How to Pin
a Blue Morpho

Hey, I'm Chris

The whole process at a glance

What you'll need

These all come in your EntomoBoxes Blue Morpho kit. Each name links to the product if you ever need a refill.

Blue Morpho

Morpho helenor or the bigger Morpho didius, dried and folded.

Pinning board

Holds the body in a groove while the wings dry flat.

Entomology pins

Thin, long stainless steel pins that go through the thorax.

Setting pins

Big-head pins that hold the foil in place.

Foil strips

Clear strips that press the wings flat without marking the scales.

Flat-tip tweezers

You spread the wings with these, so they're gentle on the scales.

Syringe

For injecting warm water into the thorax.

Display frame

18 x 18 cm (7 x 7 in), the final home for your Morpho.

Your Morpho arrives dried, folded in a paper envelope. The wing muscles inside the body need to soften, so you can spread the wings without damaging them. Good rehydration is the key to a perfect result.

1. Fill the syringe with warm tap water.
2. Take the butterfly out of the paper envelope and place it on a flat surface.
3. Hold it firmly against the surface with your fingers or tweezers.
4. Insert the needle into the thorax, the middle part of the body, or the "chest" if you prefer (Fig. 1).

Careful, the needle is sharp

The body of a butterfly is tough and hard. Push slowly. Once you feel no more resistance, you're inside. Holding the butterfly with tweezers keeps your fingers safe.

1. Inject the water until you see it dripping out.
2. Pull the needle out and place the butterfly on the upside-down lid of the container (Fig. 2).
3. Spray the inside of the container until the whole area is covered with tiny droplets (Fig. 3).
4. Turn the container over the lid and close it, so the butterfly sits inside (Fig. 4).
5. Wait at least 24 hours.

Is it ready? The squeeze test

Take the Morpho out and gently squeeze the body with tweezers just below the wing joints (Fig. 5). If the wings open easily, it's ready.

If not, don't force them. Inject a bit more warm water, put it back in the box and wait another 1-2 hours.

A straight pin and the right height on the board decide how professional your Morpho will look. These two details are crucial, so take your time.

1. While gently squeezing the body, push a thin, long entomology pin through the center of the thorax (Fig. 6).
2. The pin must stand at 90 degrees to the body, perpendicular.

1. Hold the pin at the top with tweezers or your fingers and insert it into the groove of the pinning board, again at 90 degrees.
2. Push it deep enough so the wing joints sit level with the board panels (Fig. 7). Then the wings can rest flat and open easily without risking the wing joints.

This is the part that takes practice. The trick is the foil: when you pull it toward you, it gently presses the wings down. Practice that motion a few times before you start.

1. Cut two identical strips of foil, each at least twice as long as the longest part of the wings.
2. Lay one strip on the board so it covers both wings on that side, and pin it down with two setting pins (Fig. 8). It's important to pin the foil straight.
3. Slide the forewing and the hindwing under the foil and gently pull the end of the foil toward you against the board. See how it presses the wings down? That's the technique for everything that follows.

1. Use the flat-tip tweezers to gently lift the forewing up on the board (Fig. 9). Use one of the larger veins as a guide and don't squeeze the wing too much.

This is often the hardest part. You may scratch a wing at first, don't let it get you down.

1. I use two fingers here. My main hand moves the tweezers, it's more sensitive. The index finger of my other hand pulls the foil, and once the wing is where I want it, the middle finger presses it down (Fig. 10).

Where should the wing go?

There are no strict rules. Spread your Morpho the way you like it.

1. When the forewing is in place, secure it with four setting pins around the wing, with the foil stretched over it. Never pin through the wing itself (Fig. 11, 12). Then you can release your middle finger.

1. Now the hindwing. Push it up so it slides under the forewing, hindwings always go under (Fig. 13). This time just pull the foil with 2-3 fingers, the forewing holds the hindwing in place (Fig. 14).
2. Pull the foil down, hold it and secure the hindwing with another four pins around it (Fig. 15).

Pull or press, your choice

Sometimes I don't pull the foil at all and just press the wing down with my index finger. Both work. This guide is an introduction, so adjust the technique to whatever feels most comfortable.

1. Flip the board upside down and repeat on the other side. This way your hands work in the same position as before (Fig. 16). I'm left-handed, so I do it mirrored.
2. Secure the forewing with four pins, then the hindwing with another four, the same as on the first side (Fig. 17).
3. Remove the two pins that held the foil at the start. Tuck the antennae under the foil and hold each one in place with a pin next to it (Fig. 18).

Does your butterfly have an abdomen?

The Morpho in the kit doesn't. If you spread another butterfly or moth that has one, support it with two pins crossed in an X on either side, so it doesn't droop while drying.

Hooray, you're done with the hard part! Now the Morpho needs to dry completely before it comes off the board.

Into the frame

1. Remove the setting pins and peel the foil back slowly, from the outer edge toward the body.
2. Hold the entomology pin, never the wings, and lift the Morpho off the board.
3. Place it into the display frame from your kit and keep it away from direct sunlight.

Common mistakes and pro tips

FAQ