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LIVE ARTHROPODS Certain arthropods are available live, but not many. We can obtain alive, for sale: various North American tarantulas, centipedes, millipedes, scorpions, spiders, roaches, flies, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, mantids, butterflies, moths, true bugs, beetles, and a variety of aquatic insects. Crustaceans are not our specialty, but they can also be obtained. We do have access to other, more exotic, insects but we cannot offer them for sale without USDA approval (you will need to have USDA permits for the exotic species you wish to buy). Live arthropods are a resource whose sale and distribution (import/export) is controlled by the USDA. This is to prevent "Alien Invasions"; that is, the establishment of foreign, invasive species on U.S. soil, resulting in a disruption of the local ecosystem (think: "ALB" Asian Longhorn Beetles). Permits may have to be obtained from the USDA for some native North American species, depending on where you live and what you want. Exotic species will always require permits and amateurs should not request exotics unless they possess permits and are equipped to house exotic species. The variety of living specimens available for sale fluctuates with the seasons, so please inquire if you are interested in something you don't see listed in our Museum. When shipping of live specimens, overnight express shipping is required in most cases in order for us to guarantee live arrival of living material. No other form of shipping comes with a live-arrival guarantee. For orders where several of a single species are purchased we always add extra to insure against any deaths. It is necessary that anyone who wishes to buy live arthropods understand that there is always a risk involved. Live arthropods are, after all, living creatures, and fragile ones at that. Many do not have long life spans and the age of wild-caught specimens cannot always be known, so if your animal arrives alive but dies shortly thereafter, we cannot be held liable for a replacement. We would also like to take a moment and mention a common problem that occurs with the use of live insects in photography: their mobility. They are not necessarily the best subjects for still photography since they don't like to sit still or take commands. Please keep that in mind. If you have the budget and are not making a film where a living, moving specimen is required, we strongly suggest the use of dead specimens posed in a life-like fashion. Check out samples of our work in the Portfolio. For further information on the services we offer, please follow these links.
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Photo by Alex Newhall 
Photo by Taylor Jones
Photo by Lawrence Forcella
Photo by Lawrence Forcella
Photo by Lawrence Forcella |
