How to Mount
a Beetle

Hey, I'm Chris

The whole process at a glance

What you'll need

Everything below comes in your EntomoBoxes beetle kit. Each name links to the product if you ever need a refill.

In the kit

• A real beetle - Goliathus meleagris, Chalcosoma atlas or Eupatorus gracilicornis, unless you chose a kit without one
• Pinning pad with guidelines, so you can center the body
• 2 wing support pads - they hold the open wings at the level of the body
• 50 setting pins with big heads, to hold everything in place
• 2 entomology pins - thin pins for the wings
• 2 sheets of clear foil to keep the wings flat while drying
• Hard-tip tweezers

Setting pins

Big-head pins for the body, legs and foil.

Entomology pins

Thin stainless steel pins that hold the flight wings.

Tweezers

For posing legs, unfolding wings and pulling out antennae.

Clear foil

Lies over the wings so they dry flat and neat.

Most beetles arrive dry, in a small paper envelope or bag. Before you can move the legs, antennae or mandibles, the muscles and the soft membranes between the joints need to soften. This step is super easy, but it's also one of the most important. A dry beetle can crack or break.

1. Boil enough water to fill your jar.
2. Pour the hot water into the jar.
3. Carefully place the beetle into the water.
4. Hold the beetle down with your tool (pliers, tweezers or even a spoon) so it's completely underwater (Fig. 1). I like using a pair of pliers for this.
5. Wait for about 1 hour, and that's it!

Careful, the water is hot

Use a tool to put the beetle in and take it out, never your fingers.

Wiggle time! Before you start posing, loosen up every joint. It makes the pinning much easier.

The wings

Open the elytra, the first pair of hard wings. They aren't used for flying, they're armor that protects the soft flight wings underneath. Pop them open confidently, the joints are very strong (Fig. 2). Underneath you'll see the transparent flight wings, neatly folded. Carefully unfold them, wiggle them a bit and let them fold back (Fig. 3).

Now the beetle is soft and loose, so it's time to pin it into position. The pins go around the body, never through it.

1. Place the beetle on the white pinning pad. Use the guidelines to center the body, it makes the finished display look clean and professional.
2. Insert the first few setting pins around the body, not through it, to hold it in place (Fig. 4).

1. Start with the front legs, the pair closest to the head. Use your tweezers, a few pins and your fingers too.
2. Work from the joint closest to the body toward the tip. When you like the pose, secure each segment with a pin (Fig. 5).
3. Pin in your way? Move it. This is a back-and-forth process and tweaking things as you go is completely normal.

No strict rules

The front legs give your beetle its personality. Go for a natural stance, something symmetrical, or get creative. Need ideas? Look up beetle displays online and get inspired.

1. When the first front leg is set, repeat the same on the second one.
2. Move on to the middle legs and then the hind legs. The process is exactly the same: one leg at a time, from the body toward the tip, and don't rush (Fig. 6, 7). This is where your beetle starts to come to life on the board.

The most eye-catching part! Open wings really bring your beetle to life and make the whole mount stand out.

1. First pin the two wing support pads close to the body, right next to where the wings attach (Fig. 9). They guide how the wings will sit.
2. Open the elytra, one side at a time. You may need to remove a few pins that are in the way, just put them back later. Hold the beetle down firmly with your other hand while you lift the elytron. They're strong and may resist a bit, but they can handle it.
3. Gently unfold the flight wing with tweezers and position it the way you like: natural, stretched wide or even in motion.
4. Once it's in place, take a thin entomology pin and pierce it through one of the strong front veins to hold the wing down (Fig. 10). Don't worry about the hole, it won't be visible once the wing dries.

1. Repeat the same on the other side. After opening one wing, the beetle may look slightly out of position. Don't worry, once the second wing is spread and pinned, everything balances out again (Fig. 11).
2. Double-check the legs. They may have shifted while you worked on the wings. Reposition and re-pin them if needed.
3. Gently pull the antennae out from under the head with tweezers, pose them and secure them with pins (Fig. 12).
4. Place a piece of foil gently over each wing and pin the foil around the edges, not through the wings (Fig. 13). It keeps the wings flat and neat while drying.

Your beetle is done, now it needs time. It has to dry slowly and evenly, so be patient here.

Taking it off the pad

Once it's fully dry, remove the support pins and the foil, and your beetle is ready for display, framing or your collection. A display frame keeps it safe from dust and pests.

Common mistakes and FAQ