Pins and Paper.

It takes time and patience to properly pin an insect for display. (Please see archived blogs on 'perfect pinning'). Today with a small group of older children, we prepared some dead Malaysian Ghost Grasshoppers. The first pin is pushed gently into the middle (thorax) of the grasshopper. It was carefully placed on a setting board. The setting board itself was a polystyrene square with a narrow trench down the middle. The grasshopper's body was put into this trench so that its wings could be carefully laid out. Pins are not put through the fragile wing, (or any other part of the body), as this would damage them. So acid free paper strips were carefully placed over the out stretched wing and these were then pinned into place. These papers will hold the wings in place while they dry out and set. Each leg was then carefully prized out and pins put either side of each individual one to hold it in place. Finally the antenna were also supported by pins into a position that will display them. Now it is time to wait. The insects have to fully dry out before all the paper and pins can be removed - except the only pin that pierced the body, the very first pin. This central pin is what you hold to move the specimen and it is on this pin, under the body, that you place the insects information. A fabulous morning and brilliant work to be proud of!

A really superbly pinned grasshopper. A pinned insect should be laid out to display the most of its anatomical features for research. This one will now be left to dry and set before being labeled and properly mounted.