Insect collecting Insect collecting has left traces in European cultural history, literature and songs (e.g., Georges Brassens's "La chasse aux papillons" ("The Hunt for Butterflies")). The practice is still widespread in many countries, and is particularly common among Japanese youths. Insects are passively caught using funnels, pitfall traps, bottle traps, malaise traps, flight interception traps and other passive types of insect traps, some of which are baited with small bits of sweet foods (such as honey). Different designs of ultraviolet light traps such as the Robinson trap are also used by entomologists for collecting nocturnal insects (especially moths) during faunistic survey studies.
Conservation and restoration of insect specimens This is done to minimize shriveling allowing the identifying characteristics to be preserved as true to life as possible. Hard-bodied insects may also be preserved temporarily in alcohol before pinning. Slides of very small insects are also kept as part of insect collections. The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) describes in their Code of Ethics the aspects of conservation to include: preventive conservation, examination, documentation, treatment, research and education. Each of these areas also apply to the conservation and restoration of insect specimens. Insect collections may suffer multiple types of degradation including fading colors from light exposure, mold growth from