Mantis Curation

By Lohit Garikipati

The characters used to identify mantises are best seen with a particular style of curation. Here's a quick guide.

Step 1

Cut the left pleuron of the mantis; making sure not to completely open up the abdomen on one side. The cut should end about 1 cm away from each end of the abdomen.

Step 2

Clean out the inside of the mantis, using a pair of forceps as well as a small utensil you can scoop with. It is important to remove all of the material inside the abdomen to prevent smell and discoloration.

Step 3

Carefully pin the insect through the mesonotum, making sure one pair of wings is able to be moved for spreading. The pin should secure the other pair of wings. Begin to manipulate the legs parallel to the spreading board in preparation for the next step.

Step 4

Spread each leg as shown below, and keep them secured with a piece of paper. On the right side, spread the wings as shown, you may need to push the pins on the right side almost all the way down so they do not interfere with the pin spreading. Use pins as necessary to keep the insect in place as well as pull the antennae back as well.

Step 5

Let the specimen stay for about a week, then carefully remove all the pins used for spreading. Smaller specimens will require less time, while larger specimens will need the full time.