Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Digitization of Arthropods’ Biological Collections

Among biological museum specimens, many relatively small organisms are difficult to observe macroscopically. Therefore, their attractiveness to visitors is limited. To present such small objects, various magnifying techniques can be used in combination with the digital presentation of the specimens. In this conference report, we describe how we use amalgamating techniques, along with their advantages and limitations. Our strategy uses light and electron microscopy to present small biological specimens. Light microscopy enables the observation of organisms in their natural colors but does not allow precise observation of very small microstructures, such as setae, ommatidia, and cuticle sculpture. In turn, scanning electron microscopy, thanks to its very good resolution and the possibility of obtaining higher magnifications, allows the observation of fine details of structure, but the objects are presented in grayscale. We present the scheme we use to prepare arthropods that are stored as museum specimens for digitization and subsequent presentation to visitors. Our strategy enables the comprehensive use of the specimens, as well as limiting the number of museum specimens used to prepare digital collections and reducing the number of individuals captured in the wild.