Insect mounting

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NikonUser
Posts: 2693
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Insect mounting

Post by NikonUser »

A simple way to prepare an insect for photographing is to mount it on a very fine pin.
Standard practice for permanent curation is to pass the pin through the thorax; this detracts from a final photo.
A 'photographic mount' is easily made simply by gluing the insect to a pin. Where to glue the insect depends on the final orientation of the insect. For a dorsal view, the pin should be mounted on the ventral surface; for a lateral view glue the pin on the opposite side, for a face shot attach at tip of abdomen.
I have found the most useful 'glue' is UV-curable resin (Bondic, in Canada); sticky enough when 'wet' to adhere to a pin and to a fresh insect; sets solid in about 10 seconds when exposed to UV.
Here is a fresh Caddisfly mounted ventrally; this for a dorsal photo but shown laterally to see the 'glue'. Width of the drop at the level of the caddisfly is 0.98mm.
https://www.amazon.ca/Bondic-Plastic-Ac ... B00QU5M4MG
Attachments
caddis 28vi21.jpg
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.

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Beatsy
Posts: 2105
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:10 am
Location: Malvern, UK

Re: Insect mounting

Post by Beatsy »

I use similar, bevel adhesive, also a UV-cured resin. It's quite runny (easy to apply a small amount) with good surface tension. It naturally pulls things together very nicely and readily wicks along adjoining edges. The latter is helpful in getting a good bond with very little resin, but deadly if you apply too much. Then it will quickly and efficiently wick into every single crack and crevice, all over the specimen.

Guppy
Posts: 320
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:36 am
Location: Switzerland
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Re: Insect mounting

Post by Guppy »

Hi

UV-Star from Geistlich is not as thin as superglue,
but thinner like fast drying nail polish,
very well can be applied less like a drop.
It hardens faster like superglue or fast drying nail polish.
Ideal for our use!

Kurt

Beatsy
Posts: 2105
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:10 am
Location: Malvern, UK

Re: Insect mounting

Post by Beatsy »

Guppy wrote:
Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:10 pm
<snip>
It hardens faster like superglue or fast drying nail polish.
Ideal for our use!
Haha - that sounds the opposite of ideal for me! I need plenty of slow, careful adjustment time after initial placement :D

But did you mean it dries quickly on it's own (not ideal) or under UV (ideal)? Just 5 seconds UV exposure is enough to hold everything firmly for the stuff I use, but it needs a good minute more to fully cure and not shrink further (shifting the specimen). I discovered that happened when I tried some fluorescence imaging on a resin-mounted fly. The extended time under UV caused further curing and shrinkage and the fly slow shifted during the stack. I stand the specimen between two UV torches for that part now and just leave it to cook a while before moving it to the rig. No problems with shifting since.

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