Unfortunately, this
protocol proves to be tedious and time-consuming,
demanding coordination between at least two collectors
to increase precision and collecting efficiency. A more
palatable alternative would be to extract DNA directly
from Carnoy’s fixative-preserved specimens. The denaturing properties of acids notwithstanding (Koch et al.
1998), DNA has been isolated successfully from mosquitoes
(Collins et al. 1987) and black flies fixed in Carnoy’s
solution (Pramual et al. 2005). Standardized DNA-extracting
protocols for specimens preserved in Carnoy’s fixative
will certainly help to overcome the methodological
constraints described above.