Probably few readers can boast that he has a familiar butterfly collector. But in many countries this is a very common hobby. Yes, and in our country it used to be very popular - many are pleased to be able to see luxurious compositions composed of bright insects in their living room or office.
Who and why collects such collections
To begin with, we’ll look at the name of the butterfly collector. Everything is quite simple here, although it is rather difficult to pronounce this term - lepidopterophilist. So, if you want to closely engage in such a hobby, you will have to work out so that you can pronounce your new status without hesitation.
It is also clear why the butterfly collector is engaged in this business. Still, not many representatives of the fauna on the planet can boast such diversity and beauty as these insects. True, their beauty is short-lived - some butterflies live only a few days, or even hours. There are breeds that do not even have a mouth, since they have never had to eat for a lifetime. But under the glass, these fluttering flowers can survive for many years and even decades. It is also a great way to learn more about wildlife. Therefore, such a hobby can be recommended to both an adult and a child. Of course, before you do it, you need to learn a lot.
How to euthanize an insect painlessly
The collection of butterflies begins most often with representatives of the most common families. These include whites, nymphalids, marigolds, Lycaenidae, sailfish and others. Well, even having collected just a few butterflies from each family, you can already make an impressive collection that will honor any budding lepidopterophilist.
But the collector loves wildlife and will try not to torment the caught or hatched insect, providing him with the most easy, quick and painless death. How to do this?
For this you need ether. It can be purchased at many veterinary clinics, as well as pet stores. But, alas, it is not always possible to buy ether, especially in small towns or villages, where it is just easiest to get interesting exhibits. Well, a butterfly collector can also use ammonia or ammonia, which is sold in most ordinary pharmacies, and the solution is not expensive at all. And applying it is as simple as possible - any teenage novice will easily cope with the task.
It is enough to dip a small piece of a little compressed cotton wool into the ether or liquid ammonia and put it in the jar where the butterfly is, and then close it with a lid. After some time (it depends on the amount of liquid absorbed by the cotton wool and the volume of the container), the insect dies painlessly.
Gently straighten the exhibit
Once the butterfly has died, it must be prepared for placement under the glass before it dries and the wings are frozen in the wrong position. An experienced lepidopterophilist knows this, and he always has the appropriate equipment at hand.
In general, various devices may be used. Some people prefer to buy special ones, which are sold in specialized stores and are quite expensive. Others decide to make equipment with their own hands at least for the first time, until it becomes clear whether this hobby will be a usual quickly boring whim or will remain for life.
The easiest option is to take a soft wood board and make a narrow and not too deep gap in it according to the size of the trophy body. Any novice butterfly collector can do this.
Gently put the euthanized insect onto the board so that the body just enters this gap. Now very carefully straighten the wings, press them to the tree. On top of each wing, lay a piece of thin polyethylene (a transparent disposable bag is suitable) or tracing paper and fix with pins. At the same time, try not to bury the body too much in the slot so that it is flush with the wings. Then your trophy will look the most exquisite and will become a magnificent decoration of the collection.
Conclusion
After reading the article, you learned not only what the butterfly collector is called, but also how the basic techniques used by lepidopterophilists to increase the number of their trophies look like. We hope that this will allow you to acquire a new hobby, the interest in which will not disappear for many decades.