Handling wild-caught specimens

Depending on the purpose for making collections of wild flies, specimens are handled differently. Some investigators are interested in having living material for experimental work, while others want only DNA. In any case, if possible, having both living and properly preserved material with standard documentation from any collection can be of great value to the research community, as well as to the individual collector. Collecting wild specimens, especially from remote areas, is an expensive endeavor, and if live material can be transported and deposited in the Tucson Stock Center, a larger number of investigators will benefit from the effort. Similarly, if questions as to species identification or geographic distribution arise later, they can be resolved if properly preserved vouchered specimens are available.