How to Preserve a Butterfly

Butterflies are beautiful to look at, and collectors enjoy preserving multiple species to admire their wing patterns. If you’ve found a dead butterfly or captured one that you want to save, you can either pin it in a display case or encapsulate it in a clear epoxy resin. No matter how you display your butterfly, you need to first mount it into the position you want. When you’re finished, you’ll have a beautiful display that can last a lifetime!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Mounting Your Butterfly

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1
Place the butterfly in a jar with a wet paper towel for 2-7 days. When butterflies die, their bodies become very brittle and will break apart easily unless they’re relaxed. Wet a paper towel with warm water and set it on the bottom of a glass jar with a lid. Pour in 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of antiseptic like Lysol into the bottom to prevent mold from forming. Set the butterfly in the jar and seal it for 2-7 days.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Smaller butterflies that are only 1–3 inches (2.5–7.6 cm) long will only take about 2 days to relax, while larger butterflies will take up to 1 week.
- If your butterfly doesn’t fit in a jar, you may also use a plastic container with a lid.
2
Push a mounting pin through the center of the butterfly’s thorax. Once the butterfly is relaxed, take it out of the glass jar and carefully stick an insect mounting pin through the middle of the butterfly’s thorax, or the middle body section.^{[2]XExpert SourceSamuel Ramsey, PhD
EntomologistExpert Interview. 20 January 2021.} Use a spade-tip forceps to slightly spread the butterfly’s wings apart if they aren’t already open. Push the pin through so one-third of its length sticks out from the bottom of your butterfly.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Insect mounting pins can be purchased online or in specialty science and lab equipment stores.
- Insect pins come in many different sizes, but you only need #2 or #3 pins with a diameter of about ¹⁄₅₀ in (0.51 mm).
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3
Set the butterfly’s body in the spreading board. Spreading boards are used for preserving insects so you can spread out their wings to dry. Grab the butterfly by its body using your fingers or a pair of forceps and place it in the center of your spreading board. Push the pin about ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) into the board so it stays in place. Slide the butterfly’s body down the pin until the wings are level with the sides of the board.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Spreading boards can be purchased online in a fixed or adjustable size.
4
Spread and pin the top wings out so they’re perpendicular to the butterfly’s body. Stick a pin through the main vein along the top of the butterfly’s wing about ¹⁄₄–¹⁄₂ in (0.64–1.27 cm) from its body. Hold the butterfly’s body steady with your non-dominant hand and slowly pull the top wing open using the pin with your dominant hand. When the bottom of the wing makes a 90-degree angle with the butterfly’s body, stick the pin into your board. Repeat the process on the other side of the butterfly.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Avoid touching the butterfly’s wings with your hands since you may accidentally rub off the scales.
- You can also choose to have the bottom line of the top wing be perpendicular to the body. (That's how other people do it.)
5
Open the bottom wings until the pattern lines up with the top wings. Once the top wings are pinned to your mounting board, lightly push another pin on the top edge of the bottom wing. Do not pierce through the butterfly’s wing, but gently push it open instead. Slide the bottom wings underneath the top wings until the patterns between them line up with one another.^{[6]XResearch source}
- The bottom wings do not need to be secured with pins.
6
Hold the wings flat with a strip of wax paper. Cut out 2 strips of wax paper that are ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) wide and 2 in (5.1 cm) longer than the height of the butterfly’s wings. Hold the pieces of wax paper across butterfly’s wings and secure them in place with pins. Put the pins directly above the top wings and below the bottom wings so they don’t move or curl while they dry..^{[7]XResearch source}
- You can make the wax paper wider/longer.
Tip: If you’re preserving multiple butterflies on the same mounting board, cut strips of wax paper as long as the board and place a pin on the tops and bottoms of each butterfly’s wing.
7
Let the butterfly dry on the board for 2 days before removing the pins around the wings. Leave the butterfly in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, such as a kitchen counter or on a desk. Once the butterfly is completely dry, remove the pins and paper around the butterfly’s wings from your mounting board.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Drying time may take longer depending on the size of your butterfly.
- Be careful handling your butterfly once it’s dry since it will be very fragile.
- If you plan on preserving your butterfly in resin instead of in a display case, remove the pin from its thorax.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pinning a Butterfly in a Display Case

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1
Stick your butterfly into the foam backing of the display case. Use the pin already going through the butterfly’s thorax. Get an insect display case or shadow box with a foam backing so you can easily hang your butterfly.^{[9]XExpert SourceSamuel Ramsey, PhD
EntomologistExpert Interview. 20 January 2021.} Open the front of the case and press the pin into the back by about ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm).^{[10]XResearch source}
- Shadow boxes and insect display cases can be purchased online or you can make your own.
- Keep multiple butterflies or insects in your display case, or use multiple smaller case to make a wall collage.
Use a small strip of paper as a label, and write the name of the butterfly on it. Secure it next to the butterfly using mounting pins so you don’t forget what species you have preserved.^{[11]XResearch source}
Tip: Use the species’ scientific name to make your butterfly collection look more academic.
3
Seal the display case so it’s airtight and hang it. Put the cover back on your display case and make sure it’s closed to keep your butterfly completely preserved. Hang your display case in a well-lit area but out of direct sunlight.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Keep mothballs in the case if you aren’t hanging it right away so your butterflies don’t start to mold.
- If you keep your butterfly in sunlight, the color of its wings might fade.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preserving a Butterfly in Resin

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1
Pour a thin base layer of clear resin into a mold. Mix a clear epoxy resin in a plastic container, following the directions on the back of the package. Use a rubber mold that’s 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) wider than your butterfly’s wingspan in any shape, such as a flat disc, a rectangular prism, or a round sphere. Fill the bottom of the mold with about ¹⁄₄–¹⁄₂ in (0.64–1.27 cm) of the resin. Pour the resin slowly to prevent any air bubbles from forming.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Resin can be purchased at any hardware store.
- Rubber molds made for resin can be purchased online.
2
Set the butterfly in the center of your resin. Pinch the body of your butterfly between your fingers or with a pair of spade-tip forceps. Carefully set the butterfly in the middle of your mold so it’s partially submerged by the resin.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Be careful while handling your butterfly since it will be fragile and could break apart.
3
Let the resin set for 15-20 minutes until it gels. As your resin dries, it will first form into a gel before it completely hardens. Cover your mold with a container so the resin dries faster. Leave the resin alone for 15-20 minutes so it can start to solidify.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Don’t let your resin set completely or else the other layers of resin will not adhere to it.
4
Cover the rest of the butterfly with your resin. Slowly pour the remainder of your resin around the butterfly so you don’t damage the wings. Completely cover the butterfly so it’s encased in the resin and filled to the top of the mold.^{[16]XResearch source}
- Maintain a slow and constant pour so air bubbles don’t form inside your resin.
5
Let the resin cure for 3 days before popping it out of the mold. Leave the mold in a cool, dry place so your mold can cure properly. Give your resin at least 3 days to cure so it can completely harden. Once the resin is finished drying, peel back the rubber mold to remove the resin.^{[17]XResearch source}
- Use your resin butterfly as a table decoration or as a paperweight.

Expert Q&A

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Question
How do you mount a butterfly?
Samuel Ramsey, PhD
Entomologist
Dr. Samuel Ramsey is an Entomologist and a researcher with the United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Ramsey has extensive knowledge of symbiosis and specializes in insect disease spread, parasite behavior, mutualism development, biological control, invasive species ecology, pollinator health, and insect pest control. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entomology from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland. Dr. Ramsey’s research on bees has enabled researchers to develop targeted control techniques to restore honey bee populations worldwide. He also hosts a YouTube series called “Dr. Buggs.”
Samuel Ramsey, PhD
Entomologist
Expert Answer
Take some foam and put it inside of a box, then stick a pin through the insect and into the foam. Just make sure you arrange the butterfly exactly how you want to display it before it dries. If you try to move the wings after they're dried, they'll just break off.
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Question
How should you store a preserved butterfly?
Samuel Ramsey, PhD
Entomologist
Dr. Samuel Ramsey is an Entomologist and a researcher with the United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Ramsey has extensive knowledge of symbiosis and specializes in insect disease spread, parasite behavior, mutualism development, biological control, invasive species ecology, pollinator health, and insect pest control. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entomology from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland. Dr. Ramsey’s research on bees has enabled researchers to develop targeted control techniques to restore honey bee populations worldwide. He also hosts a YouTube series called “Dr. Buggs.”
Samuel Ramsey, PhD
Entomologist
Expert Answer
Keep them in a box that's very well-sealed to keep out smaller insects that might want to eat the preserved butterfly. Place that box inside of another box, and put mothballs or moth crystals inside the second box. Also, keep your specimen in a cool place.
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