Comparative analysis of various fixative solutions on insect preservation for molecular studies

Results are presented of a study investigating the effects of fixative solutions, i.e. acetone and ethanol, on (i) the quality and quantity of extracted DNA, (ii) the PCR amplification performed with the extracted DNA samples, and (iii) the morphological characters, in particular the fragile sensilla, of the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Data obtained from this study may be used to establish a convenient and reliable method for DNA preservation that can be applied both during field collection and storage of collected insects.