# My amateur pinning / drying attempt



## acerbity (Oct 2, 2008)

Yes I'm using pins and a Guinness coaster!

Last one I did was of a Texas Unicorn, but I just spread it into a sort of battle pose and when it had dried out I hung it from my ceiling using sewing thread, like a sort of mantis mobile I can add to. If I can remember to I will get some pics of that as well. :lol: :lol:


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## Rick (Oct 2, 2008)

Do you just pin it down and let it dry? I thought chemicals were involved or something.


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## pohchunyee (Oct 2, 2008)

those chemical are too smelly..... you can use rubbing alcohol to soak them and then dry them. get those moisture absorber and place them in an air less/proof glass tank or box with the mantis. it will keep for a long time. literally mummify the mantis!


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## joossa (Oct 2, 2008)

Good start! Next time use strips of paper to hold down the wings instead of piercing them.  Yen has a very good picture that gave me an idea of how to spread and dry insects when I began to do it a couple of years ago... I'll have to look it up. Experience and experimentation matters. the more you do it, the better you become. In the end, one can have a great collection.

Give your specimen about 1 week to dry. Don't expose it to direct sunlight either!


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## chun (Oct 2, 2008)

here's a photo of my recently pinned Pseudempusa female, it should give you a rough idea how i do it (it's pretty amateur).


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 2, 2008)

My hats off to you all, where do u find the time? and how long after death do u do this, and what are all those lines on the last pic?


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## Isis (Oct 3, 2008)

These are some of mine:






I have more of these now, te photo was taken eons ago


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## Giosan (Oct 3, 2008)

cool! We started this too but a ghost female turned black :blink: but that's because she probably didn't dry correctly.

I did a phasmid once, he turned out okay. have to see if i can make a picture!


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## Pelle (Oct 3, 2008)

I have some as well I used the way I saw Yen do it a while ago


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## acerbity (Oct 3, 2008)

Here is my Texicorn mobile, he hangs out above my desk, and let me assure you, the ladies love it...











If I add a wire clothes hanger I could add some more to dangle around. Some may shudder at the thought of me one day having kids.

Here's a youtube of how it hovers above my head (just out of my cat's reach)


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## joossa (Oct 3, 2008)

Excellent pictures! acerbity, that mobile is haunting!



hibiscusmile said:


> how long after death do u do this


You'll want to do it ASAP after the specimen has passed. If you wait, it will begin to dry and when you go on to spread it, you will run the risk of snapping off limbs, wings, etc. A fresh specimen will be soft and therefore, easier to spread.

I wish I had an Idolomantis specimen....


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## Rick (Oct 3, 2008)

Interested to hear some of your techinques.


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## Frack (Oct 3, 2008)

Awhile back I was looking into mounting stuff for one of my spiders that died and I found a website that sells mounting supplys and other insect things but I saw some glue pad deals kinda like the ones used for traps. This seems like a pretty good way to do it because then you dont have to stick the pins all in it and it I think it would make it look a little more natural.

http://www.bioquip.com/Search/WebCatalog.a...&amp;prodtype=1


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## joossa (Oct 4, 2008)

Rick said:


> Interested to hear some of your techinques.


I'll type up a guide of how I make and carry out everything and I'll post it once I get the chance.


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## Rick (Oct 4, 2008)

joossa said:


> I'll type up a guide of how I make and carry out everything and I'll post it once I get the chance.


THanks. If I could have done this to all the mantids I have had I would have quite a collection.


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## 666MANTIS (Oct 5, 2008)

hey ive been wantin to do this when mine die...n that mobile is a brilliant idea...lol

a brill thread to use when the time comes for techniques etc


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## idolomantis (Oct 5, 2008)

joossa said:


> I wish I had an Idolomantis specimen....


You dont want me on your wall :lol: 

I've got a few specimen of blue morpho, roaches, and whip spiders, and phasmids.

Never succesfully did it with mantids.


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## harryallard (Oct 6, 2008)

at the museum they used to use chemicals and the stink has been absorbed by the furniture!

it reeks !


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## yen_saw (Oct 6, 2008)

acerbity said:


> Here is my Texicorn mobile, he hangs out above my desk, and let me assure you, the ladies love it...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


  

You crack me up!! thanks for the short clip, made my day! A good idea for the coming Halloween if you use "ghost" mantis instead.


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## Hypoponera (Oct 7, 2008)

If you wait too long and your critter gets dry, you can easily "re-wet" it. Relaxing a dry specimen can be done with a stove, glass canning jar and thin metal plate. Set the stove at its lowest setting. Lay the jar on its side and fill it half way with wet paper towels. Place the critter on the metal plate and place on top of the wet towels. Close the jar and place in the oven for 1-2 hours. Remove and check for softness. Pin or return to stove as needed.

One way to speed drying and reduce rotting is to remove the contents of the abdomen. Once the contents have been removed, you can return the shape of the abdomen by packing it with small peices of cotton pulled from a cotton ball.


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## yeatzee (Oct 7, 2008)

So you just pin them into the postion you want then harden them with ____? And they'll stay in that position?

Pretty cool I must say


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## idolomantis (Oct 7, 2008)

My pinned butterfly (anyone got a clue of the sp?)


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