A Protocol For Digesting Internal Soft Tissues And Mounting Spiders For Scanning Electron Microscopy

We describe a simple protocol for digesting the internal soft tissues of spiders using an enzyme complex known as pancreatin. This technique is preferred over digestions with caustic agents because it better preserves the cuticle surface, allowing its study by means of scanning electron or transmitted light microscopy. In addition, we describe a technique for mounting spider body parts for scanning electron microscopy using an acryloid polymer.