First, specimens are selected for either a custom case or a series of cases.  Once selected, here is an Atlas Moth, the specimens are prepped and placed in the relaxer.
















Here are several relaxers FULL of specimens ready to be spread.  For an in depth explanation on the process of spreading butterflies, please see our page Spreading Butterflies where we show you a step by step process to spreading butterflies.









Here is a single butterfly that has been properly spread,  now we wait a few days for the specimen to dry out.  Meanwhile....time to make the display case.



Each butterfly display is made exclusively from 100% acrylic. in order to make sure we get a 100% airtight seal, each component must be carefully machined.  On a typical rectangular case there are 6 pieces: front, back, and 4 sides.  Each one has 4 edges, which means we machine all 24 edges of a butterfly display case.  Depending on the size of the case, the shape, and the component, we machine each one separately and differently.  We have created 7 individual and unique stations to streamline the case making process.  Here you see two of the techniques we employ. At Custom Butterfly Art, we make each and every case in our facility.  we don't order any cases from a third party, nor do we have them made in china.  These are made right here in the US, by us.  We have been contacted by some of our competitors and asked if we would sell some of our empty cases for their use.  The answer is always no.


Finally all 24 edges of the 6 pieces have been fully machined.   This means that the mating surfaces will be perfect and we can guarantee a perfectly sealed air tight case will arrive to our clients. 









Once machined the butterfly and or moth / insect display case is sub-assembled.  Now the once 6 individual pieces are only 2 distinct pieces: the back and the top. Now that the case is made and waiting for butterfly or insect specimens... lets go see how they are doing.






Here we can see butterflies that have been removed from the spreading/drying boards and have been queued up for mounting.  The butterfly/insect mounting process is one of those "proprietary" methods that we wont disclose. 








Once mounted, the butterflies and moths are composed on the layout board.  This is a critical step, however they are laid out at this point is EXACTLY how they will be mounted within the display case.  Once the composition is approved by the client, the painstaking work of transferring each butterfly to the case begins.  This particular one took an entire day, just for this step alone.








Lastly, the butterflies are encased and permanently sealed, but only after each one is signed and dated. 











For certain cases which will be shipped a long distance, we will build a specialized crate and to ensure the safe delivery of the delicate butterfly work we spent so many hours to produce.  This crate holds the two butterfly cases above which were commissioned by a London based art gallery.