Insert the tip of the pin into the thorax, and press. Spread the wings, and affix. Use as many stainless-steel pins as you want; now is no time to be timid. Continue to impale the pretty, dead Lepidoptera (or perhaps the spiny, dead Coleoptera) on the museum-quality spreading board, suitable for display, until you’re sure she’s not going anywhere for several human generations — your great-grandkids will want to discover this handiwork in your trunk of secrets 70 years hence. Really, there’s nothing to mounting your first insect besides a steady hand, a good supply of Ento pins, a hint of godlike will, and a knowledgeable guide showing you what to pierce and when (otherwise the whole thing just feels sick). Today’s Insect Mounting Class also includes a mounting kit, plenty of beetles and butterflies, and enough instruction to send you home with a delicate keepsake that isn’t a crime against nature.
Thu., Aug. 27, 4 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 24, 4 p.m., 2009
