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Post by deliasfanatic on Sept 11, 2015 19:41:34 GMT
This has nothing to do with fading from light, but it's an interesting observation... In my experience, the very worst specimens for "natural" fading are red Heliconius, such as erato and melpomene. When fresh, their red is amazingly vibrant; so much so that it almost glows. I'd say that this stage lasts for a couple of years before it starts to fade noticeably. And it keeps fading, down through the decades, until very little remains. Some of my specimens are 8-10 years old, and the red is much less brilliant. At 25-30 years, it has become a dull burnt orange, and I remember them being very vivid when fresh. One would hope that it wouldn't go beyond that, but it does....I have some "red" specimens dated between 1917 and 1932, and the red is faded to the point where it is almost unrecognizable.
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Post by cabintom on Sept 12, 2015 15:43:33 GMT
the very worst specimens for "natural" fading are red Heliconius I have read something similar for African Acraea. Apparently, they fade rather quickly, and regardless of what preventative measures are taken. I wonder if it's the particular pigment? (I really have no idea...) At any rate, I like to photograph the recto/verso of all of my specimens as soon as they're off the setting boards. I think this is ultimately one of the best protections for a specimen, as it minimizes direct handling and digital pictures don't fade and aren't damaged (they also magnify all the little details, if done properly).
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Post by deliasfanatic on Sept 12, 2015 17:28:49 GMT
Interesting question about Acraea, Tom. I don't have any old specimens of the latter to compare with my more recent ones, but I've not noticed fading in mine. I don't think any Acraea have the truly brilliant red of fresh Heliconius, but it's certainly possible that it's the same pigment since they're related.
Good point about doing photos as "preservation".
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Post by nomad on Sept 14, 2015 15:00:51 GMT
Nothing stays the same, not even specimens kept in the dark. Some good observations here by deliasfanatic.
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Post by cabintom on Dec 14, 2015 9:49:53 GMT
Interesting question about Acraea, Tom. I don't have any old specimens of the latter to compare with my more recent ones, but I've not noticed fading in mine. I don't think any Acraea have the truly brilliant red of fresh Heliconius, but it's certainly possible that it's the same pigment since they're related. I just want to tentatively confirm that their colours do seem to fade. Pinks aren't as noticeable, and in some specimens reds have turned into browns. This is a tentative confirmation simply because I'm comparing the specimens as they are with photos I took last year, and I'm not certain how accurately those photos captured the colours.
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