Naphthalene

Definition

A white crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon (C₁₀H₈) with a strong, penetrating odor, historically employed in entomology as a fumigant to repel or kill pest insects in stored collections. Naphthalene sublimates readily, releasing vapor that deters clothes moths (Tineidae), dermestid beetles, and other museum pests from damaging dried insect specimens, textiles, and pinned collections. Due to established carcinogenicity and toxicity, its use in collections has been largely discontinued in favor of less hazardous alternatives.

Etymology

From naphtha, an older term for volatile liquid hydrocarbons, with the -ene suffix denoting an unsaturated compound.

Example

Nineteenth-century lepidopterists often placed naphthalene mothballs in specimen drawers to protect pinned butterflies from Anthrenus carpet beetles, though modern curators now use freezing protocols or hermetic storage with inert atmospheres instead.

Synonyms

• mothball (compound)
• naphthalin

Related Terms

• Fumigation
• museum pest
• dermestid beetle
• clothes moth
• paradichlorobenzene
• Integrated Pest Management
• hermetic storage

Usage Notes

Distinguished from paradichlorobenzene (PDB), another mothball ingredient with similar uses but different toxicity profile. Naphthalene's role in entomology is now primarily historical; contemporary collections emphasize preventive conservation and non-chemical methods. The compound remains relevant to chemical ecology as a reference compound for aromatic hydrocarbon detection thresholds.