Something I've always wanted is a framed butterfly to hang on my wall. I see them fairly often in antique shops, usually with eye-watering price tags attached. I simply can't take the DIY route and murder a butterfly in cold blood, so instead I've been reduced to scanning roadsides and rummaging underneath buddleias in search of naturally deceased specimens.
After many years, I finally got my wish.
Lying at the side of a road was a beautiful speckled wood butterfly - and in reasonably good condition too, considering it had definitely kicked the bucket.
Unfortunately, I was out walking and a long way from home, cars, civilisation, or anything else that might spare it from hitching a ride back for several miles in my sweaty, cupped palms. I received more than a few odd looks from passersby.
Once I got home and got over my initial excitement, I realised I was surprisingly clueless about what to do next, given how many years I've wanted to do this. I had none of the equipment or materials to frame it and hang it on my wall immediately, so I needed a way to preserve it whilst I did some research.
Thankfully, this is quite simple. You can simply place the specimen in the freezer for as long as required. In fact, this has the added bonus of killing any pests and mould spores.
Preparation
To pin the butterfly, it first needs to be in a relaxed, pliable state. Once it dies, the body stiffens and the wings can no longer be moved into position without risking damage.
I placed it in a sealed container with a moistened paper towel (using equal parts water and isopropyl alcohol to prevent mould growth) and left it for 48 hours. The moisture from the paper towel creates a humid environment that softens the wings and make them pliable.
Before moving on, I checked its progress by gently moving one of the antennae. Once it can be moved with ease, the butterfly is ready to be pinned.
Pinning
I made an improvised pinning board out of some polystyrene. The important thing is to have a groove in the centre to allow the butterfly's body to sit lower than its wings, letting them rest naturally flat.
I then secured the specimen using entomology pins, placing one carefully through the centre of its thorax (the middle section of the body between the head and abdomen).
The wings can be gently manoeuvred into position and held down with strips of tracing paper pinned to the board (not through the wings!). Tracing paper is used as it's smooth and less likely to damage its delicate scales. Most guides recommend using forceps to gently grab the top vein and pull them into place, making sure the bottom part of the forewing is perpendicular to the body.
Needless to say the wings are very delicate; I used some tweezers and foolishly tore the top part of the wing. I was more careful with the hindwings, and adjusted the body and antennae so they sat straight.
Once finished, I left it undisturbed for a few days to dry and then removed the pins and tracing paper.
Framing
To display the butterfly I used a simple 3D box frame and made a small identification label to go with it, showing the common name, species name, and date collected.
To secure it to the back of the frame I cut a thin rectangular piece from a hot glue stick and superglued it to the butterfly's body, then fixed the other side to the frame backing. I'm sure lots of things could be used for this, but the glue stick was easy to cut into shape and conveniently transparent.
Kept like this in a dry environment and away from direct sunlight, the butterfly can last for centuries!
Update - 28/10/24
I knew it, I just knew I shouldn't of ended a post like that. I'd forgotton to account for Sod's law: after a couple of years, there's a fluffy white mould growing on my butterfly.
I wiped off as much as I could with a paintbrush, then sealed the whole thing in a bag and placed it in the freezer for 48 hours to kill the spores.
Thankfully, that seems to have done the trick. I lined the bottom of the frame with packets of silica gel and diligently sealed the back with duct tape to hopefully prevent it from returning.