collected in the field by using two techniques. The
first one uses entomological nets to collect adults approaching
collector to bite him. These adults are later transferred into
a killing jar with potassium cyanide by using an aspirator. The
second technique uses of traps releasing octenol or CO2 which
complementary have a light source (Fig.
1). ). These traps allow capturing adults into a cloth bag,
which is then introduced into a plastic bag with a jar having
potassium cyanide to kill the adults. When a freezer is available,
the plastic bag could be frozen some hours and then the adults
could be pin-mounted.
The techniques mentioned before have the following limitations
for a taxonomic study:
a) Allow only capturing females,
which require blood to mature their eggs, making them the only
ones approaching traps and/or the collector. Not having males
limits the taxonomic work because their genitalia are fundamental
to differentiate species.
b) In most of the cases, due
to their age and flying activities, adults lose scams in their
bodies, limiting their identification.
c) Many species are associated
with amphibians, reptiles and other mammals different from human
beings avoiding collectors to be in direct contact with them.
Collecting and rearing larval stages overcome these limitations.
This procedure has the following advantages:
a) Microhabitat conditions
in which immature larvae development is recorded.
b) Adults with the scams of
the body complete are obtained.
c) Males could be obtained.
d) Associations among adults,
larva, and pupae could be recorded, allowing the creation of descriptions
and keys for all stages of the life cycle.
