Step 2: how to insert an insect pin. using your fingers, hold your specimen under the thorax and gently squeeze the thorax. you should see the wings separate a bit. insert a pin through the center of the thorax from the top of the specimen at a 90 degree angle. a pinning block may be helpful to use a guide if you’re just starting out but it. Spread and pin the top wings out so they’re perpendicular to the butterfly’s body. stick a pin through the main vein along the top of the butterfly’s wing about 1 ⁄ 4 – 1 ⁄ 2 in (0.64–1.27 cm) from its body. hold the butterfly’s body steady with your non dominant hand and slowly pull the top wing open using the pin with your.
Oregon state university extension entomologist silvia rondon shows how to pin butterflies and moths for an insect collection. 2. stack the insects between layers of damp paper towels. create a single layer of insects on top of the wet paper towels in the bottom of the container. dampen a few more sheets of paper towels so they’re moist but not saturated. gently lay them over the insects so they’re covered by the 2 layers of paper towels. Give the body of your butterfly a gentle nudge and see if it moves. if yes, wait for another 15 to 20 minutes. if not, it is time to cover the rest of your specimen with another layer. slowly pour the remaining resin around the butterfly, completely cover it, and fill the resin to the top of the mold. Close the lid tightly and move the container to a place where it will not be disturbed. most butterflies and smaller insects should be softened in 2 3 days. larger beetles and other insects may take 5 6 days or longer to soften enough to be pinned without breaking. check the insects for flexibility by gently moving the legs after two days.
Give the body of your butterfly a gentle nudge and see if it moves. if yes, wait for another 15 to 20 minutes. if not, it is time to cover the rest of your specimen with another layer. slowly pour the remaining resin around the butterfly, completely cover it, and fill the resin to the top of the mold. Close the lid tightly and move the container to a place where it will not be disturbed. most butterflies and smaller insects should be softened in 2 3 days. larger beetles and other insects may take 5 6 days or longer to soften enough to be pinned without breaking. check the insects for flexibility by gently moving the legs after two days. Insert a pin in the middle of the thorax. this pin should be sticking straight up, not at an angle. slide the butterfly down the pin until it is roughly 2 3 through the insect’s body; the idea is to be able to pick up and handle the pin without touching the insect. pin the butterfly into the trough of your spreading board. The proper way to pin an insect depends on the type of insect that you have collected. alert! soft bodied insects such as scales, caterpillars, mayflies, silverfish and others cannot be pinned. learn the 15 steps to pinning butterflies and moths. silvia i. rondon, mary corp | feb 2010 | article peer reviewed (gray level).
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