Hello sir! I'm starting in entomology and I just want to let you know that your videos are helping me a lot. I really think that your content is highly valuable and interesting and it makes me wanna learn more and more! Looking forward your next videos, keep up the channel as it has a great potential! Greetings from Catalonia, stay safe! :)
Thank you, I'm happy that you find it inspiring. I've been busy with getting settled after moving but I will be posting more videos soon. I have some that just need editing and many more ideas for new ones.
Thank you so much million likes for your work. Can you plz just once make a video on your tools and equipments and their uses. I will be thankful to you. 🙂
Greetings from England, You have certainly given Me some pointers, I have 3 Butterflies to mount and I have never tried this before!, thanks to Your help Sir, I may be heading in the right direction now!, great videos very informative, take care.
Dragonflies are sometimes found dead and intact. They have air pockets in their body to make them light and they dry out quickly. You can re-hydrate them to position the wings and legs when you pin them. They will dry quickly and shouldn't need to be dried in an oven
@@salattu It's a clear, water-based glue often sold with school supplies. Here is the USA one brand is Elmers. Other brands are available. In some of them the glue is dyed light blue.
This is a silly question but what kind of mounting board would you recommend for your first timer? A flat board or an angled board? I hear it’s just for aesthetic purposes, but I also hear online that depending on how you display your butterflies the perspective will warp the way they look. Some say mounting a butterfly on a flat surface will look better laying down vertically while mounting a butterfly in an angled surface looks better when displayed horizontally - and some say it’s the other way around. There also an argument I heard that angled boards are superior since over time the wings will slowly droop down due to gravity. Would you mind sharing your experiences? It’s been bugging me for a while. :^) Thank you in advance and I apologize for the large comment!
Not a silly question and no need to apologize for the length of your comment. I have several pinning boards both angled and flat. I prefer the angled boards because I think leps look a little better with some dimension, more like a living specimen. I also suggest getting adjustable boards where you can set the width of the slot. This way you can have the maximum amount of wing surface over the mounting platform to better secure the wings.
After spreading I let the butterflies dry for at least 2 weeks, sometimes for months. I use acid free foam core (board) and paper, yet after a few months of storage in a shadow box I noticed the wings are warping a bit. I keep them in a humid-free air conditioned place, so I cannot see how any moisture can get in there and affect the butterflies. So I'm discouraged that they are changing once inside a display box that has been sealed. Any advice ?
I have not had a similar problem so I have no suggestions. If kept dry they shouldn't noticeably change. I have had wings shift if I did not let them dry completely before removing them from the spreading board but it sounds like that's not the case for you. I have specimens that have been stored for decades that have not shifted at all. Maybe yours were not completely dry despite how much time you allowed. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry I will place the spreading board in an oven on low to speed up the drying.
@@insectsafari Thanks. Maybe the shadow box has something that is not acid free and the wing edges are reacting to it. I'm confident that the butterflies are completely dry. I may have to experiment with different materials. Thanks for the video. I learned a few tips. BTW- when the center of the foam board needs to be located, I measure the half way point on the top and bottom and mark it like you do. Then I put a pin on each mark and tie a piece of thread tight from one pin to the other. Perfect center from top to bottom and saves time & effort. Of course this can be done width wise as well.
I’m pretty new to preparing Lepidoptera, any idea exactly how tolerant their colors are to oven drying? Also do you happen to know if the colors of non iridescent species are also a result of photonic crystals?
I have used a warm oven to help dry specimens and it appeared to have no negative effect on the color. It is my understanding that non iridescent wing colors are pigments only.
I use the same techniques as I use for the larger lepidoptera. I have videos demonstrating how I do this. The wings of small moths are more fragile so I find it more difficult than the larger moths.
Greetings from California! I've been watching your videos for quite some time and they are super helpful! Is there a website you recommend to purchase specimens from?
I'm happy that you find the videos useful. There are several suppliers I have used. iannibutterfly2.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=26 bicbugs.com/shop/ www.bioquipbugs.com/ www.thebutterflycompany.com/
I use clear water-based gel. Water based so if I make a mistake it's easy to remove and clear so I can see the parts I'm trying to repair which is harder to do with white glue.
It needs to be protected from moisture and pests. It they are kept dry they will last for centuries. I've seen butterflies in museum collections from the 1700's. There are inexpensive insect storage boxes with a glass top available from BioQuip or you could make one. There are tiny insects that can eat the dried body of your butterfly and turn it into dust. There are fumigants that can kill these pests and keep them away. Moth balls made of paradichlorobenzene can be used but it's smelly. I prefer Vapona which is less offensive. Both of these are somewhat toxic and should be handled carefully. You could also just keep an eye out for pests and if they show up you can put the specimen in a freezer for a couple of days to kill them.
Hello sir! Do you have a video on how to mount a specimen upside down? If not, do you have some pointers for me? I've tried it once and it definitely wasn't the most gracious mounting I've done.
Hi Kas, I don't have a verso mount video but that's a great idea! I'll make one. In the meantime, there are two ways to do it. You can pin the specimen upside down. I use tweezers to hold the wings open from the front as I push the pin into the spreading board. It takes a little practice but it works. The other way is to pin the specimen normally and when it's dry, gently pull the pin out and put it back through the same hole on the other side. You can loosen the pin by turning it before pulling it out. When it's back through the other side I attach the specimen to the pin with a tiny dab of glue.
I use silicone rubber to seal the back of the frames because it's thick and provides a tight seal. Also if I ever need to open the frame to repair a damaged specimen I can peel the silicone out. You can use another kind of thick glue but super glue is very thin and won't fill the gap well and It would be difficult to re-open the frame if needed.
should have glued them to little obelisks of Styrofoam like i do when i want to provide some elevation to my creations. works wonderful and they never move even if dropped
I also dinged up my very first one. Look for butterfly sellers that sell variety packs. It's nicer to practice on butterflies where you don't know the exact cost of. I had 10 butterflies for 15€ for example, downside is is that you don't know what you are getting so it's tough to find the species but also fun. I tried to use gloves at first but I felt more confident just using clean hands because it's way easier to actually feel the butterfly in my opinion.
Hello sir! I'm starting in entomology and I just want to let you know that your videos are helping me a lot. I really think that your content is highly valuable and interesting and it makes me wanna learn more and more! Looking forward your next videos, keep up the channel as it has a great potential! Greetings from Catalonia, stay safe! :)
Thank you, I'm happy that you find it inspiring. I've been busy with getting settled after moving but I will be posting more videos soon. I have some that just need editing and many more ideas for new ones.
This was a very informative video. The mount looks great! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much million likes for your work. Can you plz just once make a video on your tools and equipments and their uses. I will be thankful to you. 🙂
I appreciate your kind words. Your suggestion is a good one. I will consider making such a video.
Greetings from England, You have certainly given Me some pointers, I have 3 Butterflies to mount and I have never tried this before!, thanks to Your help Sir, I may be heading in the right direction now!, great videos very informative, take care.
I'm glad that you found the videos helpful. Please ask if you have any questions, I'm happy to help. Let me know how they come out.
I found a cool dragonfly or something of the like dead. And well should I dry it first or pin it like this and then oven it?
Dragonflies are sometimes found dead and intact. They have air pockets in their body to make them light and they dry out quickly. You can re-hydrate them to position the wings and legs when you pin them. They will dry quickly and shouldn't need to be dried in an oven
Excellent!!!
Does anyone know what type of glue he is using ?
Clear, water-based glue.
@@insectsafariI'm sorry, what is it then? Can I use just any glue that is water based?
@@salattu It's a clear, water-based glue often sold with school supplies. Here is the USA one brand is Elmers. Other brands are available. In some of them the glue is dyed light blue.
This is a silly question but what kind of mounting board would you recommend for your first timer? A flat board or an angled board?
I hear it’s just for aesthetic purposes, but I also hear online that depending on how you display your butterflies the perspective will warp the way they look. Some say mounting a butterfly on a flat surface will look better laying down vertically while mounting a butterfly in an angled surface looks better when displayed horizontally - and some say it’s the other way around. There also an argument I heard that angled boards are superior since over time the wings will slowly droop down due to gravity.
Would you mind sharing your experiences? It’s been bugging me for a while. :^)
Thank you in advance and I apologize for the large comment!
Not a silly question and no need to apologize for the length of your comment. I have several pinning boards both angled and flat. I prefer the angled boards because I think leps look a little better with some dimension, more like a living specimen. I also suggest getting adjustable boards where you can set the width of the slot. This way you can have the maximum amount of wing surface over the mounting platform to better secure the wings.
After spreading I let the butterflies dry for at least 2 weeks, sometimes for months. I use acid free foam core (board) and paper, yet after a few months of storage in a shadow box I noticed the wings are warping a bit. I keep them in a humid-free air conditioned place, so I cannot see how any moisture can get in there and affect the butterflies. So I'm discouraged that they are changing once inside a display box that has been sealed. Any advice ?
I have not had a similar problem so I have no suggestions. If kept dry they shouldn't noticeably change.
I have had wings shift if I did not let them dry completely before removing them from the spreading board but it sounds like that's not the case for you. I have specimens that have been stored for decades that have not shifted at all. Maybe yours were not completely dry despite how much time you allowed. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry I will place the spreading board in an oven on low to speed up the drying.
@@insectsafari Thanks. Maybe the shadow box has something that is not acid free and the wing edges are reacting to it. I'm confident that the butterflies are completely dry. I may have to experiment with different materials. Thanks for the video. I learned a few tips. BTW- when the center of the foam board needs to be located, I measure the half way point on the top and bottom and mark it like you do. Then I put a pin on each mark and tie a piece of thread tight from one pin to the other. Perfect center from top to bottom and saves time & effort. Of course this can be done width wise as well.
I’m pretty new to preparing Lepidoptera, any idea exactly how tolerant their colors are to oven drying? Also do you happen to know if the colors of non iridescent species are also a result of photonic crystals?
I have used a warm oven to help dry specimens and it appeared to have no negative effect on the color. It is my understanding that non iridescent wing colors are pigments only.
@@insectsafari cool, thanks!
How would you go about spreading a smaller sized moth, like an _Arctiidae_ ?
I use the same techniques as I use for the larger lepidoptera. I have videos demonstrating how I do this. The wings of small moths are more fragile so I find it more difficult than the larger moths.
Greetings from California! I've been watching your videos for quite some time and they are super helpful! Is there a website you recommend to purchase specimens from?
I'm happy that you find the videos useful. There are several suppliers I have used.
iannibutterfly2.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=26
bicbugs.com/shop/
www.bioquipbugs.com/
www.thebutterflycompany.com/
what kind of glue is that?
I use clear water-based gel. Water based so if I make a mistake it's easy to remove and clear so I can see the parts I'm trying to repair which is harder to do with white glue.
Hi there. Once i have a butterfly pinned and dry how should i store it so it doesn't decay?
It needs to be protected from moisture and pests. It they are kept dry they will last for centuries. I've seen butterflies in museum collections from the 1700's. There are inexpensive insect storage boxes with a glass top available from BioQuip or you could make one. There are tiny insects that can eat the dried body of your butterfly and turn it into dust. There are fumigants that can kill these pests and keep them away. Moth balls made of paradichlorobenzene can be used but it's smelly. I prefer Vapona which is less offensive. Both of these are somewhat toxic and should be handled carefully. You could also just keep an eye out for pests and if they show up you can put the specimen in a freezer for a couple of days to kill them.
Can I use see through elmers glue insetad of water based gel glue
That's what I use, Elmer's clear glue. It's tinted slightly blue.
Hello sir! Do you have a video on how to mount a specimen upside down? If not, do you have some pointers for me? I've tried it once and it definitely wasn't the most gracious mounting I've done.
Hi Kas, I don't have a verso mount video but that's a great idea! I'll make one. In the meantime, there are two ways to do it. You can pin the specimen upside down. I use tweezers to hold the wings open from the front as I push the pin into the spreading board. It takes a little practice but it works.
The other way is to pin the specimen normally and when it's dry, gently pull the pin out and put it back through the same hole on the other side. You can loosen the pin by turning it before pulling it out. When it's back through the other side I attach the specimen to the pin with a tiny dab of glue.
Can i use super glue krazy glue or gorilla glue in place of silicone
I use silicone rubber to seal the back of the frames because it's thick and provides a tight seal. Also if I ever need to open the frame to repair a damaged specimen I can peel the silicone out. You can use another kind of thick glue but super glue is very thin and won't fill the gap well and It would be difficult to re-open the frame if needed.
should have glued them to little obelisks of Styrofoam like i do when i want to provide some elevation to my creations. works wonderful and they never move even if dropped
That's a useful technique that I have used for larger beetles and other insects that need more support.
Nice butterflies
l pined my first butterfly unfortunately I lost it color on my gloves it was rare one who I fix it 😭
I also dinged up my very first one. Look for butterfly sellers that sell variety packs. It's nicer to practice on butterflies where you don't know the exact cost of. I had 10 butterflies for 15€ for example, downside is is that you don't know what you are getting so it's tough to find the species but also fun. I tried to use gloves at first but I felt more confident just using clean hands because it's way easier to actually feel the butterfly in my opinion.