Pressure Resin Infiltration of Aphids for Electron Microscopy

Fixed, dehydrated pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, were partially infiltrated with epoxy resins by standard procedures, then placed in a pressure chamber at up to 1000 psi for varying lengths of time. Insects so treated were found to be more suitable than nonpressurized insects for ultrathin sectioning and electron microscopy.

It was necessary to remove one or more legs from the insects to obtain adequate infiltration even where high pressures were employed. Little damage was evident at light or electron microscope levels of examination.