How to rehydrate an Atlas moth?

[ren]

I've done smaller butterflies with damp paper towels in a box previously.

I am going to need to re-hydrate an Attacus atlas moth.  I have not done something so large.

Should I go about this like I have done the smaller butterflies, or should I inject it with something?

Any tips?

[deliasfanatic]

I'd do it in the same way, provided it fits. Be very careful with injecting Saturniidae. Not knowing better, I once grossly overdid it (i.e. till water started coming out the body) and it drenched the body "fur", ruining it.

[Paul K]

Injection is always good for large moths, I just did few A. atlas which I collected in Thailand and I kept them in the relaxing chamber for 2 days and then inject them with water, waited for two hours and then I had to slowly work out the wings up and down to make them movable. When spread I still had to insert small pin thru the main vain in forewing as they wouldn't hold in position secured only around.

[ren]

Thanks for the input both of you....

Hmm... if I do try and inject the moth, how much water (hot?) I have a 1 ml syringe.

[Paul K]

Mar 6, 2019 16:19:13 GMT ren said:

Thanks for the input both of you....

Hmm... if I do try and inject the moth, how much water (hot?) I have a 1 ml syringe.

Cold water only, if too hot it may dissolve fats inside the body and you definitely don’t want that to happen.
1 ml syringe use only 10 to 20 units which is about 5-10mm on scale.
Inject near into torax near the wings.

[mothman27]

I use hot water as it can be spread within a couple minutes. It's true you may have to deal with some oil but I find that that happens anyway eventually. 

[ren]

Well, it looks like there are a lot of different views! Any more comments will be welcome.

[ren]

Mar 6, 2019 16:28:59 GMT Paul K said:

Mar 6, 2019 16:19:13 GMT ren said:

Thanks for the input both of you....

Hmm... if I do try and inject the moth, how much water (hot?) I have a 1 ml syringe.

Cold water only, if too hot it may dissolve fats inside the body and you definitely don’t want that to happen.
1 ml syringe use only 10 to 20 units which is about 5-10mm on scale.
Inject near into torax near the wings.

 How much is 10-20 units in milliliters?

[Paul K]

Jul 29, 2019 14:31:32 GMT ren said:

Mar 6, 2019 16:28:59 GMT Paul K said:

Cold water only, if too hot it may dissolve fats inside the body and you definitely don’t want that to happen.
1 ml syringe use only 10 to 20 units which is about 5-10mm on scale.
Inject near into torax near the wings.

 How much is 10-20 units in milliliters?

1 ml syringe 10 units that will be 0.1 ml.

[Adam Cotton]

If hairs on the body of a butterfly or moth get wet during relaxing it is often possible to "blow-dry" them immediately after pinning on the spreading board. Gently blowing from above while still damp will separate the hairs and usually restore the normal appearance. This cannot be done when the specimen is dry.

Adam.

[ren]

Three days in the relaxing chamber, plus an injection of cold water and it spread like charm! One of the easiest I have ever done.

Thanks for your advice!