Fly Times Issue 48, April 2012 - North American Dipterists Society

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photographic illumination setup. After these tests it was set aside and allowed to dry for approximately
6 weeks. The appearance of the fly eye prior to attempting re-hydration is shown in Figure 2, and after
a 10 minutes soak in Figure 3 and after a 1 hour soak in Figure 4. The 1 hour soak was quite successful.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the restoration of the green eye color. Also visible are the subtle stripes often
found in Dolichopodidae.
Fig. 3 (left). Condylostylus after 1 hour soak in warm soapy water. Fig. 4 (right). One
hour after removal from 1 hr soak.
Since it was expected that a larger insect would
require longer immersion, the same fly was tested
with a 2 hour soak to determine if the longer soak
would damage the eye. This test was performed
one day after the one hour soak. The fly's eye had
started to become dehydrated and the appearance
prior to the 2-hour soak is shown in Figure 6.
Soaking for an additional 2 hours produced no
obvious damage. Again the specimen was rinsed
and blotted. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the
appearance after the test. It should be pointed out
that the eye started to develop speckles, a possible
precursor to mold ().
Fig. 5. Condylostylus prior to 2 hour soak
Fig. 6 (right). Condylostylus immediately after 2 hour soak. Fig. 7. 45 minutes after 2 hour soak