Dear listers,
I am a PhD Student in Entomology. I am trying to determine if the flies that I caught in the field are mated or not. I have MANY specimens (hundreds) in 70% alcohol and it is not easy finding the sperm. Fresh specimens are a piece of cake, but preserved ones are giving me a hard time. The big problem I have is that all the studies I find about staining sperm stain live samples to determine viability. The only other staining technique that I know has been used successfully is one with DAPI but this technique involves use of a fluorescence microscope (which we do not have in the lab). This means I have to do the dissections in my lab and then go to another lab to look at them. On top of that, the stain only lasts 30' so I could only work with about 5 slides at a time (that'll take forever!). This technique will be my last resort but I would like to find something that would be more efficient (and maybe even semipermanent...).
Any suggestions? Does anybody know how to stain preserved sperm? I have found Mayer's alcoholic cochineal suggested but I am not sure if it really does work.
Thank you for your time, Soledad.
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Soledad C. Villamil, MSc
PhD Candidate
Department of Entomology
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752 2592
[hidden email]
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