Taxonomy Fun Using Insect Identification Microscopes
Entomologists probably have one of the most important jobs in the world. First of all, they study insects – not apparently important at initial glance, but you do have to remember that there are more insects than people in the world, and insects are composed of so many species that live in so many different habitats. In fact, insects can harbor diseases that can be passed from person to person, causing deadly epidemics; or they can pass diseases on from plant to plant, wiping out entire harvests. Other insects, however, can protect plants or be the source of life-saving health extracts for people.
As entomologists, and as scientists, in general, find out more about insects and how they can help human beings or put us at a disadvantage, they also need more tools to help out in research. For molecular entomologists, such tools can include purification and extraction machinery, as well as equipment that can help in DNA and protein analysis. For laboratory entomologists interested in basic research, such tools can include dissecting microscopes and dissecting kits, as well as equipment that can help these scientists look for certain key chemicals or compounds in these insects.
For entomologists working out in the field, however, an insect identification microscope is paramount. This is because working out in the field provides a whole other environment that is far from the confines and comforts of the clean laboratory. In the field, machines have nowhere to be plugged to, and even if they do have a power source, they can break down because of bad weather conditions or the constant juggling and jiggling they have to go through while being transported from place to place.
This means that field insect identification microscopes have to be especially hardy. Because they will involve dissection, they have to be clean all the time: their lenses have to be free of molds and mildew that can cloud up the field of view and make dissection difficult. And because such insect identification microscopes will be used to carry out identification and classification of insects, such microscopes also have to be of high enough power for field entomologists to see fine details, such as the hairs on some insects’ legs, or the details in the wings of a butterfly.
Insect identification microscopes, due to their importance, need not only to be handled carefully, but to be made out of tough materials. The old, metal stereoscopic microscopes are still being used today, and they serve quite a good purpose: because they are usually watertight and airtight, they keep bacteria and molds from wandering into the microscope body. Because they are built to last, they can be carried around frequently without much worry.
So where can insect identification microscopes be put to good use? There are many insects that live in our streams and rivers, and that can be good indicators of how polluted our environment is. For instance, stoneflies have a fairly stable population in streams, and will remain at a certain level until pollution sets in. Scientists count the number of stonefly larvae in stream samples constantly; if these numbers drop, then the stream may be contaminated and measures have to be taken to clean it. This concept is termed as biomonitoring, and it simply uses the number of living species in a habitat to gauge how safe and clean the habitat is. Today, however, more tools are being developed to avoid the rather clumsy and time-consuming method of insect identification through microscopy.
The veterinary clinic and laboratory is also a popular place for the insect identification microscope. Because many of our household pets are afflicted with insect-based or caused diseases, veterinary doctors or scientists need to identify these insects before giving any medicines, which might harm the pet if the pet is not actually infected with the insect.
The farmer’s field is yet another place where insect identification happens nearly every day. Through the use of microscopes as well as observation of changes in plants, scientists and farmers can monitor the levels of harmful insects that can destroy harvests. Farmers can then apply pesticides or other pest management compounds that can keep the harvest intact.
Insect identification can be even more fun with a good field microscope, so visit http://www.field-microscope.com for more details. You can get a good range of prices on different field microscopes that can serve you for many other uses besides insect identification, and you can get a good glimpse of different kinds of field microscopes with different accessories and powers. With a good working knowledge of field microscopes, you can carry out your insect identification faster and better.
