Soon after insects are killed they dry out, become very brittle, and are
damaged easily. Small, fragile insects especially are susceptible to
breakage and, when dry, break up readily into fragments. Hard-shelled
insects, such as beetles, may appear to be sufficiently durable to
withstand handling when dry, but even these insects have fragile legs,
antennae, and other parts which snap off readily when handled dry. Newly
killed material should be either mounted or put in temporary storage
before it has dried out. If collected material dries out before it can
be mounted or stored, it should be relaxed by special techniques so that
the specimens can again be handled without danger of breakage.