To fix this, put a couple pins on either side of your insect to better hold him in place. It's always fun to finish pinning the legs and to look up to find the bug turned around and leaning. I've found out that between trying to get all the legs straight, the insect's body ends up doing a jig on the pin what with me bumping about and generally being Not Dainty. Take your time to find the happy distance. I don't set my insects with their bellies on the board, but set them up just enough so that when it is dry, the legs are actually supporting the weight, like it's walking. I'm still working on getting my pins to go straight through.įind a nice spot on your board and stick your insect to it. I pinned a stink bug with sewing pins and now he's got a nice hole through his carapace and he slides everywhere on the pin, like a bead. This is where you'll really want to use the tiny pins. Certain insects are pinned in other locations (for example, butterflies are pinned right through the middle), but usually you can't go wrong this way. Traditionally, an insect is pinned through its abdomen, just below the thorax and a hair off-center to the right. I've no experience with this, so here is a link. If you've a dried bug, you'll need to rehydrate it. The key is that you'll need to be able to move the insect's legs without them breaking. *You'll want to make sure that your insect is either a) freshly dead, or b) a little damp. You may also want on hand some paper, tape, and a writing utensil. I think he's some sort of bird grasshopper. This sucker is three inches long, not counting the spread of his hind legs. It came with my aquarium and was the only thing at hand. I got my tiny pins at Hobby Lobby - a couple hundred for $3. The lace pin is on the bottom, a normal sewing pin on the top. You'll want to use the smallest pins you can find - insect pins or lace pins. Keep in mind that I'm an amateur at this and that I've still got a lot to learn, but I thought I'd share my knowledge (and enthusiasm!) anyways. BazjraBetween a couple 'how to preserve bugs' threads here and my finding a huge grasshopper on my porch the other day, I decided to put together a quick guide on how to pin insects.
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