Bug Pinning Resources

Tutorial

This tutorial is mainly about insects, but a lot of this can be applied to arachnids as wellSupplies for Pinning:
•70% Isopropyl Alcohol
•Containers (sized to the bug you're pinning for relaxing)
•Foam Boards (at least 1" thick, the thicker the better)
•Pins (can be insect pins specifically, or sewing pins)
•Wax/Parchment Paper
•Tweezers
•Scissors
•Super GlueSupplies for Framing: •Shadowbox Frame (or whatever container you are using, like a bell jar, or display box)
•E6000/Hot Glue/Archival Glue
•Pliers/Wirecutters
•Foamboard (1/8"-1/4" thick)
•Archival paper (for background, whatever color you want!)
•Any other mounting supplies if not using a frame, like mosses, branches, wire, etc...PREPPING YOUR BUGStep 1: Acquire a fresh, dried, preserved (in alcohol) or frozen specimen, defrost if needed. Many insects available online for pinning are actually euthanized for pinning purposes, especially butterflies and moths due to the degradation that occurs with their wings during a full lifespan. If this does not align with your values, there are more ethical suppliers out there, like people who breed insects and allow them to pass naturally before selling for pinning purposes. Alternatively, you can always keep a bug friend yourself, and pin them when they pass. Keep an eye on the ground- I have found a lot of really nice specimens that have died naturally perfectly intact while walking around, even in urban areas!Step 2: Relaxing the insect (If dry or sometimes frozen) is very important to ensure you can articulate their body parts without them being too brittle and breaking. Prepare a tightly sealing container with enough hot water to fill the bottom and a dash of 70% isopropyl alcohol (this prevents mold). Place your specimen on something that will keep them from sitting directly in the water when you close the container. I like to use styrofoam or a small lid because they float. I generally leave the insect to "steam" for at least a day if they're smaller, up to 3 days if they are quite large.
Alternatively, you can put specimens directly into 70% isopropyl alcohol and store them indefinitely until pinning. The alcohol preserves them and softens them, so you can pin them immediately after removal from the solution. I have kept beetles in jars for months to years until I was ready to pin them and it has worked very well for me. Keep in mind that alcohol can cause discoloration/depigmentation. Structural pigments (like those found in beetle shells) hold up well in alcohol, non-structural chemical pigments will often bleach (like carotenoids).
I DO NOT recommend placing animals with any fuzzy/hairy parts directly into alcohol, especially butterflies and moths, due to the fur becoming matted and extremely difficult to brush out once it becomes wet. Butterfly and moth wings will become like wet tissue and be even more delicate/susceptible to tears and scale sloughing.PINNINGOptional Step:
Once your insect is soft and relaxed, it's almost time for pinning! However some larger insects and most arachnids need to be stuffed so their internal organs don't rot and cause problems like leakage or discoloration, or in the case of arachnids and soft bodied insects, cause their body to shrivel due to their softer exoskeleton. Organ removal is a slightly more complex process and entails creating a small incision in the underside of the abdomen, using q-tips and tweezers to remove and clean out the body cavity, and cotton wool to stuff the empty space (especially important with arachnids). I use super glue to close up the incision carefully. Once this is done, the animal can then be fully articulated into the position you want. In some cases, stuffing your bug is really up to personal preference and drying time. A stuffed insect will often dry much more quickly than one with organs left in, but you're also left with an incision that can be tricky to hide.Step 1: Lay out your foam platform for pinning. A whole bunch of small pieces of various thicknesses to help prop up wings and other body parts when doing more complex pinnings is helpful. In some cases, especially when pinning with wings extended, a divet in the center of your foam can be helpful to keep the insect body lower than the wings so that you can work with them on a flat surface. I prepare all of my pins and wax paper that I need during this step as well.Step 2: It's time to put in the only pin that will actually go through the bug's body. This pin will be used to anchor the bug to the foam board, and later to your frame or diorama. The placement can vary, and there are a lot of opinions about where the pin should go. I personally prefer to put the pin through the center of the thorax, but be careful that you don't push it through at an angle and pop out a leg. For beetles, the pin is traditionally placed through the right side of the abdomen, although I prefer my pin to be centered. I have broken a few specimens by pinning through the point between the thorax and abdomen, as this is the weakest spot, although they have held up fine once glued back together. Once you put the pin in (or before), you will want to untuck all of the legs that are folded beneath the insect, and then pin them to the foam board.Step 3: This next step is all about aesthetics and preference. You will be positioning all of the legs, wings, and antennae using pins and wax paper (for wings). You never pin through the body parts, you're just using the pins to hold everything in place by placing them around the animal. I like to place two pins on either side of the head, and another set around the body to keep them centered and so they don't shift when you pull on other body parts. For limbs, I usually place pins at an angle in an X position to hold down the feet and legs. Wings can be sandwiched between two sheets of wax paper so that they lay fully extended. I pin around the wings to ensure there are no holes in them. If you do pin through the wing, only do so at the very top of the wing where it is the thickest so the wing doesn't tear. Only use one pin to hold the wing in place if you choose to pin through the wing. If you don't pin through the wing, they can shift slightly and push against the pins on the bottom edge, causing a little notching, so be careful about this and readjust as needed.Step 4: Once your insect is fully positioned, it's time to dry! Drying time varies greatly depending on the size of the animal you pinned. Tiny bugs can dry fully in a few days, but I usually give my bugs at least 2 weeks of drying time before framing. Very large bugs may need even more time than this, so waiting is always the safest option. Desiccants, dehumidifiers, and dehydrators can help speed up the drying process too!Step 5: Once your specimen is dry, it's time to very gently remove all of the positioning pins. Leave the central support pin in for framing.FRAMING
Step 1: Cut your thin foam board to the size of the frame backing. You can use the foam board itself as a back, or glue to board onto the frame back. Pay attention to the depth of your frame because gluing the foam board to the backing can reduce depth and squish your specimen once the back is put on. I broke a crab this way, never again!!!Step 2: Cut paper to backing size and glue it to the foam board. This is optional! I sometimes just use the foam board color as the background, but if you want a different color, get yourself some fun paper! Acid free/archival paper is ideal for projects that you want to last a very long time!Step 3: Position your insect against the foam board. I will sometimes measure out the exact center from the back, and push the stabilizing pin through that center point so that I know the insect will be exactly where I want.Step 4: Glue the pin into the foam board from the back. I like to use hot glue or E6000. Once the glue is dry, use pliers or wire cutters to cut the excess pin off of the back. You will be left with a dollop of glue which can be covered with a small square of wax paper that is squished down when the glue is still wet so that it lays flat. I glue this foam board piece to the frame backing or just use the foam board itself as the backing depending on the project.Step 5: If your insect is shifting at all after you glued the pin down from the back, you can use a little super glue on the underside of the insect by the pin to secure it further. Tacking down limbs is also sometimes necessary to keep them in place. Just a tiny dollop of super glue will do the job!Step 6: You're almost done, it's time to clean out the inside of the frame before closing it! Lots of dust particles and fuzz will magically appear when you start to look closely at your specimen and frame. I like to use canned air and alcohol wipes to clean my frames and specimen/backing before closing up the frame.Step 7: Caring for your specimen once it's all framed is very easy. Some general rules are to keep out of direct sunlight (sunlight can cause colors to fade and bleach your specimen), keep in a dry area, keep away from other insects (like ants or mites) as they might try to eat the specimen, and keep the container well sealed to keep out moisture and pests. If kept properly, a pinned insect or arachnid should last decades, if not centuries!

Big Mama the Chinese MantisMorrissey the Elephant BeetleGeneral Beetle Pinning Part 1
General Beetle Pinning Part 2

Sourcing Supplies

The Insects: Nowadays you can buy dried insects on many online sites, however, if you are concerned with ethical sourcing, I recommend finding sellers that disclose their sources. Many sellers purchase insects in bulk that have been euthanized specifically for pinning. I personally source most of my insects from people whose pets pass naturally, so finding a pet store or bug breeder may a great option for you! If sourcing doesn't matter to you, I personally really like THIS Etsy seller for their variety and cost.Foam: I get styrofoam blocks from recycling old packaging, but you can also buy styrofoam insulation sheets for shipping/insulation at many major stores across the US! Anything that you can push a pin into would work, so other types of foam are an option as well!Pins: You can purchase insect specific pins online or go to your local quilt/fabric store and use dress pins! I like having a variety of sizes for different projects.
Click here for a variety pack of pinsWax Paper: Wax paper/vellum is super easy to find at any grocery or craft store! I use standard baking sheet wax paper from the market.70% Isopropyl Alcohol: I personally purchase my bottles at drug/grocery stores, but you can find bulk alcohol on sites like Carolina Biological or Amazon.Frames: I personally love Michael's craft stores to find shadowbox frames. There are some very budget friendly plastic frames, as well as nicer wooden frames. They also carry some cool jars and display boxes that could work for diorama type displays. (I am not sponsored by Michael's, F*** Hobby Lobby).

FAQ

Q: Can you preserve a specimen for me?
A: I am happy to consider insect pinning commissions depending on how comfortable I feel with the type of animal and the complexity of pin that you want! Feel free to message me on Instagram to inquire!Q: Won't the bugs just rot?
A: Nope! If dried completely and properly, the insects will not decompose. However, there are other bugs that will take advantage of a delicious improperly stored specimen. Mites will begin to devour an insect immediately after death, so freezing and/or using alcohol to kill the mites will keep your bug specimen from being eaten. Once your bug is fully finished, be sure to store it in a sealed container so that other bugs don't find it and start to eat it!Q: Can you put a specimen in resin?
A: Yes! Bugs are a great candidate for resin projects. They do need to be COMPLETELY dry before putting into resin, and an initial sealant or coat of resin is ideal to reduce bubbles around the bug as they are full of air and it will leak out once they are placed in resin.

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