What’s on your board??

[EdTomologist]

Sometimes you just want to show off that specimen but it is still drying on the pinning board.

Below is two males of Trogonoptera trojana and a female Troides aeacus.

[adamcotton]

The Troides is not aeacus. I think it is T. helena, but cannot be absolutely certain without seeing the underside. In T. aeacus black extends down the hindwing inner margin directly below the hindwing cell, whereas in T. helena this area is yellow. Where is this specimen from?

Adam.

[Chuck]

I never did find a female trojana back when I collected retail bugs, and still have a hole there. Are Troides still easy to get commercially?

[EdTomologist]

Just checked the labels and your right. This specimen is a female Troides helena from Bali Indonesia. Detani in Bali have me the live pupae for it back in 2017 along with several others so I got to hatch this specimen out myself. I also stuffed it’s abdomen to make it nice and round.

[EdTomologist]

My Trojans specimens are really old (1960s) but I imagine they shouldn’t be too hard. Philippine dealer prices start at around 10$ (each or per pair - can’t remember)

[daveuk]

Nice idea for a thread. Some photos of my last winters setting/spreading. A pair of Hebomoia glaucippe formosana from Taiwan & a male Stichophthalma fruhstorferi from Viet-Nam. I took pictures of them only partially set/spread

[EdTomologist]

Very neat specimens! The Taiwanese specimens are always a unique acquisition.

[58chevy]

EdTomologist, you mentioned stuffing the abdomen. How do you do that without damaging the specimen? What do you stuff it with? Can it be done on specimens smaller than birdwings?

[Chuck]

EdTomologist, you mentioned stuffing the abdomen. How do you do that without damaging the specimen? What do you stuff it with? Can it be done on specimens smaller than birdwings?

It's pretty easy, before the specimen is set you slit the abdomen, remove guts, and replace with cotton.

It used to be common before refrigeration/ freezers; large specimens (Leps and particularly Orthoptera) would rot, so the field guy would gut them and stuff with cotton (I've even seen grass used.) This also prevents some rot-related discoloration, and preserves a more natural rounding of the abdomen after it's papered flat.

If you look at Ornithoptera, papered specimens will often have flat spots/ indentations from dessication of the organs losing the ability to support (i.e., push out) the exoskeleton. This doesn't "disappear" upon relaxing, though most have seen it so much they don't take notice. If you hold a live O priamus and a dead one, the size differences between the two abdomens is significant.

It's harder to do after a specimen has been dried, then relaxed, as the abdominal contents don't soften well before the wing muscles do. But apparently with some care, it can be done and may well improve the appearance of the abdomen.

[EdTomologist]

As Chuck has so meticulously described, abdomen stuffing is a great solution to the age old problem of shriveled abdomens and easily discoloring insects.
Now, let me share my top-notch stuffing techniques, which, mind you, will vary depending on the freshness of our beloved insect. If the specimen is as fresh as a daisy, like our friend Troides helena mentioned previously was, I make a tiny incision near the thorax, carefully remove any guts I can find, and stuff that belly with polyester fiberfill. To protect the opening, I employ a piece of plastic straw like a little funnel! With the delicate precision of a toothpick, I stuff the filling down and shape that abdomen to perfection with my handy dandy tweezers. And if the opening is too generous, I give it a little suture.

Tools wise I use optical surgery forceps, its not as fancy as it sounds and can easily be purchased on eBay. They are very sturdy and great for mini insect surgeries. Cutting wise you can use a scalpel but I like my trusty dandy Vannas scissors. They're also great for wing repairs and other micro cutting needs. Some of you... depending on your age... may need to add some glasses to the list (sorry- I just had to )

Now, for our rehydrated insect pals, I just skip the gut-removal hassle. If stuffing is not an option, I instead reach for my trusty low gauge syringe (nothing over 14) and a fancy lurelock syringe filled with silicone. Slowly but surely, I inject that silicone goodness into the abdomen from the thorax side, like a Botox treatment. Then I carefully position something beneath the belly for it to set, like a miniature insect hammock.

Now, you might be wondering, which insects get the VIP stuffing treatment? Its simple, the ornithoptera, the Troides when fresh, and occasionally the saturniidae if they are shriveled. I like my abdomens PLUMP and VOLUMPTUOUS! These techniques can work wonders for mantiidae and all sorts of insects. Just remember, when it comes to preserving color, acetone is your insect-preservation wingman – don’t rely completely on stuffing. Oh, and it can work on caterpillars too with some silicone but we'll save that for another bug thread!

HERE ARE SOME THE TOOLS I USE!!