DearEditor,Bomb-radiocarbonanalysisofmoderncarbonhasbeenappliedinmanyfieldsofecology.Themethodallowsde-terrniningtheresidencetimeofcarboninphotosyntheticproductsandthusaUorganicmatterinecosystems.Theatmospheric14Csignaturewillsoondropbelowthepre-bomblevelduetofixationofatmosphericcarboninter-restrialandmarineecosystemsandhighratesoflac-freefossilfuelcombustion.Hence,thetimeisrunningoutforbomb-radiocarbonapplication.Insectcollectionsshelteranimmensequantityofspecimensstoredinalcohol.Weshowhowthosespecimenscanbeusedforexploringthetrophicstructureoffoodwebsbycomparingtheirisotopicradiocarbonsignature.
