Hi Amy, My subspecialty of forensic entomology is archaeological entomology, so this find is SO interesting to me! While it is hard to say definitively from this photo, it is my initial impression that this is an incidental that entered the volume more recently. How intact the wing margins are and the intactness of the spines on the leg are things that jump out at me as being indicative of being more recent than historical. While the protection of the book would have preserved many features, it does strike me how intact the wing margins are. It is possible that it is from the 1700s, there are a few remarkably preserved ancient specimens found through archaeological work that are much older so it is within the realm of possibilities. There is also a "quality and character" to ancient or historical insect specimens that is hard to evaluate through photos. There is likely a publishable find you have there! I'm very interested to see what everyone else thinks.
best, Mike On Fri, Jun 25, 2021 at 11:10 AM 'Sampson, Amy' via MuseumPests < pestlist@googlegroups.com> wrote: > Hello Again Everyone, > > > > Thanks to Stephan Biebl and Forrest St. Aubin for your IDs. > > > > I am interested to find out whether anyone has experience of finding what > may be historic specimens within collection material. Has anyone come > across anything like this before? The volume that it was discovered in > dates from 1743, so I am unsure as to whether this is likely to be > contemporary to object, or whether it is more likely a recent guest. If > anyone has any thoughts on this, I would be very interested to hear them. > > > > Many Thanks, > > > > Amy. > > > > [image: The National Archives logo] > > *Amy Sampson *|* Associate Preventive Conservator* > T: 020 3908 2435 | W: nationalarchives.gov.uk > <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/> > Twitter: @UkNatArchives > The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU > > > > > Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > National Archives Disclaimer This email and any files transmitted with it > are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom they are > addressed. If you are not the intended recipient and have received this > email in error, please notify the sender and delete the email. Opinions, > conclusions and other information in this message and attachments that do > not relate to the official business of The National Archives are neither > given nor endorsed by it. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MuseumPests" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/LNXP123MB376910B26B475CCFBACF8AAFB3069%40LNXP123MB3769.GBRP123.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/LNXP123MB376910B26B475CCFBACF8AAFB3069%40LNXP123MB3769.GBRP123.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- best regards, Michael Monzon Unit Administrator/Specialist, On-Farm Food Safety Team Department of Entomology Forensic Entomology Laboratory 31½ Pine St. New Brunswick, NJ 08901 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAMRhVUxqbsZ%3DPjsktj6L5Uh2J43j4_pNsLgSO5bUgTi4jWKrAg%40mail.gmail.com.
