It's amazing how you can restore such delicate creatures to a state in which they appear to be alive. Awesome job, I could only wish to be as talented as you.
+「 Imumblealot 」 You're very kind, but don't ever underestimate your own ability. There are very many people who are much more skilled at this and I am.
I bought a Luna moth and I was surprised by the greasy texture of the abdomen, just putting it in acetone made an instant difference taking it from an ugly matted yellow brown to snow white. Thank you so much for this technique, I'm hoping to restore her to her former beauty
This is so fascinating! As a wise man or woman once said, "Those who have a passion for what they do tend to do it much more beautifully." And indeed, how beautiful this is! Keep doing what you do. :)
+Emi Rin You're too kind, thank you. I do enjoy the work and also showing them to people and teaching them about the natural world. I'm happy that you can see the beauty in such a strange animal.
Just used your technique for repairing a broken antenna on a large hornet I was asked to put in resin. Never done any of this pinning and repairing bugs stuff, thanks for the tips.
These (Citheronia regalis) are rather common in Tennessee. I get them at my collecting sheet in June and July. The larvae are very impressive, and are known as Hickory Horned Devils, due to their food plant-(Hickory). I also have a location for Citheronia sepulcralis. The species you mentioned in Arizona is C. splendens which I have collected in Santa Cruz county. Acetone is also quite useful for other "insect rejuvination" as I call it, especially beetles that get grease staining in the elytra. Good video, nicely done with fine detail.
notes and timestamps for my own (and maybe someone elses) references: that's not wax paper or tracing paper, it is glassine, similar to tracing paper. to remove stain on furry body 2:39 -carefully separate abdomen from thorax at joints -soak greased portions in acetone a couple hours to days *this will matt the fur* -let abdomen dry 10:53 on paper towel -after dried, 11:56 use small, soft round paint brush and gently tap the bristles against fur to fluff and loosen the abdominal hairs abdomen, 13:41 antennae 5:29 and leg 7:45 repair -using elmers clear blue gel apply sparingly with pin head at 2 join locations -use mounting pins to support body parts into desired positions while drying. * alternately can use insect repair adhesive from bioquip if you have it, excellent to know about alternative glues such as Elmer's clear glue * cracked wing repair 16:33 adhesive - Elmer's clear blue gel glue -thin with drops of water -use head of pin as applicator, apply on UNDERSIDE of wing from one base of crack to the other to close seam.
Hi, thanks for the guide, i have an unpinned (but relaxed) saturniid with noticeable greasing, would you recommend pinning it before giving it an acetone bath? I’ve read that acetone stiffens the specimens, if I were to do that would I have to relax the animal again or would I be able to pin it immediately after the acetone has evaporated?
acetone is so versatile i swear people really underestimate its uses. thanks for these videos man they are very amazing and informative. i would like to start collecting and pinning my own insects and these videos are so helpful. thank you :) edit: do you use acetone from like the hardware store, the industrial kind? just curious
Hi, your videos are very informative, even your side comments have taught me things. I’m an amateur collector and have issues with saturniids that stay wet-looking long after they’ve dried when they get moisture on them in the relaxing process. Is this due to residual fats mixing with the water and coating the hairs? Would degreasing help? Any sources on such maintenance you would recommend? Source material is sparse when it comes to the finer points of caring for the collection I’ve found. I hope you decide to one day preview your entire collection by the way! :)
Yes, it sounds like greasy specimens to me. You can use acetone to de-grease any specimen. Did you see this video? ruclips.net/video/7n0Ao5H-R8o/видео.html I am making more specimen prep videos and will also make come collection tour videos.
insectsafari Yes sir, I’ve watched all your videos but I was hesitant to drop my specimens in something like acetone so wanted to be sure. I immersed a comet moth overnight and after some delicate brushing this morning it’s absolutely gorgeous - as fluffy as a stuffed plush animal. Thanks so much for the help. Looking forward to your new videos!
I have a polyphemus moth who's cracked the top vein of her wing and flapped it clear off, a full rip all the way through. Will I be able to repair the wing using just a clear glue with these techniques? I'd assume I could repair the vein first with straight glue and then use the diluted mixture to fix the more fragile part of the wing?
You can probably get a good repair of the support vein with just glue but I might reinforce it below with something stiff like a cactus spine across the break. Then you can suture the wing crack with diluted glue. It's a good opportunity to practice the technique. Let me know how it works.
snap crackle pop. I have an acetone question.. I volunteer at a museum and am happy to get to clean/sculpt parts/repair dinosaur fossils and cast and paint replica casts. however we dont work with insects.. we have a few different types of acetone, and I'm not sure what the differences are because they all say acetone as the only ingredient.. however they use one (a more expensive one) for certain glues they mix, and the cheaper stuff for general cleaning. where do you get your acetone, and if I buy pure acetone for fingernails at a drugstore, will this be ok?
I am also curious if you have had archival results with the Elmer's? is there a sheen or cast from using the Elmer's glue? by the way I'm super thankful for your video!!
Sorry for the delay, I didn't get a notification for some reason. I don't know about the different grades of acetone. I just get it at a hardware store. The nail polish remover has other ingredients and I haven't tried it. The water based glue seems to last. I've had specimens for decades that have been repaired with it. The dried glue can have a shiny residue but in my use attaching such small parts it is not noticeable.
Thank you for the video! I am a young collector from Kazakhstan, and there is no lesson in Russian on this topic. Tell me which glue you use and how you dilute? Will the wing be deformed after drying, if this method is applied to thin wings? To clean the fat, I use gasoline for lighters. And for wings too. Thanks.
The wing should not be deformed by the glue, even if the wing is thin. If the glue is thick, I mix in some water. You will have to experiment to know what works best. I had not heard of using lighter gasoline for degreasing. I'm sure it works well. This is the glue I use. There are other brands that work as well. www.ebay.com/itm/Elmers-Non-Toxic-Washable-No-Run-School-Glue-Gel-7-5-8-oz-Squeeze-Bottle-Blue-/181978732061?hash=item2a5ec7161d:g:6JYAAOSw4CFYtgEK
I watched your re-hydration box tutorial .... and I am going to be pinning some butterfiles, and Luna moths (my favorite). A lot of the tutorials recommend using moth crystals, and I even saw someone spray windex in the bottom of their re-hydration box .... I know it's to prevent mold, but I noticed you didn't use anything but water. Is it really necessary to add some sort of anti mold agent? All your pieces look wonderful, and you didn't use any .... my instinct's are telling me it's not necessary for smaller species .... I just wanted your professional opinion. I plan on specializing in large moths at some point. I use to pin insects as a child with my father. I had a collection with a large array of North American insects, and arachnids, so I wanted to start this hobby again. Thanks so much! I love your video's ... very very helpful!!
+MaidenOfDarkness I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. I just use water because the moth crystals are toxic and I prefer not to deal with it. By injecting the insects with water, they become hydrated quickly and there isn't time for mold to be a problem. I do have to change the paper towel and foil regularly to keep it fresh. I would love to see your finished specimens and if you have any other questions, please let me know and I will help if I can.
insectsafari Thank you very much for your fast reply!! I would love to show you my specimens when I'm finished :). I plan on using shadow boxes, and mixed media art techniques with the backgrounds I'm pinning them on. I'm very excited to begin the process, and your video's have been one of the most informational I have seen :).
+MaidenOfDarkness One thing to consider is that Actias (Luna) and other moths fade very quickly when exposed to light. If you use a UV blocking glass, the process will be slower. Also try not to hang them in brightly lit areas.
insectsafari Thank you so much for telling me this!! Of course my favorite moth has to be the most sensitive to light .... lol. I just looked up a few UV blocking spray's and UV sealing products for the shadow box glass (not the insects). I will definitely be using that on all my glass now .... especially since I plan on selling some, and giving them as gifts. Again .... thank you so much for letting me know! I would have probably thought I did something wrong once they began fading had you not told me (granted moth and butterfly specimens do fade with time, but now I know the luna's fades faster)...... luckily the specimens I'm keeping for myself won't be exposed to too much light, it's usually pretty dark in my apartment because of the direction we face.
Do you think that its a good idea to do this to the abdomen of a luna moth ? I am asking because the scales are very delicate and I don't know if the acetone will damage it more than it already is .
It will mat the hairs on the abdomen. You can fluff them up a little, but it will never look like it should. You could replace the abdomen with a good one from a moth with bad wings.
It's called glassine, similar to tracing paper. It needs to be pulled tight and held with pins placed close to the wing edges. Wood spreading boards hold the pins tighter than styrofoam.
These moths do not feed as adults and only live about a week. Wild caught specimens have usually already mated and reproduced so taking them has little impact on the population. Captive raised specimens may be mated to get another generation or killed as soon as their wings are dry to get perfect specimens. If left to die naturally their wings are usually too damaged to make a good specimen for a collection.
There are several brands of clear, water-based glue that are usually found in school supply sections of stores. Elmer's is the most common brand in the US.
Hello, I was wondering what the difference between this moth vs the insect from your "Winged Stick Insect Mounting?" Why is the gut removed from the stick insect but not the moth? Do you ever remove the gut from moths? Thank you.
I have tried to gut moth abdomens in the past but I find it doesn't work very well. Moths are very furry and it's difficult to manipulate them that way without damaging the fur. If they are dried fairly quickly, the moths tend to look pretty good. Stick insects and grasshoppers almost never come out right if they are not stuffed.
+Taylor ford Sorry, so many people ask questions and haven't even watched it. I like the water soluble glue because if you make a mistake, you can soak it loose and try again.
I seen my first pink and yellow one last year I found it sunning on or front porch and I first thought my daughter had dropped a piece of gum where it's wings were closed it was mainly all pink lol.
@@sherpa6071 I'm glad you found my videos useful. I am happy to answer any questions you have. You can email me: donehlen@theinsectsafari.com I do have videos about mounting lepidoptera like your moth. ruclips.net/video/phN9PfRklHQ/видео.html
![ROSÉ(로제) - APT. (Band VER.) (With. 이영지) [더 시즌즈-이영지의 레인보우] | KBS 241129 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IW8qaemx74g/mqdefault.jpg)
It's amazing how you can restore such delicate creatures to a state in which they appear to be alive. Awesome job, I could only wish to be as talented as you.
+「 Imumblealot 」
You're very kind, but don't ever underestimate your own ability.
There are very many people who are much more skilled at this and I am.
It’s very hard to find info on degreasing so your video is beyond helpful. Much appreciated! Those are gorgeous specimens btw!
I bought a Luna moth and I was surprised by the greasy texture of the abdomen, just putting it in acetone made an instant difference taking it from an ugly matted yellow brown to snow white. Thank you so much for this technique, I'm hoping to restore her to her former beauty
I'm happy it worked for you. Acetone is our friend!
This is so fascinating! As a wise man or woman once said, "Those who have a passion for what they do tend to do it much more beautifully." And indeed, how beautiful this is! Keep doing what you do. :)
+Emi Rin
You're too kind, thank you.
I do enjoy the work and also showing them to people and teaching them about the natural world. I'm happy that you can see the beauty in such a strange animal.
Just used your technique for repairing a broken antenna on a large hornet I was asked to put in resin. Never done any of this pinning and repairing bugs stuff, thanks for the tips.
I'm happy that you found found it helpful. I'll be posting more videos as I get the time to finish them.
These (Citheronia regalis) are rather common in Tennessee. I get them at my collecting sheet in June and July. The larvae are very impressive, and are known as Hickory Horned Devils, due to their food plant-(Hickory). I also have a location for Citheronia sepulcralis. The species you mentioned in Arizona is C. splendens which I have collected in Santa Cruz county. Acetone is also quite useful for other "insect rejuvination" as I call it, especially beetles that get grease staining in the elytra. Good video, nicely done with fine detail.
haha you are like the Bob Ross of insect displays.
YOU SIR!!! Are an absolute wizard. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
notes and timestamps for my own (and maybe someone elses) references:
that's not wax paper or tracing paper, it is glassine, similar to tracing paper.
to remove stain on furry body 2:39
-carefully separate abdomen from thorax at joints
-soak greased portions in acetone a couple hours to days
*this will matt the fur*
-let abdomen dry 10:53 on paper towel
-after dried, 11:56 use small, soft round paint brush and gently tap the bristles against fur to fluff and loosen the abdominal hairs
abdomen, 13:41 antennae 5:29 and leg 7:45 repair
-using elmers clear blue gel apply sparingly with pin head at 2 join locations
-use mounting pins to support body parts into desired positions while drying.
* alternately can use insect repair adhesive from bioquip if you have it, excellent to know about alternative glues such as Elmer's clear glue *
cracked wing repair 16:33
adhesive - Elmer's clear blue gel glue
-thin with drops of water
-use head of pin as applicator, apply on UNDERSIDE of wing from one base of crack to the other to close seam.
Awesome. That moth looks as if it could just fly away.
Those are beautiful moths , acetone is probably the best degreaser on the market , it even sucks the fat cells out of human skin
Fantastic video bud. I love your work!!!
both interesting and super relaxing vids. thanks
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them.
I wish i watched this video about 8 years ago when i made a large butterfly bug collection
Hi, thanks for the guide, i have an unpinned (but relaxed) saturniid with noticeable greasing, would you recommend pinning it before giving it an acetone bath? I’ve read that acetone stiffens the specimens, if I were to do that would I have to relax the animal again or would I be able to pin it immediately after the acetone has evaporated?
I think I'd pin it first. The acetone does make the muscles really stiff and they don't relax as well after.
@@insectsafari I see, ok thanks!
@@discodromaesaurus1603 This video shows how to de-grease a mounted specimen. ruclips.net/video/7n0Ao5H-R8o/видео.html
@@insectsafari dandy!
How would placing the entire insect, wings and all, in the acetone effect the appearance of the scales?
It works really well. They can come out looking perfect. ruclips.net/video/7n0Ao5H-R8o/видео.html
acetone is so versatile i swear people really underestimate its uses. thanks for these videos man they are very amazing and informative. i would like to start collecting and pinning my own insects and these videos are so helpful. thank you :)
edit: do you use acetone from like the hardware store, the industrial kind? just curious
Hi, your videos are very informative, even your side comments have taught me things. I’m an amateur collector and have issues with saturniids that stay wet-looking long after they’ve dried when they get moisture on them in the relaxing process. Is this due to residual fats mixing with the water and coating the hairs? Would degreasing help? Any sources on such maintenance you would recommend? Source material is sparse when it comes to the finer points of caring for the collection I’ve found.
I hope you decide to one day preview your entire collection by the way! :)
Yes, it sounds like greasy specimens to me. You can use acetone to de-grease any specimen. Did you see this video? ruclips.net/video/7n0Ao5H-R8o/видео.html I am making more specimen prep videos and will also make come collection tour videos.
insectsafari Yes sir, I’ve watched all your videos but I was hesitant to drop my specimens in something like acetone so wanted to be sure. I immersed a comet moth overnight and after some delicate brushing this morning it’s absolutely gorgeous - as fluffy as a stuffed plush animal. Thanks so much for the help.
Looking forward to your new videos!
I have a polyphemus moth who's cracked the top vein of her wing and flapped it clear off, a full rip all the way through. Will I be able to repair the wing using just a clear glue with these techniques? I'd assume I could repair the vein first with straight glue and then use the diluted mixture to fix the more fragile part of the wing?
You can probably get a good repair of the support vein with just glue but I might reinforce it below with something stiff like a cactus spine across the break. Then you can suture the wing crack with diluted glue. It's a good opportunity to practice the technique. Let me know how it works.
Moths that big are terrifying. Lol!!!
snap crackle pop.
I have an acetone question..
I volunteer at a museum and am happy to get to clean/sculpt parts/repair dinosaur fossils and cast and paint replica casts.
however we dont work with insects..
we have a few different types of acetone, and I'm not sure what the differences are because they all say acetone as the only ingredient.. however they use one (a more expensive one) for certain glues they mix, and the cheaper stuff for general cleaning.
where do you get your acetone, and if I buy pure acetone for fingernails at a drugstore, will this be ok?
I am also curious if you have had archival results with the Elmer's?
is there a sheen or cast from using the Elmer's glue?
by the way I'm super thankful for your video!!
Sorry for the delay, I didn't get a notification for some reason. I don't know about the different grades of acetone. I just get it at a hardware store. The nail polish remover has other ingredients and I haven't tried it. The water based glue seems to last. I've had specimens for decades that have been repaired with it. The dried glue can have a shiny residue but in my use attaching such small parts it is not noticeable.
Thank you for the video! I am a young collector from Kazakhstan, and there is no lesson in Russian on this topic. Tell me which glue you use and how you dilute? Will the wing be deformed after drying, if this method is applied to thin wings? To clean the fat, I use gasoline for lighters. And for wings too. Thanks.
I saw in the comments that the glue is water-based, but give the brand of glue, I'll look it up on Ebay
The wing should not be deformed by the glue, even if the wing is thin. If the glue is thick, I mix in some water. You will have to experiment to know what works best. I had not heard of using lighter gasoline for degreasing. I'm sure it works well. This is the glue I use. There are other brands that work as well. www.ebay.com/itm/Elmers-Non-Toxic-Washable-No-Run-School-Glue-Gel-7-5-8-oz-Squeeze-Bottle-Blue-/181978732061?hash=item2a5ec7161d:g:6JYAAOSw4CFYtgEK
Do Sphingidae need degreasing? I also have Gonimbrasia and I'm not sure if they need to be degreased.
the repair looks like tuff work. great vid
+Tim Graham
Thanks.
It's a challenge sometimes, but that's what keeps it interesting.
I watched your re-hydration box tutorial .... and I am going to be pinning some butterfiles, and Luna moths (my favorite). A lot of the tutorials recommend using moth crystals, and I even saw someone spray windex in the bottom of their re-hydration box .... I know it's to prevent mold, but I noticed you didn't use anything but water. Is it really necessary to add some sort of anti mold agent? All your pieces look wonderful, and you didn't use any .... my instinct's are telling me it's not necessary for smaller species .... I just wanted your professional opinion. I plan on specializing in large moths at some point. I use to pin insects as a child with my father. I had a collection with a large array of North American insects, and arachnids, so I wanted to start this hobby again. Thanks so much! I love your video's ... very very helpful!!
+MaidenOfDarkness
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. I just use water because the moth crystals are toxic and I prefer not to deal with it. By injecting the insects with water, they become hydrated quickly and there isn't time for mold to be a problem. I do have to change the paper towel and foil regularly to keep it fresh.
I would love to see your finished specimens and if you have any other questions, please let me know and I will help if I can.
insectsafari Thank you very much for your fast reply!! I would love to show you my specimens when I'm finished :). I plan on using shadow boxes, and mixed media art techniques with the backgrounds I'm pinning them on. I'm very excited to begin the process, and your video's have been one of the most informational I have seen :).
+MaidenOfDarkness
One thing to consider is that Actias (Luna) and other moths fade very quickly when exposed to light. If you use a UV blocking glass, the process will be slower. Also try not to hang them in brightly lit areas.
insectsafari Thank you so much for telling me this!! Of course my favorite moth has to be the most sensitive to light .... lol. I just looked up a few UV blocking spray's and UV sealing products for the shadow box glass (not the insects). I will definitely be using that on all my glass now .... especially since I plan on selling some, and giving them as gifts. Again .... thank you so much for letting me know! I would have probably thought I did something wrong once they began fading had you not told me (granted moth and butterfly specimens do fade with time, but now I know the luna's fades faster)...... luckily the specimens I'm keeping for myself won't be exposed to too much light, it's usually pretty dark in my apartment because of the direction we face.
Do you think that its a good idea to do this to the abdomen of a luna moth ? I am asking because the scales are very delicate and I don't know if the acetone will damage it more than it already is .
It will mat the hairs on the abdomen. You can fluff them up a little, but it will never look like it should. You could replace the abdomen with a good one from a moth with bad wings.
Yeah frankensteining it was my second option . The body of the luna moth is a different color than the hairs will it show or will it stay white.
What paper is that? I bought this tracing paper but the wings just slip down.
It's called glassine, similar to tracing paper. It needs to be pulled tight and held with pins placed close to the wing edges. Wood spreading boards hold the pins tighter than styrofoam.
So do they collect them after they die instead of catching and killing them? That sounds nice! They are pretty.
These moths do not feed as adults and only live about a week. Wild caught specimens have usually already mated and reproduced so taking them has little impact on the population. Captive raised specimens may be mated to get another generation or killed as soon as their wings are dry to get perfect specimens. If left to die naturally their wings are usually too damaged to make a good specimen for a collection.
May I know name of glue used in the video please?
There are several brands of clear, water-based glue that are usually found in school supply sections of stores. Elmer's is the most common brand in the US.
Hello, I was wondering what the difference between this moth vs the insect from your "Winged Stick Insect Mounting?" Why is the gut removed from the stick insect but not the moth? Do you ever remove the gut from moths? Thank you.
I have tried to gut moth abdomens in the past but I find it doesn't work very well. Moths are very furry and it's difficult to manipulate them that way without damaging the fur. If they are dried fairly quickly, the moths tend to look pretty good. Stick insects and grasshoppers almost never come out right if they are not stuffed.
insectsafari Thank you for replying!!
I have the HARDEST time finding Regal Moths! Do you have any recommended sellers?
Where do you live? They do show up occasionally with some of the sellers I know. They are also available on Ebay sometimes.
I just found one earlier yellow/brown, looking for information to save the little dude.
Many moths do not feed as an adult and have very short lives, about a week.
What kind of glue do you use to,repair the specimen I need to repair a couple of mine
I mean for the regal moths sorry if I misspelled that
+Taylor ford
Water soluble blue gel glue. Did you watch the video?
+insectsafari yes I watched it must of missed it anyway thanks!
+Taylor ford
Sorry, so many people ask questions and haven't even watched it.
I like the water soluble glue because if you make a mistake, you can soak it loose and try again.
+insectsafari these are really cool and like you said they are pretty moths where did you find them at
What kind of glue do you use?
It's a transparent, water-based glue available where school and office supplies are sold.
What does the staining come from?
+Raeanna No
Did you watch the video?
+insectsafari yes. You mentioned fat, but does the stain come natural before death or is it part of decomposition? Or something else entirely?
+Raeanna No
I had to ask. So many people ask questions that I answered in the video.
The fat breaks down and stains the body after the moth is dead.
I seen my first pink and yellow one last year I found it sunning on or front porch and I first thought my daughter had dropped a piece of gum where it's wings were closed it was mainly all pink lol.
That sounds like a Rosy Maple Moth. They're beautiful!
@@sherpa6071 I'm glad you found my videos useful. I am happy to answer any questions you have. You can email me: donehlen@theinsectsafari.com
I do have videos about mounting lepidoptera like your moth. ruclips.net/video/phN9PfRklHQ/видео.html
Really interesting! TU 🐛
Great thank you
Why are doing this
To preserve specimens for scientific research and education.
did you kill them?
I did not kill these moths but I have dispatched other insects for specimens for teaching and research collections. Why do you ask?