How to preserve a dead dragonfly?
I found a dead dragonfly today. It is still in good shape and I've put it in the freezer now. But what to do next? Is liquid resin ok? I heard alcohol is not because it takes the color of the bug or something..
Can someone give me detailed instructions what to do? Where to put the dragonfly?
Comments
There is NOTHING you can do to salvage the color, unfortunately. Except take a good photograph.
The best way to preserve your Dragonfly is like the museums do it. If it has a large body, you might want to soak it in alcohol for a day or so but it is not mandatory. Then pin it on a soft wood board with it's wings spread out. Leave it this way for a long time; a month or so; until it is dried. Then place it in a Ryker Mount (a deep picture frame padded with a sheet of cotton), and hang it on the wall.
If you wanted to, you "could" buy some fine artist's paint brushes and paint it's body to try and bring back the original color. Don't get any paint on the wings though.
Alcohol is the simplest method, but yes, colors do fade over time. Liquid resin embedment makes a very nice permanent display of a specimen, but it is quite a project, especially if you have never done it before. Kits can be purchased in craft supply stores or hobby stores.
Formaldahyde or ethanol will work if you want to keep it in liquid, it will still slowly break down over many years and it will fade. Drying also works if you have somewhere warm and not humid to place it or a dehydrator.