Butterfly display case

Hey ya'll 

Just a quick updates before Monday. Display cases an be so difficult and near impossible to locate in Malaysia and so,  I finally decided to invest some time and money into constructing my very own butterfly and moth display case! It wasn't easy, and it cost me a lot of painful fingers, and quite a bit of money... but I daresay the result is well worth it! Anyway I have more buggy delights coming up in the next few weeks or so, so please stay tuned. Somewhat inspired by the success of this display, I'm thinking of constructing another one detailing the life history of various Malaysian cicadas! Stay tuned. 

Cheers,
Cyren.

Butterfly Spreading for Dum- Beginners!

Hey ya'll

The collecting of butterflies to be preserved as specimens has always been a very touch subject, even among lepidopterists! There are those who study butterflies who limit their observations only to live insects seen in the wild, and those who practice the added dimension of observing dead specimens in the lab. From a scientific point of view, the advantages that come from having preserved specimens far outweigh any possible moral outrage that might result from such a course of action. Dead butterflies, for one, do not flutter about so (thus damaging themselves!) meaning that they can be observed and categorized with greater depth and precision, and some butterflies are even difficult and near impossible to distinguish unless looked at under a microscope! Many skipper butterflies from the family hesperiidae are like this. Even for the average Joe collector, butterfly collecting can be a very insightful and rewarding experience! It is true that to obtain perfect specimens, butterflies do get killed in the process. But if it is any small consolation to those of you who might be sufficiently morally outraged by now: 

1. No butterflies have ever been hunted to the brink of extinction! (You can blame deforestation and general environmental degradation for that!) 
2. Butterflies are primarily instinctual creatures, they do not perceive emotions like pain or fear the way humans do
3. Most collectors, experienced ones at least ,are very "humane" in their methods and either use killing jars or the refrigerator method to put the insects to "sleep" where they eventually slip away into death. 

For those of you who might be interested in collecting butterflies, however, spreading the insects can be a fairly daunting thought! Butterflies, unlike other flying insects like dragonflies, cicadas, or even grasshoppers, have very thin and fragile wings! Furthermore, the colors of butterfly wings are made out of millions upon millions of overlapping scales which rub off easily causing the butterfly to lose much of its color and grandeur! With all these difficulties in mind, I have thus decided to put together a step-by-step guide for the beginner on how to properly spread and preserve butterflies. 

Step 1:

First things first, you are going to need to pin your butterfly! It is often ideal to use entomological pins for this, but I understand that they are not always so readily accessible. I use tailor marking pins (the kind that is used to make marks on tailoring dummies) and have no problem with them except for some of the smaller specimens for which the pin may be a little too big. Anyway pins often come in various sizes anyway so you can always just adjust the size of the pins that you pick up from the store. Now, you want to put the pin as close to the center of the abdomen as possible and at a vertical angle. This is, obviously for aesthetic purposes, but also because it is arguably the strongest spot in the butterfly's body. The butterfly's body when straightened should form a 90 degree angle with the pin. Don't worry about it if you get this wrong on your first try and  I would advice removing and reinserting the pin too many times. Remember, each time you do that, the pin will leave a hole in the insect's body... too many little holes may eventually lead into some very serious, and irreversible damage to your specimen! 

Step 2:

Prepare a spreading board for the butterfly by placing two smaller boards of styrofoam on top of a larger board that will form the base. There should be a gap or a wedge between both styrofoam boards and this is where the butterfly's body will go. Make sure the boards are securely pinned down as you don't want them to shift about while the butterfly is being spread as this can cause damage to the wings, or cause unwanted changes in alignment. Once you've prepared the board sufficiently, place the butterfly's body inside the wedge, making sure the pin attached to it is securely stuck onto the main base. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure that the wings rest nicely and evenly on the boards on either side. If the butterfly's body is not secure within the groove (i.e it still moves about) you may hold it down by placing two pins on either side of it. Stick the pins on either side of the butterfly where the lower joint of the hindwing meets its body. This is the strongest spot and will prevent it from moving while you work on the wings. 

Step 3: 

The most crucial part of the process: spreading the butterfly's wings! Now as previously mentioned, butterfly wings are VERY fragile so you have to take special care not to damage them in the process. Different lepidopterists will have different methods of doing this, each involving different tools but I'm just going to tell you of the one I like the best. Using the flat end of the pin (that's the end OPPOSITE of the sharp bit), gently coax the wings into the desired position. Do this by slowly slipping the pin head underneath the upper edge of the forewing and gently tugging on the primary wing vein close to the insect's body which is the strongest structure of the wing and the least likely to tear. You may have to use your fingers, or a pair of forceps (depending on how confident you are about your control) to edge the wing into position but the same rule applies. Always work with the primary wing veins. When you have got the forewing in the desired position, gently lay down a piece of tracing paper (I use it as it is the most gentle) and pin it down around the edges of the wing. Depending on the species and the strength of the wings, you may have to use more than one or two pins. For the hindwing, slip the pin head on the lower edge of the wing, close to where the wing joint meets the body and gently push until the upper border of the hindwing rests somewhat covered by the fore wing. The goal is to ensure that the border of hindwing-forewing is set at a 90 degree angle from the butterfly's body. 

Step 4: 

Simple enough, repeat the above process for the other side. When you are done, you can place a ruler from one tip of the wing to another to see if you've got a butterfly that is "straightly" and "evenly" spread. Don't worry too much if you do not achieve this at your first try. I've got tons of botched up specimens this way and I can only say that practice makes perfect! Now is the time for the final touch ups. Using the pin heads, gently coax the antenna into desired position. You can place several more pins to keep it there, or use a separate strip of tracing paper. If the butterfly's body had contorted or moved slightly out of position during the spreading process, you may now use a pin to gently push it into position and leave the pin there until the specimen re-dries where it will stay in said position. To preserve specimens and prevent fungal growth or attack by ants/pests, I spray all butterflies with water-based insect poison. Don't be alarmed if you notice discoloration as the wings will return to normal once they have dried up.

Anyway I hope this guide has been sufficiently helpful with your butterfly collecting endeavors! I understand that other's may have different methods from mine and I daresay it's pretty much a case of whatever works best for the individual. I learnt most of what I know from more experienced friends and now really just wish t to pass this knowledge down. Just remember, practice makes perfect so do start with common, more readily accessible specimens as opposed to jumping straight into the swing of things with, say, a birdwing! 

Cheers,
Cyren. 

Butterflies and Moths collections update

Hey ya'll

I couldn't help myself. I did it! I know I was planning to wait until I had a proper display case before I removed the butterflies and moths from the spreading boards, but I just couldn't help myself. The anticipation was killing me and since I had extra tupperwares lying around I thought to myself "why not?!" Anyway here they are! Most of these lepidoptera are Malaysian but there are a few exceptions that come from mainly Europe, Africa and South America. Mind you, these insects were donated most generously for my collection by Mr Khalid Fadil, who is perhaps one of the more knowledgeable butterfly-moth persons in the country. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the compilation as much as I did.

Correction: This is really Eupterote naumanni

Craetonotus gangis

Eacles imperialis

Delias caenus

Delias ligata

Cheers,
Cyren

PhD, Moths, and General Updates.

Hey ya'll

It's been a while and to skip the formalities of my apologizing profusely for my lack of updates, let's just get to the point now shall we? The month of March has perhaps been one of the most event-filled months in my life (and we're only talking the first week here!). The commencement of my enrolment into the PhD program at Monash University has left me up to my neck with work, and the increasing pressure to immerse myself in the Indigenous communities of Peninsular Malaysia (out of self interest but also as a principal component of my research) has meant that I have been driving up and down the peninsular (Literally!) to attend events, festivals, or just (as some anthropologists would say) "scope out the possible sites".  While it is always good to keep busy, and it is a very amazing and humbling experience to interact with some very empowered members of these communities, I really do wish I would be able to take a break every once in awhile.

However, not all is exactly unwell. In fact, you could say something very exciting has happened. Our dear friend, Khalid Fadil (you must remember him as I have mentioned him here on more than one occasion) has been very kind in that he has offered us a very generous donation to our butterfly and moth collection. And by generous I do not mean just one or two envelopes with nice things in them (although that would have been more than I would have asked for!), I'm talking about an entire box filled with envelopes of papered specimens that I literally pick out from a box!!! It was like a lepidoptera buffet, and I had an all-you-can-eat pass! Indeed it was more about resisting the temptation to just grab the entire box and go than it was about choosing only the ones I really want and have the skill to spread, besides (I'm afraid an amateur like me will do more damage than justice to the wings of the very small microlepidoptera). As you can imagine I'll have quite a lot to share within the coming weeks. A literal treasure trove!

Khalid's very kind, and very generous donation to my personal collection.

Cheers,
Cyren.

Back again

Hey ya'll 

I've found myself in something of a rut lately. It's not that I have nothing to write about as much as it is I cannot find the motivation to bring myself to put in the effort to sit down in front of my computer and write. It feels like I've come to a point of my life where I've reached a crucial crossroad, and while I stay here preparing myself and mulling about what the future might hold for me once I take the heart-stopping step, I seem to have lost all motivation to do things that was once so routine to me.  I started off by looking back at my life. It's good, I believe, to be self reflexive from time to time. The motivation to start up the blog again came as I was sorting out my insect collection. Some of these damselflies and cicadas I've had spreading for almost half a year now and I finally took the time to remove the tracing paper and place them in their respective boxes. I couldn't help but admire them each as I did so, the venation of the wings, the natural iridescence. It was then that I was reminded about the blog, and why I started it in the first place! Keeping a blog had always been about sharing a part of me with the world. I always hoped, in some small way, that just by passing through someone would come across something that I've written about these  insects and animals which I love, and maybe see things a little differently!   

Coming next, some special moths I've found over the past few days!!! 

Dust to Dust (and Happy National Moth Week)

Hey ya'll 

the Atlas Moth we had placed in a cage in our garden expired early this morning, and alas, she did not succeed in attracting any mates to her bed. It was quite a somber moment for all of us, to be frank, as we had grown quite affectionate of the little insect over time (to the point that we've started calling her Mothra) and it was quite heart-breaking to watch a creature so large and graceful in its life expire in but a few days. No matter, it is quite fortunate that my skill at pinning insect specimens has improved significantly over the years and we are quite content, I suppose, with the fact that we now not only have hundreds of eggs (that may possibly hatch!) but also a new display which may decorate any room of the house.

Mothra's remains, still in fairly good condition (despite being caged outdoors  for several days

Prepping the moth for spreading proved quite a challenge. In fact, she was so big, I had to prepare a separate spreading tray just for her. The one I use for my birdwings (Troides + Ornithoptera) just wasn't going to accomodate this one! 

What a magnificent display specimen this will make! 

Speaking of which... I will probably need to start looking for a bigger display case/box!!!

ps. It is NATIONAL MOTH WEEK so to all you nature lovers, amateur lepidopterists, and regular folks just trying to get involved in something different and "new", head on down to their website "HERE" and register your location!!! Upload and share any images and information of moths you see!!! I'm hoping I will find a lot more!!! 

Cheers,
Cyren

Every Lepidopterists Dream

Hey ya'll

I really wanted to save this post for tomorrow but the moment I removed these Ornithoptera from the spreading board, well I just couldn't control myself!!! Ornithoptera, surely one of the most coveted of all butterflies for any Papilionidae lover and now I have here my very own pair, beginning with the nominate species Ornithoptera priamus (Common/Green Birdwing) and the much rarer Ornithoptera rothschildi (Rothschild's Birdwing). So named for their enormous wingspans and avian-like flight, Ornithoptera are one of the largest butterflies in the world (although, O. Rothschildi turned out to be a lot smaller than I thought it would be). Can't express my elation and gratitude for having received such wonderful butterflies and it is only my deepest hope and dream to be able to be directly involved in their conservation someday. 

Ornithoptera rothschildi

Ornithoptera priamus poseidon

And so I will leave you for now, as I continue to marvel at these wonderful butterflies and imagine how they must have looked like, alive, and flying free, though in the meantime I will also reserve them a special place on my lepidoptera wall. 

Cheers,
Cyren

Cattle-Hearts

Hey ya'll

The first of the butterflies have started to come off the spreading board today and I must say that they took my breath away! Having been a butterfly collector for several years now, I've come to regard the family Papilionidae as one of my favorites, and over the years have come to admire and appreciate the beauty of many South American species in the family. The Cattle Hearts, or parides, are one of my favorites. The sleek long wings characteristic of Papilionidae butterflies, colored a deep velvety black, broken only by the splashes of vibrant reds (for which they are named), greens and blues, truly make this butterfly species a sight to behold and as I removed the tracing paper that held their drying wings in place today, I could not help but take in a deep breath of satisfaction and disbelief. Here they were, in all their glory... some of the species of butterflies that are coveted by butterfly collectors (what more Papilionidae specialists/lovers) from all over the world. 

Parides lysander (Picuroy acu, Amazon River, Loreto Peru)

Parides vertumnus (Picuroy acu, Amazon River, Loreto Peru)

Parides arcas (Costa Rica)

Parides agavus (Argentina)

Parides erlaces (Peru)

Parides anchises (Picuroy acu, Amazon River, Loreto Peru)

The feeling of spreading these butterflies, and adding them to my collection will arguably be rivaled only by the addition of the Ornithoptera birdwings, that I shall be "unveiling" soon! This is definitely turning out to be quite an exciting week!!!

Cheers,
Cyren.

Butterflies of Fraser's Hills pt. 2

Hey ya'll 

How time flies. It seems like just yesterday that New Year's Eve was just around the corner and now here we are... almost through with the month of April! Life goes on, as they all say, but it is rather scary thinking about how many months have passed and how one barely even notices it! Those are the seconds of our lives if you think about it which is rather scary when you put things into perspective... which is why I made a decision today to step away from all other obligations to focus on what I want out of life!!! Sounds like a pretty good choice, I know, but we'll see how it works out for me in the long run! Trying not to be too optimistic here, but what would be the point of being pessimistic anyway? In other news, though ironically this is the main purpose for today's update, the last of the butterflies have come off of the spreading board which probably means (for you, the readers as much as for me) that we will be going through another butterfly hiatus for the time being. I'm still trying to get my hands on those Attacus atlas pupae though so maybe we'll come back to lepidoptera for a bit when I begin breeding my moths... but ANYWAY, before I digress much further: Ladies and Gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, from the tropical Rainforests of Fraser's Hill... I present to you: 

Hebomoia glaucippe

Appias nero

Graphium doson

Graphium agamemon which is incidentally my favorite of the graphium sp. I think I did a better job with spreading the second specimen I caught though, which is a pity, because this is the one with BOTH its wing tails intact.

Graphium agamemnon see what did I tell you. 

Also included in this collection, although I did not find it up in the mountains but in my own front yard, is the five barred swordtail I caught earlier this week. These truly are a beautiful species of butterfly so it is quite a pity that this one turned out to be so tattered... which reminds me... I am STILL on the lookout of my beloved, but proving to be oh so elusive, Papilio demolion!!!

Graphium antiphates

In addition to all of this, I would also like to inform you guys about the new album on my Facebook profile entitled C's Critters which you can go to (it is a public album) to see the pictures of all the animals currently in my ever-growing menagerie! Note, I am still trying to organize the "Insect Awareness Week" and draft my proposal for a butterfly garden in Sunway so please stay tuned for those. Meanwhile, I am really having trouble wrapping my head around the administrative side of all of this so anyone who would be able to help me... well, I'd greatly appreciate your contribution.

Butterfly collection from Fraser's Hill (minus the Banded Puffin Appias pandione lagela and the moth Kranada lucidaria which are both stored in a separate container). 

Take what you must, and give more than you take.

Cheers,
Cyren