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Post by exoticimports on Aug 7, 2018 4:54:45 GMT -8
So the black spot around the pin whole grew in a couple hours to fingertip size. Sunlight seemed to have no effect.
I used a syringe to flood the body cavity and flush under the elytra with rubbing alcohol. 12 hours later now, the black spot is 95% gone. I'll be watching it through the day.
Chuck
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 7, 2018 4:58:01 GMT -8
The big dynastid beetles are full of body fat, I've dissected three or four and the fat in the body cavity was like stale butter, thick and yellow and present in large clumps. The pin through the body acts like the wick of a candle and draws the fat into the wing cases. This is why the problem with the wing staining can be a recurrent one. Johnny I believe that I exacerbated the problem. Normally I just let beetles sit in the softening container as long as it takes. With this specimen (and the other with the same problem) I injected them with warm water to hasten the process. I suspect that the body fats and such continued (and perhaps still continue) to hold moisture, and that indeed the pin acts as a wick. Note that in my recent battle with the black spot reappearing after the acetone bath there was no pin inserted, so there was sufficient material and/or internal pressure to drive oils out of the pin hole.
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 14, 2018 7:17:51 GMT -8
Update: Both of the hercules that "bled out" and turned black are back to normal.
One thing I struggled with was the pin hole, which after the specimen was "clear" would seep out fluids and turn black, a circle about 5mm. I got rid of this by flushing the pin hole with rubbing alcohol and letting it dry. It took several rounds of acetone soak and alcohol flushing to stop any return of the oils that blackened the elytra.
So...next experiment. I took my "rare black" hercules I've had for years and soaked it in acetone for 15 hours. Just took it out- and guess what...it's not black.
Chuck
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 20, 2018 17:09:12 GMT -8
And yet another update.
Of the two specimens (both paschoali) that "bled out" one is just fine. The other, when pinned, exhibited a growing dark circle around the pin. When it reached about 8mm diameter I had enough, so tried to flood it with alcohol again. That reduced the dark oil spot by about 20%. So back into the acetone again. Which sucks, because the tarsi were pretty busted up and I'd had to repair it again after the first acetone bath; now I'm going to have to do it again.
The "black" specimen (I think it's lichyi)stayed the natural color.
This has been quite the chore.
Chuck
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 31, 2018 3:55:02 GMT -8
Another update to the saga: the smaller paschoali and the "black" lichyi have retained original color without bleed of oils to blacken the elytra.
The larger paschoali soaked in acetone for a week (again). And, yet again, when removed the oils quickly spread from the pinhole and blackened the surrounding area of the elytra. This sucks.
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shadow
Junior Member
Posts: 20
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Post by shadow on Aug 31, 2018 13:15:45 GMT -8
Been paying attention to the black beetle and wanted to see if you have been changing the acetone with every soak ? Good luck.
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Post by exoticimports on Sept 7, 2018 5:23:51 GMT -8
Update: the problematic specimen has gone back and forth into acetone. For up to a week at a time. Every time it's removed the black oil spot starts at the pin hole and expands.
I punched two holes in the bottom of the thorax hoping it would drain out some of the oils in/ with the acetone, but that didn't make a difference.
Every time it dries out after the acetone bath and the black oil patch appears I've injected the pin hole with rubbing alcohol, which temporarily flushes the elytra, but in a couple days the black patch returns.
Clearly, repeated acetone baths are ineffective.
Yesterday I put the specimen in a tub of rubbing alcohol. Today the alcohol is turning brown (this did not happen with the acetone.) So I may be on to something.
Update on the other two specimens: the other paschoali, after one acetone bath, is fine after 3 weeks. The "black" lichyi was fine, but now I can see a brown haze creeping through the upper half of the elytra.
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Post by exoticimports on Sept 17, 2018 4:25:52 GMT -8
Final update (I hope): after a month-long fight, the project is done.
Repeated paths in acetone, no matter the duration, made superficial and temporary improvements to the greasing of the elytra. After only a matter of hours, the oils would seep out through the pin hole.
Soaking in alcohol did the trick. The body oils immediately flowed readily from the specimens, turning the alcohol brown within an hour. A week later, both of the problem specimens are clean and clear of cosmetic oil leaks, with no darkening of the elytra.
Chuck
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