Hey everyone,

I am an amature insect collector but specialize in butterflies and moths with a side interest in beetles. I currently live in WA and am keen to trade with anyone who is interested!

I would like to exchange Scarabs and Cerambycids from anywhere and all families of North American Coleoptera

Anyone in the UK with any Dorcus titanus imagos? My female randomly died and my supplier doesn't have any more. If you have one, please get in touch 😁

Thank you for reading and hopefully answering. :)

I have Prospocoilus savagei minor males and females available to swap in the UK. All have just come out of dormancy and are feeding.

I'm building a jarrarium and I need a variety of small bugs and snails to keep in it. I don't really know enough about bugs to know what species I want but I'd prefer a bunch of snails and detrivores if possible.

I'm in SoCal and trying to find any information on where I can get live colorful beetles to raise. Anything from flower beetles to scarabs, doesn't matter to me. Im also newish to the SoCal area and tried looking over the laws and restrictions but they seem vague and/or contradictory so if anyone know whats up, if i need a permit or not I would be eternally grateful!

What the title says, I’m just looking for different species of millipede as I collect them especially large and giant species.

Just a question.

Hi all,

I'm currently in Ohio, soon to be Kentucky. I am interested in receiving click beetles (Elateridae), especially from the west and southwest. I am not really looking for so-called "trophy bugs" (big, showy species) although I would accept certain such species if I do not already have them. (Please no Alaus oculatus.) I'm mostly just looking for your more medium to minute-sized black and brown click beetles (that most people aren't interested in anyways) to add to my species diversity.

I have a modest collection of some 500-1000 insects. Most of the things I have to trade are equally unassuming (not "trophy bugs") to the things I am seeking. If you have specific groups you are interested in, please inquire. I may be able to acquire certain interesting things (Scorpionflies, Longhorn beetles) as things start to warm up in the next couple of weeks.

I cannot accept any specimens that do not have adequate collecting data. Ideally, you should have labels already on the specimens, but at the least I would need you to provide detailed information so that I could make the labels myself. A good, thorough label should look something like:

USA: STATE, County

City, specific locality (XYZ Park, etc.)

Coordinates (if possible)

Collecting method, host plant (if known/applicable), micro-habitat (if applicable; i.e. "decaying wood")

Collector name (first initial + last name; "R.Smith"), date (formatted day.month.year with month in roman numerals; March 20th 2016 would be "20.iii.2016".)

You don't have to include everything I just listed, but detail is appreciated. If one line fills up, just bump the next bit of information down to the next line. 4 to 8 lines is generally good. I print at ~4 point font, lazer printer, on acid-free paper. Again, feel free to just give me the info and I can make them myself.

If you want to be thorough and safe with your insect shipments, here are some notes on the process:

Bioquip sells various boxes (1) (2) for shipping pinned insect specimens. You can buy them there or just look at their products to get an idea of how to construct your own. Here's what to do once you have a shipping container of some kind:

1. Line the perimeter of your box with pins. Place pins (preferably old, used ones you don't care about) about 1 cm from the edge of the box and space them every inch or two. Fill your box/unit tray with pinned specimens. Press the pins firmly into the foam as far as possible. It's okay to pack things tightly. Less empty space means that if something comes loose, it has less space to knock around and wreak havoc.

2. If you have any large, heavy insects which might rotate/swivel on their pins during shipment, you should brace them by placing pins on each side of the abdomen.

3. Cut out a piece of cardboard which fits cleanly inside the top of the box or unit tray you are shipping the specimens in. This will rest directly on top of the pinheads of your pinned specimens and prevent any pins from dislodging, even if the box becomes inverted (1) (2). If you are shipping a small number of specimens, you may want to reinforce your pin boarder to ensure that the cardboard has a sturdy surface to rest on. I recommend placing a loop of tape on the top of the piece of cardboard so that it is easy to remove.

4. Place some sheets of packing material (bubble wrap, wadded up tissues, whatever) on top of the cardboard to take up any extra space (even if you don't think there will be much extra space, do this) and place the lid of the container on top. Secure the metal fasteners on either end, if present, and secure the lid with packing tape.

5. Fill a box halfway up with packing peanuts. Place your shipping container with specimens in box. Fill the rest of the way with packing peanuts, close, and seal with packing tape.

6. (Optional) Place a sticker/note on the package. Something along the lines of "FRAGILE: Contains dead insects for scientific study. Of no commercial value. Please handle with care." You can get printed labels from Bioquip here. More often than not, any handlers will use extra precaution when seeing something like this. Unless they are complete assholes US Postal Service employees.

Big thanks to /u/NebulonsStyle for the awesome guide!

I was just wondering if it's ok to swap live bugs through this forum, or if it's only for dead or preserved specimens? I seem to have an overabundance of juvenile Damon diadema and Hogna sp and would be interested in swapping locally for something new and different.