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Post by ornithorchid on Mar 21, 2016 19:20:27 GMT -8
Hello everyone.
I am looking for tips to properly mount and prepare the species from Arcas, Evenus and Thecla.
These guys are pretty... small and their tails fragile.
I would also like to display both sides using two sets of specimens for each species/gender.
I have seen a lot of amazing pictures from Delias specimens and their owners may be able to help and share their technique to mount them upside down.
I look forward to reading you.
Thank you very much.
Emmanuel
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 22, 2016 6:52:02 GMT -8
Hello everyone. I am looking for tips to properly mount and prepare the species from Arcas, Evenus and Thecla. These guys are pretty... small and their tails fragile. I would also like to display both sides using two sets of specimens for each species/gender. I have seen a lot of amazing pictures from Delias specimens and their owners may be able to help and share their technique to mount them upside down. I look forward to reading you. Thank you very much. Emmanuel Practice. There is nothing magical I can say now, that will make you better at mounting them. The only thing that might help, is that I for example first fix the fore wing, and after that I put the hind wing in position and fix it with a needle just before the tails start. Then I put the tails in position and I slowly lower the mounting strip. I use a curved 0.2 mm minuten needle in a pin holder to put the wings in place, and a thick curved metal tool to handle and operate any tails. I was training with cheap Jamides from Indonesia before going to anything expensive. BTW, please do not use Thecla for anything from South America. People have at some point started to call any Lycaenidae from South America with a tail as "Thecla". It doesn't make any sense at all. You can say Theclinae, Eumaeini, or any of the correct genus names that are out there, there is plenty of them that have been described. For the upside down in Lycaenidae, I only use flat boards, so I can turn the butterfly whichever way I want to have it. |
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Post by Paul K on Mar 22, 2016 7:43:27 GMT -8
For the upside down in Lycaenidae, I only use flat boards, so I can turn the butterfly whichever way I want to have it. Could you please explain that technic more. |
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 22, 2016 13:24:12 GMT -8
For the upside down in Lycaenidae, I only use flat boards, so I can turn the butterfly whichever way I want to have it. Could you please explain that technic more. Most people have angled boards, I simply have flat styrofoam boards. In Lycaenidae the ventral side is very important, so I either want to display a specimen in ventral or dorsal position. As the board is flat it doesn't matter which way I turn the specimen, they will look equally good. I dislike ventral mounted butterflies on angled boards. |
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Post by ornithorchid on Mar 22, 2016 13:29:13 GMT -8
BTW, please do not use Thecla for anything from South America. People have at some point started to call any Lycaenidae from South America with a tail as "Thecla". It doesn't make any sense at all. You can say Theclinae, Eumaeini, or any of the correct genus names that are out there, there is plenty of them that have been described. Well it is hard to know what belongs where: I have been using this web site to get names. www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/t/Arcas_tuneta_a.htmYet, even there it seems that not everyone agrees on the names. You are obviously knowledgeable in the field, would you be able to recommend a book, or any source that could help me to properly identify these butterflies? Likewise, could you provide a more detailed procedure for mounting them upside down? I am not sure in understood your last sentence. Thank you very much. Emmanuel. |
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Post by ornithorchid on Mar 22, 2016 13:37:16 GMT -8
Most people have angled boards, I simply have flat styrofoam boards. In Lycaenidae the ventral side is very important, so I either want to display a specimen in ventral or dorsal position. As the board is flat it doesn't matter which way I turn the specimen, they will look equally good. I dislike ventral mounted butterflies on angled boards. It is just the idea of spreading a butterfly on a board that I find impossible (I use flat board as well). How do you put a butterfly on ventral onto a board? How do you open the wings so that they will end up flat while the bug is pinned in ventral position? Let me know if you can help me with that. Again Claude, thank you very much for your help. Emmanuel |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 14:15:11 GMT -8
I think you must mean how does one open the wings when they are upside down? If I am understanding this correctly, the way I do it is to insert the pin to have something to hold on to and use your forceps to open the wings enough to get it onto the board. After the specimen is in position, the rest is business as normal  |
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Post by ornithorchid on Mar 22, 2016 14:45:12 GMT -8
Hi cacicus!
Yes, you got it this was my main issue.
I will give this a few rounds on cheaper lower quality specimens to gain experience.
Thank you.
Emmanuel
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Post by Paul K on Mar 22, 2016 19:28:06 GMT -8
Could you please explain that technic more. Most people have angled boards, I simply have flat styrofoam boards. In Lycaenidae the ventral side is very important, so I either want to display a specimen in ventral or dorsal position. As the board is flat it doesn't matter which way I turn the specimen, they will look equally good. I dislike ventral mounted butterflies on angled boards. Got it...I use flat boards too. I used to use angled boards before, but I changed my taste and I like now specimens flat. |
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steve
Full Member
Posts: 231
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Post by steve on Mar 22, 2016 21:09:23 GMT -8
I have never understood the reason for having angled setting boards.
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Post by cabintom on Mar 22, 2016 22:06:32 GMT -8
Mounting specimens ventral side up isn't difficult. Once the specimen is properly positioned on the pin, I push the pin into the setting board groove until the tips of the specimen's wings are about level with the surface of the board. Next I take my setting pin to hold open the wings, before pushing it all the way down into position. If both sets of wings aren't cooperating, I'll hold open one side and push the pin into the groove ever so slightly so that the board is now holding the wings slightly open. Next I do the same for the other side. I keep working at both sides until the wings are spread flat. Pins bend a bit, so I use this to my advantage, as I basically wiggle the specimen into position. After this, it's basically spreading as normal.
The one thing I don't really have a good trick for is keeping legs in a nice position. Sometimes I try to almost lay a pin along the sides of the specimen's body, but this doesn't really hold stubborn legs in place.
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Post by bobw on Mar 23, 2016 2:29:52 GMT -8
I have never understood the reason for having angled setting boards. Me neither. Whenever I buy specimens that have been set on angled boards I have to reset them. They look horrible when the wings are raised. Bob |
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Post by Paul K on Mar 23, 2016 3:04:51 GMT -8
I have never understood the reason for having angled setting boards. Me neither. Whenever I buy specimens that have been set on angled boards I have to reset them. They look horrible when the wings are raised. Bob On top of that they tend to raise up more with the time ( change in humidity I guess ) and look even more horrible. That is why I switched to flat boards. Paul |
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 23, 2016 9:40:45 GMT -8
Hello Emmanuel, please see the last post by cabintom, he described exactly what I am also doing: Mounting specimens ventral side up isn't difficult. Once the specimen is properly positioned on the pin, I push the pin into the setting board groove until the tips of the specimen's wings are about level with the surface of the board. Next I take my setting pin to hold open the wings, before pushing it all the way down into position. If both sets of wings aren't cooperating, I'll hold open one side and push the pin into the groove ever so slightly so that the board is now holding the wings slightly open. Next I do the same for the other side. I keep working at both sides until the wings are spread flat. Pins bend a bit, so I use this to my advantage, as I basically wiggle the specimen into position. After this, it's basically spreading as normal. The one thing I don't really have a good trick for is keeping legs in a nice position. Sometimes I try to almost lay a pin along the sides of the specimen's body, but this doesn't really hold stubborn legs in place. For the genus names you are already using one of the best resources there is. I think BOA (Butterflies of America) currently is the best source for them. The only thing which I miss on the website, and which comes into play exactly here, is that they do not have an overview page where you can at least see one representative of each genus. If you had this it would be easier to navigate to the correct genus. I am currently working on a website for Lycaenidae, and my website would give such an overview. It will still take some weeks/months before it will be fully online, and even after being online it will take some time until I can take a photograph of each genus. :/ Good to see that I am not the only one with flat boards. They are also easier to make. |
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Post by mothman27 on Mar 23, 2016 10:05:37 GMT -8
I also prefer flat boards.
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