I'm probably among the last members of this community who should pursue this line of inquiry, as I (mostly) don't do insects, and so have relatively little experience with them.
rjlittlefield wrote:The problem I'm seeing -- in the simulation inside my head -- is that after the subject is dry it's brittle so it can't be inflated. . . .
My thinking is that one first dries the soft-bodied insect, accepting that this will cause the abdomen to shrivel. After this, use a relaxing chamber to soften the abdominal surface so that it is not brittle. Then inflate the abdomen with something that stays in place and gets hard. Then pin and dry the appendages--perhaps after, if necessary, an additional relaxation step.
Cyanoacrylates, as you are undoubtedly aware, are available in a range of viscosities. Does a viscosity exist that would inflate the abdomen without leaking to the exterior of the specimen? Or could the injection rate be modulated to avoid leakage? (Am thinking of a quick, tiny initial injection, to instill the glue in the immediate vicinity of the needle, creating a barrier around it; then, after a pause to allow this barrier to cure, a more liberal injection, to inflate the abdomen?
I should quit this line of inquiry--it's far outside my experience.
--Chris