How do you get a butterfly's specimen?

Step 2: Gather supplies and tools

Next, let me introduce the tools:

Wing expansion foam board: used for butterfly wings or the posture board in the insect package, all of which are used for insect wings and posture

Sulfuric acid paper: fix insect wings and flatten them through bead needles

Bead needle: It is mainly fixed by matching with sulfuric acid paper to flatten the wings, or it can be inserted vertically into the body of a butterfly or other insect and then fixed to the wing-spreading plate to play a fixed role

Insect needles: Insect needles are generally aimed at smaller insects. In many cases, very small insects will destroy their bodies if they are inserted vertically with a bead needle. At this time, we need to use thinner and more professional insect needles to fix them. role

Elbow tweezers: used for stretching wings or adjusting the posture of legs and feet, find the operation method that suits you according to your own habits

Straight tweezers: These are commonly used tweezers and are easy to operate. They are mainly used to stretch the wings or antennae of the butterfly to a suitable position. The operation process is based on your own habits to find a suitable operation method.

Hot melt glue stick: You can heat it with a lighter to melt it, melt it and drop it to the designated position, melt and fix the butterfly or insect in this position or insert it into the hot melt glue gun, turn on the power and wait for it to melt for a few minutes, then you can use it span

Scissors: mainly used to repair butterflies and insects. For example, if a butterfly's wings are damaged, it can be trimmed or similar parts of other butterflies can be cut and placed in the damaged place for repair.

The original butterfly: the butterfly that died naturally, you need to pay attention to whether the butterfly can directly spread its wings, you need to change the soft

Acrylic plastic box: function for placing specimens

Glue: It can be used for a series of situations in which the wings of butterflies are cracked, the tentacles are accidentally knocked off, the legs of insects, and the feet are broken. During the use process, pay attention to adding it gradually. If it is enough in the early stage, don’t add more. It is normal. It's enough to add a little, adding a lot will damage the wings

Step 4 : position & pin the butterfly wings

Next, we use tweezers to gently clamp the front of the butterfly, and immerse the butterfly's torso in hot water until the water submerges the roots of the wings. Then, after the roots of the butterfly wings become soft, take out the butterfly, absorb the moisture with a paper towel, and put it on the foam board (ditch the middle for the trunk in advance) to start sorting out the shape. Use a pin to pierce the butterfly's chest, fix it to the foam board, and then slowly flatten and stretch the wings into the desired shape, being careful to be gentle, otherwise they will break. Use two plastic splints to flatten the posed butterfly wings, and use a pin to fix them along the edge of the wings. Do not move the splints, otherwise the shape will be damaged and the wings will be asymmetrical. Keep your fingers stable and apply evenly. After the butterfly is fixed, put it in a ventilated position. After about three to four days, you can remove the pin, heat it with hot melt glue and apply it to the specimen box, and press the butterfly torso on the glue for one minute. , adjust the posture, you can seal the cover, so the butterfly specimen is completed.

Step 5: pin the antennae & let it dry

Adjust the position of the butterfly tentacles (pictured) and straighten the head of the butterfly

Butterfly insect needle to fix butterfly tentacles and head requirements: the angle of the tentacles is V-shaped

Once this is all done, we will leave the butterfly like this for at least 48 hours or more (4 days or so) to make sure it's completely dry, then we can show it

Step 6: frame your butterflies

For butterfly specimens to be preserved for a long time, some measures such as shading, moth proofing and mildew proofing must be taken. The windows of the specimen room are shaded with black cloth, and the specimens should be placed in the specimen cabinet when not in use to prevent the butterfly wings from fading due to long-term light exposure and losing their colorful and beautiful image.

After the prepared specimen is inserted into the specimen box, it must be fumigated to kill insects. Generally, cotton wool can be dipped in the original drug of dichlorvos, put into a penicillin vial or vial cap, put into a specimen box, fumigated for 3 to 4 days, and then take out the vial. This can kill all kinds of borers, and then put 2 to 3 moth balls in the specimen box.

The specimen must also be placed in a dry room to prevent the butterfly specimen from getting damp and moldy. If it is found that the insect body is damp and moldy during the preservation process, you can use a small brush dipped in a little ether or xylene to gently brush the mold layer, or you can use a brush dipped in a mixture of anhydrous alcohol and carbolic acid (7:3), gently brush Remove the mold and put it in a dry cabinet. After the solution evaporates, it can be stored in the specimen box for a long time.

Option1:

The first way to display butterflies is to put them in a display drawer, in this case you need a large display case frame with styrofoam and glass cover on the back, if you do this way, you can pick up your butterflies and place a A needle goes through the chest and it's fixed in styrofoam, you can add some butterfly tabs, they have cons and pros too

Pros: You can put in as many insect butterfly specimens as you want, so if you have a large collection of insect butterflies, this is the most efficient way to keep your butterfly insects and will look great

Disadvantages: it is more troublesome, it will be very awkward to move, and the price is very expensive, you need to see what kind of butterfly it is, as the price

Option 3:

This is my favorite, the frame shadow box, no additional methods are needed, it is easy to operate, you just need to use a hot melt glue gun to fix the butterfly with the wings open, and fix it in the frame shadow box, it is a beautiful artwork, you will like

I choose hot melt adhesives because they are clear and don't affect the aesthetics like using fixed pins, so hot melt adhesives are the best choice

You can find almost any specimen of butterfly insects at https://www.cfbutterfly.com/, and you can even combine other insects and butterflies to make beautiful decorations to hang and display anywhere

Step 7: Prevent Pest Corrosion

When you show your butterflies and insects, you have to think about pest control, you can put some moth balls and cedar wood in a ventilated environment, the room needs to be cleaned frequently and kept tidy

Method 2: Preserving butterflies with resin

How to save butterflies with resin, first, before pouring the sticky resin, make the butterfly with wings spread into your favorite shape as said before

first step:

Regarding tools: you need resin glue, ice cream sticks (stirring sticks), plastic gloves, plastic droppers, disposable plastic cups, pocket scales, if you need resin and molds, I recommend this https://www.cfbutterfly.com/

Step 2: Making Resin Butterfly Insects Pour into Moulds

First prepare a disposable cup, a suitable size mold and an electronic scale. First pour the first layer of resin, the first layer should not be too thick, the main purpose is to let the insect have a fixed posture and a fixed platform. Stir in one direction, so that fewer bubbles are generated. Mix and stir until transparent. After stirring, leave it for a period of time to let the bubbles slowly emerge and disappear. If there are still a small amount of air bubbles at the end, you can use a toothpick to pick out the air bubbles, and when the air bubbles disappear, you can pour it into the mold. When injecting, you can find a small rod for drainage, inject from a position in the mold, let the liquid cover the mold by itself, and the position must be kept horizontal. If there are bubbles, they must be cleaned at the beginning. The longer the time, the more difficult it is to deal with the bubbles, and the first layer is ready. The insects can be prepared using the curing process of the first layer, and the insects are posed in the mold. Use a very small amount of glue to stick the insects to the first layer to prevent the insects from floating when pouring the second layer. Glue can use 502, the effect is good. The parts where the insects are stuck should choose a hidden place and pay attention to the appearance. Once glued, let the glue dry. Before pouring the second layer, as with the first layer, the resin should be prepared first. After there are no air bubbles, it can be poured. During the pouring process, the generation of air bubbles should be minimized. If there are air bubbles, try to clear the air bubbles immediately after injection. After pouring the second layer, leave it for a longer time, and then remove the mold after the resin is completely cured.

Step 3: Wait for the resin to dry and remove

After completing the above steps, let the resin glue in a ventilated place, cure for a few days, depending on the situation, and then remove it from the mold. Usually, high temperature helps to cure faster. If the time is too long after a few days, it will If it is not cured, you should consider whether it is a glue problem, so I recommend this https://www.cfbutterfly.com/, his family of butterfly and insect specimens is very complete, you consult and buy

Tips: It takes patience to practice, I hope you can make beautiful specimens, I hope the above content is helpful to you, goodbye, taxidermists