84—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 16,1984
(Continued from Page 82)
Transferring the bugs from the
net to the jar can be a risky
business. The red velvet ant that
Sylvia caught while stalking the
frog carries a painful sting. The
ant, which is like a female wasp
without wings, is also called a
“cow killer” because of its sting.
She said that while she im
mediately knew what she had
caught, she did not realize that it
could have stung her when she
pushed it towards the jar with her
hand.
Identifying the insects can be a
tedious and time-consuming
process. We’ve spent whole days
sometimes, identifying things,”
she said.
Over the years Sylvia has
collected a number of books which
help her identify the insect. By
looking through the books she
gradually narrows down the
possibilities until she can finally
make a positive identification.
Sylvia has taken several insects
that she was unable to identify to
the entomologists at Penn State
University. Even they were unable
to identify one of them, Sylvia said.
To display the insects, Sylvia
Insect collection
places them on a pinning block of
Styrofoam or soft wood. The block
has ndges cut into it, where she
places the insect’s body. She then
pins the wings to the board and lets
the insect sit for about a week to
dry. When it is completely dry, it
becomes stiff and can be tran
sferred to a display case.
Sylvia said it is important to
place moth crystals in the display
cases to keep moth larvae from
destroying the insects, a lesson she
learned the hard way. Her first
display, she said, was ruined when
larvae squeezed through the
cracks in her case and laid their
eggs on the insects.
“I opened up my box and found a
pile of dust,” she said.
Sylvia’s father, a carpenter,
made her display cases and the
rest of the family takes an interest
in her project as well. They help
her collect and identify the insects
and her father and little brother
have both started their own
collections.
In the display case, each insect is
accompanied by three labels,
placed one on top of the other. The
first one gives the county where
the insect was caught and the date
it was captured. The second label
teUs where it was found and the
third gives its common name.
The labels are required for
competition, but are a good idea
just for personal use, Sylvia said.
In competition, judges look for
proper identification, neatness of
pinning, and quality of specimens.
One year, she recalled, a judge
pointed out dirt on the feet of a
grasshopper that was part of
another contestant’s display.
While she has excelled in her 4-H
entomology project, Sylvia is also
involved in number of other
projects. Her current projects
include sewing, cooking,
photography, vegetables, wildlife
and forestry.
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Since her entomology judging
team took first place at state 4-H
days two years ago, Sylvia has
turned her judging efforts to
vegetables. Last year she was the
fourth-place individual in
vegetable judging, which involves
identifying diseases, weeds and
seeds. She said she plans to par
ticipate in the event again this
year.
Sylvia said she hopes that a
younger 4-H’er will take an in
terest in entomology, giving her an
opportunity to become a teen
leader.
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At Annville Cleona High School
where she will be a senior this fall
Sylvia participates in marching
and concert bands, wind ensemble
chorus, and mat maids. She plans
to join the tennis team this fall
After high school, Sylvia said she
would like to earn a degree in art
therapy and help the mentally
disabled “express ttfemselves
through art.”
She said she will probably
continue adding to her insect
collection at a slower rate. “It will
probably just stay a hobby for
me,’’she said.
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