Ladies and Gentlemen...This is how I'd preserve my Mantids..

[Sticky]

What about keeping the antenae on it? They come off so easily. Specimens either moths or mantids look odd without them.

 

[Domanating]

The first thing that went through my mind when I thought of preserving a mantid, was spraying it with hairspray. Couldn't that be done after the mantis has been pinned and dried? Wouldn't that allow the mantis to preserve it's shape and etc.?

Already did it. To test the efficiency of the hairspray I sprayed some but let others without it for control. I saw no improvements in preservation with hairspray. The only difference is that some are more shiny than others, lol

Maybe just maybe it makes them more durable with the shiny coating but I'm not sure.

 

[Scruffy Aphid Herder]

What about keeping the antenae on it? They come off so easily. Specimens either moths or mantids look odd without them.

Honestly it all comes down to when you start to preserve. If your mantis was found dead without its antennae, there's nothing you can do, On this mantis I left them alone because I really didn't know if the pins I'd hold it up with would break it off after removal.. So I left them to lower as they would..