Ornithoptera paradisea - how to keep tails straight?

[martina]

I am a new member, and have following question: I have just spread my first paradisea - how do you keep the tails straight? Even after 3 weeks on the board they keep dropping. I've noticed that you have them straight in your collections. How do you do it? Interesting that this question doesn't appear anywhere, even internet search doesn't have any answer. Thanks for any advice

[marcingajewski]

Hi Martina,
it happents always , tails are very delicate .
Thanks Marcin

[nomad]

The tails of paradisea sometimes bend but try to keep them on the setting boards for a long period, early collectors left their specimens for a long time, often weeks. Today collectors seems to want to take their specimens off quickly and for big species like Ornithoptera the longer they dry the better. A drying cupboard helps. I know collectors that place a pinned card underneath the tails for a few weeks when paradisea specimens come off the boards, this should also help to obtain those straighter tails and stop them from curling. Peter.

[simosg]

I have leaved any birdwing on the spreading board for some weeks, never less then a month. The tails of all of my paradiseas bent down anyway.

[nomad]

Yes, I agree the tails only appear completely flat in photographs, the law of gravity will make them lower somewhat, but I have seen some specimens of paradisea where the tails actually curl, you will hardly ever stop some lowering.

[memo]

Mar 18, 2014 15:57:16 GMT -8 martina said:

I am a new member, and have following question: I have just spread my first paradisea - how do you keep the tails straight? Even after 3 weeks on the board they keep dropping. I've noticed that you have them straight in your collections. How do you do it? Interesting that this question doesn't appear anywhere, even internet search doesn't have any answer. Thanks for any advice

Try to leave the spreading board vertical (Like a frame on the wall)while drying. I done it with longtailed moths and it worked good..

[boghaunter1]

I routinely leave all my leps on the spreading boards to air dry for 6-8 wks.....2 wks is nothing & any time less than that is asking for trouble... especially if specimens haven't been completely relaxed to begin with & wings are "forced" into position. Need lots of boards... & simple PATIENCE...

John K.

[Chris Grinter]

The only paradisea I've seen with straight tails have little cards pinned under the tails for support. The collector keeps the cards in place permanently.

[martina]

Thank you all for your replies.

I just think, that in the old forums, there was some more ideas - but I can't find it, I think they were deleted - a big shame.

Something about partial re-relaxing, perhaps?

Anybody anymore thoughts, ideas, or experience?

BTW it's not about gravity - I took some (I have a few of them) off the boards recently, after more than 3 weeks. I took them off the board upside down, put them in the verically standing box, then kept the box (with glass) upside down too............... the tails bend down anyway (in this case up, since the whole thing was upside down:-D)

I think, over years, I have seen here some of your collection pics of paradiseas with straight tails - I think.

[nomad]

Here is a drawer of O. paradisea from my collection. You can have a good look at the tails here and I am very happy to have these specimens. To me they are all just fine. I think you may struggle to get tails on a perfectly straight plane. From top left = dentanii from Timika - 2nd pair = sabinae from Nabire - third pair = the lovely chrysanthemum from Arfak - fourth pair - borchi from Maprik Papua.