INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DE BEJA
Final Report
Leonardo da Vinci Program 2013
Museo di Storia Naturale Firenze – La Specola
Daniela Maria Bernardo Marinho
Internal supervisor: Doutor Luís Manuel Mendonça Carvalho
External supervisor: Doutor Luca Bartolozzi
Firenze 2013
Contents
1
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 2
1.1
Leonardo da Vinci Programme ....................................................................... 2
1.2
Natural History Museum of Florence ............................................................... 2
1.2.1
2
La Specola .............................................................................................. 3
Main Activities Developed ...................................................................................... 4
2.1
Placement of insects in the collection department .......................................... 4
2.2
Separation of Arthropods by order .................................................................. 5
2.3
Reorganization of entomological collections ................................................... 6
2.4
Learning collection methods in the field .......................................................... 7
2.5
Learning how to prepare and classify insects................................................ 11
3
Final Considerations ............................................................................................ 13
4
Bibliographical References .................................................................................. 14
Index of Figures
Figure 1 - Organizing the closets where they keep the insects
4
Figure 2 - The cabinets are constituted by boxes, where insects are preserved.
5
Figure 3 - Chrysomelidae family reorganization
6
Figure 4 - Explanation of the method to collect butterflies
8
Figure 5 - Field work team.
8
Figure 6 - Butterflies catching
9
Figure 7 - Network Scanning used to capture
9
Figure 8 - Monitoring of water beetles
10
Figure 9 - Captured Lucanus cervus
10
Figure 10 - Preparation of insects, for later identification
11
Figure 11 - After identified, the insects are put in boxes
12
1 Introduction
1.1 Leonardo da Vinci Programme
The Leonardo da Vinci program aims to support recent graduates, to do an internship
in an organization from another EU country. This program subsidizes the cost of
mobility through the provision of a grant that includes travel costs, accommodation,
insurance and linguistic and cultural preparation.
Being a citizen of the European Union and with a degree in Biology. I had the
opportunity to do an internship in an organization in another country and Italia was the
country chosen. The internship was held in the Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze –
La Specola, entomological department and had a duration of 21 weeks.
1.2 Natural History Museum of Florence
The Museum of Natural History in the University of Florence consists of six
departments distributed in palaces and monumental places in the center of Florence. In
these institution, we can find with an extraordinary scientific and naturalistic value: the
centuries herbaria, the precious seven hundred wax models, the fossil skeletons of
large mammals, collections of multicolored butterflies, large crystals of tourmaline, the
spectacular maori masks, ethnic jewellery of native peoples, the monumental trees of
the Botanical Garden, etc. An environment which combines nature, history, science
and art. The Museum offers to visitors - alone or with your family - paths, guided tours
and workshops for all ages. Founded in 1775 by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold of
Habsburg-Lorraine, with the name "Imperial Royal Museum of Physics and Natural
History," was one of the first science museums in the world. On that occasion, the
natural history collections and scientific instruments, stored in the Uffizi Gallery, were
reunited in the Via Romana. Among the new features offered by the Museum of the
proceedings commenced Torrino, hence the name "The Observatory", which proposes
a new path and an exhibition that hosts the best of historical and scientific
collections. The section of Mineralogy and Lithology offers a new version that allows
the visitor to discover the extraordinary collections of Elba and Brazilian toumalines, the
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beautiful samples from Sicily and Sardinia and art objects in precious stones of the
Medici Collections. Visiting the Museum of Natural History is an extraordinary
experience.
1.2.1 La Specola
The Museum the Observatory, founded by Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Lorraine, was
opened to the public in 1775 and is the oldest science museum in Europe. It contains
the largest collection in the world of anatomical waxes, made between 1770 and 1850,
and over 3,500,000 animals, of which about 5,000 exposed to the public.
Currently The Observatory is a section of the Museum of Natural History.
1.2.1.1 Entomological department
In the entomological collections of the Museum there are about a million specimens,
including groups of arthropods that are not insects, such as spiders, scorpions,
centipedes, etc.. It is an enormous amount of scientific samples from diverse
backgrounds, the oldest of which date back to the first half of XIX century.
Unfortunately, the samples of the first entomological museum collections eighteenth
century the most important ones are not preserved. The core of the collection consists
of material of two origins: there are insects collected by researchers at the Museum
during travel, study, and exploration missions, and then there are the collections but
made by individuals, arrived at the Museum by donations or purchases, usually after
the death of the collector. Among the historical collections, one of the most important is
the collection of Diptera and Hymenoptera assembled by Camillo Rondani. Rondani
was a distinguished entomologist and described a large number of new species, and its
collection therefore has a huge scientific value, since it includes Types of whom he
appointed the new species; scholars and experts from all over the world have therefore
constantly need to examine this material to solve various taxonomic and systematic
problems.
Another collection of great importance is the Roger Verity collection, even in this
collection there are about two thousand specimens on which Verity described new
species, breeds or varieties. The Observatory has preserved one of the most important
collections in the world of beetles of the family of Brentidi. These curious elongated
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insects live for the most part in tropical forests around the world, and the presence of
such a rich collection to the museum is due to the fact that some of the most important
specialists worldwide have worked on these beetles, in Florence The first was
Professor Angelo Senna, who described many new species and published a large
number of publications, he was later joined by his pupil Enrica Calabresi.
In recent times, some private collections ended up in the collections of the Museum,
significantly increasing the number of specimens and their scientific value.
If you can refer three in particular: the collection Andreini, the collection Failla and the
collection Rocchi.
2 Main Activities Developed
2.1 Placement of insects in the collection department
After being identified the gender and species of each insect it is placed in their
respective family. My first activity was to grab insects already identified and insert them
in the Museum collection. This job allowed me to understand the operation of storage
of insects. The insects are stored in cupboards, (figure 1), each cupboard can be
composed by one or more families, depending on the size of it. All cupboards are
properly identified outside, with the initials of each family by alphabetically order. Each
cupboard is composed of numbered boxes, where insects are preserved (figure 2, 3).
Each family has a checklist, the same is organized by genus, respective species and
box number. For placement of insects the first thing to know is the family, then get on
their checklist and see the box number for the genus.
Figure 1 - Organizing the closets where they keep the insects
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Figure 2 - The cabinets are constituted by boxes, where insects are preserved.
There are species that are not identified; these species are placed in the family to
which they belong, in boxes referent to the region where they were collected.
2.2 Separation of Arthropods by order
Arthropods are a phylum of invertebrate animals that have hard exoskeleton and
several pairs of jointed appendages, whose number varies according to the class. They
are the largest phylum of animals, represented by animals such as locusts (insects),
spiders (arachnids), crabs (crustaceans), and centipedes (chilopods).
The adult arthropods with soft body and the young insects are preserved in alcohol
70%. If the intention is that they remain preserved for long (for years), the smaller glass
must be placed within a largeri glass also containing alcohol 70%, because evaporation
is a constant risk. Thus the evaporation occurs only in the large glass, facilitating the
replacement of the alcohol.
The first step to identify what is collected in the field, is separated the animals by
orders.
This activity consisted in taking these bottles with arthropods in alcohol, and with the
help of the microscope, separating them by Orders. Each order is placed in vials with
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alcohol and is stored by region / country with a label written in pencil, they are thus kept
until identified in families, genus and species.
2.3 Reorganization of entomological collections
Three entomological families were reorganized: Chrisomelidae, Buprestidae and
Coccinelidae.
The reorganization of the families is very important, since the families are increasing,
therefore, boxes where insects are inserted don't have space and the same species
are in different boxes.
This activity was intended to make a new checklist for the three families, and structure
the families again, so that the same species stay in the same box or else in the next
box and not at the end of the family. The checklist were made in excel, them are
mentioned genus and its author, species and its author and box number.
Figure 3 - Chrysomelidae family reorganization
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2.4 Learning collection methods in the field
Were made three visits to the field, in order to learn the different types of insects
collecting methods.
Different materials were used for the collection thereof, such as shown below shown.
Field trip 1
Being the first field trip, the aim was to use different methodologies for collection and
get the biggest possible species of insects.
Were used:
Network – used to capture insects that are resting or feeding on vegetation. It is very
similar to the network, but is made with resistant cotton fabric to ensure its durability,
since when contacting with the vegetation it can grab the branches, thorns and leaves.
Tweezers and brushes – prevent the catcher gets hurt and that the frail body of the
insect to break. The tweezers can be thin or rounded, the most common are those
used by doctors and dentists
Entomological sucker – this instrument is used to remove small insects from the
entomological net or suck them directly from vegetation. It has the advantage of
selecting the insects that are of interest before capture.
Bottle lethal - glass bottle containing ether. Ideal to kill adult insects in general: flies,
dragonflies, beetles, bugs, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, bees, wasps.
Paper envelopes– as the Lepidoptera should not be killed in deadly jar, ideally
transport them alive in triangular paper envelopes until they can be killed properly. Its
preparation is simple and must stay within the envelope with their tips bent.
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Figure 4 - Explanation of the method to collect butterflies
Figure 5 - Field work team.
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Field trip 2
This trip consisted of the catching of butterflies and dragonflies, the material used is
only a network, used to catch insects in flight. It is made of thin transparent tissue,
which allow us to see the captured insect, as Figure 5 and 6 demonstrates. Once
captured they are placed in envelopes until being identified.
Figure 6 - Butterflies catching
Figure 7 - Network Scanning used to capture
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Field trip 3
The main objective of this field trip was to learn how to capture aquatic insects.
The insects were captured on the banks of the water bed, with nets and stored in
bottles or jars with alcohol.
Figure 8 - Monitoring of water beetles
Figure 9 - Captured Lucanus cervus
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2.5 Learning how to prepare and classify insects
MOUNTING
After the insects are dead, the ideal is that they are mounted as fast as possible. If
insects have already hardened, they will become brittle and difficult to handle.
Thus, they must remain in a moist chamber until they can be pinned and its
appendages positioned correctly.
The copies of the collection should be pinned with only entomological pin, which are
made of steel and will not rust. The position of the pin is generally inserted vertically
between the first and second pair of legs, so that it is at an angle of 90 ° relative to the
longitudinal axis of the body of the insect. Each group of insects has a specific position.
Figure 10 - Preparation of insects, for later identification
LABELING
All insects in a collection, stored dry or humid, should contain labels white, written in
pencil or printed. The insects of a museum have two labels: one of origin, other of
identification.
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The first label to be raised as to origin, which must contain:
• City, state, country.
• Date with month in Roman numerals.
• Collector ‘ name, followed by the abreviated name
The second label of identification must contain the information that we have on the
specimen collected, i.e he name of the order, family, genus or species. In insects
pinned, labels must be placed so that they are parallel to the body of insects at a
uniform height on the pin. To this can be used a block of wood to standardize the
height. They should be oriented so that information contained therein can be read all
the same side.
Figure 11 - After identified, the insects are put in boxes
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3 Final Considerations
The objectives that was been proposed at professional level were achieved, because I
had the opportunity to participate and organize various activities. I had the opportunity
to apply some of the knowledge I had acquired earlier during the degree, however,
what I consider most important is the fact that I have increase my knowledge.
It was a very rewarding and challenging experience, both at the professional level as
personal. It was definitely an experience very important in my life.
At personal level, had the opportunity to attend a course of Italian linguistic, which was
very important. I had the opportunity to visit all sections of the Museo of the institution
in Florence.
My advice is that all people can live such an experience, enjoy, because when we live,
work or study in another country we really see life in a different way.
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4 Bibliographical References

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/ldv_en.htm (Accessed in
23/08/2013)

http://paginas.fe.up.pt/~sicc/dcoop/re/ProgramaLeonardodaVinci.htm (Accessed in
23/08/2013)

http://www.msn.unifi.it/CMpro-v-p-1357.html (Accessed in 23/08/2013)

http://ocondedemontecristo.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/coleta-montagem-econservac3a7c3a3o-de-insetos.pdf (Accessed in 23/08/2013)
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