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169 Lexington Court, Unit I

Waterloo, ON, N2J 4R9

 

US Address:

Niagara Falls, NY 14305

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Insect Pins

EntoSphinx insect pins for novice bug collectors or experienced entomologists.

Don't know which size you need? Try a sample pack of 10 pins of 10 sizes; only $7.00.

Stainless steel or black enamelled; super sharp for bug, crafts, sewing.

Insect Pins

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These pins are good for more than entomology, be sure to check out our blog: 10 Things You Can do with Insect Pins.  Sizes 000, 00, 0, are thinner than acupuncture needles & can even be used as electrodes in neuroscience.

Black enamel or stainless steel? They are identical in sharpness, diameter & length but there are important differences.

The black enamel ones are made from spring steel & are coated with a rust resistant lacquer after they have been cut. For soft bodied insects this should be fine, especially for student use or if you are using them to ream out holes & then dispose. They are not recommended for hard bodied insects since the coating can scratch off & the pin will rust eventually.

The stainless steel ones can be used for all insects & applications whether they are permanent collections of insects or textiles or any other material that you don't want to be disfigured by rust.

Pin # Dimensions Pin Head Wire Gauge(s)
000 38x0.25mm (1.5x0.01") 0.9mm 46, 47
00 38x0.30mm (1.5x0.012") 1.1-1.3mm 45, 46
0 38x0.35mm (1.5x0.014") 1.1-1.3mm 43, 44
1 38x0.40mm (1.5x0.016") 1.1-1.3mm 42
2 38x0.45mm (1.5x0.018") 1.1-1.3mm 41
3 38x0.50mm (1.5x0.02") 1.1-1.3mm 40
4 38x0.55mm (1.5x0.022") 1.1-1.3mm 39, 40
5 38x0.60mm (1.5x0.024") 1.1-1.3mm 38-39
6 38x0.65mm (1.5x0.026") 1.5mm 37-38
7 50x0.70mm (2x0.028") 1.6mm 37

Note: 25mm=~1". So 38mm=~1.5"; 50mm= ~2"; 1/64"=0.015".

Check the Technical tab below for additional information on using insect pins-the USDA guide to insect pinning.

Insect pins are handy for making pinhole cameras but results are very dependent on the diameter of the pin.

Pinhole Image of Flower Courtesy Dan. P. Seattle, WA.

Here are some useful resources:

This is a detailed list of Insect Pheromones. For something completely different, enter some names into our 3D Molecular Model Builder. You can actually build the molecules but what is amazing is the range from very simple structures to very complex.

An excerpt from the USDA Guide for Insect Pinning (no longer on-line) had these suggestions:

In section 3.1 - Preparing Dry Specimens for Mounting, the guide discusses some basic insect preparation:

"Any dry insect that is to be pinned must be relaxed.... a relaxing chamber usually will make this procedure much easier."

To this end, we offer a simple solution involving petri dishes & filter paper. All you need is to put some sort of support under the filter paper.