simple way to relax legs only of stag beetle?

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ctron
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2016 12:30 pm

simple way to relax legs only of stag beetle?

Post by ctron »

Have a dried reddish brown stag beetle that I would like to manipulate into a pose. Is there any way to just quickly relax the legs only without having to relax the entire beetle? I tried applying ammonia to the legs as that was a trick I had read about, but had no effect.

Thanks!

lonepal
Posts: 322
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2017 12:26 pm
Location: Turkey

Post by lonepal »

Hi.
Try to keep it at moisture for a while.
You can use a jar for it. Put a little water in it, place the sample on a styrofoam like thing that does not sink, close the jar and check from time to time.
Regards.
Omer

MarkSturtevant
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
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Post by MarkSturtevant »

I think (am not positive - I have very little experience) that just going through the procedure of whole-body relaxing will probably more or less get the effect that you want. I just suspect that putting the entire beetle into a relaxing chamber will cause the more delicate parts (legs, mouthparts, and antennae) to relax first, with the main body being barely relaxed. Just be sure to take it out on time.
Having relaxed antennae and mouthparts seems a good idea since it protects them from being broken.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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