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Re: Live beetles intercepted at LAX
by kevinkk » Sat Feb 08, 2025 3:47 pm
exaggeration is the norm, the amounts that items are valued at are usually ludicrous, I've experienced it , never put your weed in glass jars. They are very heavy. But, then, that's all legal now.
The import thing is something we all have to live with, I think it's unlikely to ever change, there's not much of a reason to do so.
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Re: NEW TOOL : the Insect Price Checker
by mothman27 » Sat Feb 08, 2025 2:44 pm
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Re: Emerald dung beetle (tiny)
by Chuck » Sat Feb 08, 2025 2:26 pm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic_Tacadamcotton wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 9:58 amWhat does this mean? I have no idea what a 'tic tac' is.
Adam.
These are globally popular, often sold on the sales counter of 7 Eleven and similar small stores. In some regions- like Thailand- they are replaced by locally-made similar products (bootlegged). Check your local 7 Eleven (yes people, Thailand is loaded with 7 Eleven, they are more common in Thailand than in USA.)
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Re: Live beetles intercepted at LAX
by Chuck » Sat Feb 08, 2025 1:49 pm
The reptile and aquarium trades have long got a pass for imports, while live insects have been blanket-banned or tightly controlled. The reason is that the reptile trade is 1000x that of insects and the aquarium industry is 1,000,000x that of insects.
We now know- via experience- that some "pet" reptile and fish species have become serious environmental problems. In reaction, USFWS has banned or restricted further imports (but the domestic breeding continues.) However, when USFWS tried to more-or-less throttle the entire exotic fish importation, pushback from the people (really, the monied industry) was able to get that largely pushed back. It's all about who has the money.
Given that live insect importation is effectively banned, the only option hobbyists have is to do it illegally, meaning imports are totally unmonitored. Ultimately, this is counterproductive. If it were legal, people would go that route, and government could monitor, restrict, and evaluate what's being imported. But there are too many jobs now dependent on outright bans of stuff.
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Re: Live beetles intercepted at LAX
by Chuck » Sat Feb 08, 2025 1:40 pm
Jshuey wrote: ↑Fri Feb 07, 2025 5:50 pm The agents are always on the look out for invasive species that could damage our economy.Just like you can't ID every insect you see, neither can they.
I get it, your rights to rear potential damaging species certainly outweighs the conservative judgment call made to protect our economy.
John
The concern is the blanket statement published: "“CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl M. Davies said the beetles may appear harmless but pose a threat to agricultural resources.”"
Not "beetles", "the beetles" referring to those seized. Paraphrased, "the beetles seized pose a threat to agricultural resources." There is no evidence of that.
It's a broad statement that's not based on fact so much as job retention. Like cops who size a KG of cocaine and say it's valued at $2M, or LEO who seize a "gun armory" with 20 or whatever "machine guns", and anyone who has a clue can tell from the photo that at least a bunch are BB guns and airsoft. It's fabrication at best, really a lie.
That the coconut beetle, a known pest, is now in North America isn't the fault of collectors or breeders. It was inevitable, given global trade- if CBP or USFWS has been working to prevent that, instead of focusing on a few hobby imports, maybe it could have been delayed. Historically, no pest insect has been introduced to North America by collectors or breeders; rather, far more catastrophes have been introduced by the government agencies themselves. It makes more sense to address the root causes of serious problems than bandaid and hype picayune anecdotes.
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Re: Emerald dung beetle (tiny)
by bobw » Sat Feb 08, 2025 11:08 am
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Re: Emerald dung beetle (tiny)
by adamcotton » Sat Feb 08, 2025 9:58 am
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Re: Emerald dung beetle (tiny)
by livingplanet3 » Sat Feb 08, 2025 12:11 am
Probably Canthon viridis -nilzsz wrote: ↑Fri Feb 07, 2025 11:32 pm Hi, i'm looking for the name of this specific species of dung beetle.
This was found in Central Texas, United States of America.
I did try to look it up, but the sites I was using didn't have this guy in the texas region from what i could tell.
For scale this guy was the size of a tic tac or three. Miniature compared to some of the black dung beetles i have found in the area.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/91804
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Emerald dung beetle (tiny)
by nilzsz » Fri Feb 07, 2025 11:32 pm

Hi, i'm looking for the name of this specific species of dung beetle.
This was found in Central Texas, United States of America.
I did try to look it up, but the sites I was using didn't have this guy in the texas region from what i could tell.
For scale this guy was the size of a tic tac or three. Miniature compared to some of the black dung beetles i have found in the area.
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Re: Live beetles intercepted at LAX
by Jshuey » Fri Feb 07, 2025 5:50 pm
https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/10/cocon ... alm-trees/ . The coconut palm beetle has now been fond in Mexico, likely working it's way northward towards the US.
I get it, your rights to rear potential damaging species certainly outweighs the conservative judgment call made to protect our economy.
John
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Re: Joseph's Coat Moth. Agarista agricola. Australia
by boghaunter1 » Fri Feb 07, 2025 5:45 pm
Truly exquisite species!


John K.
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Re: Joseph's Coat Moth. Agarista agricola. Australia
by kevinkk » Fri Feb 07, 2025 4:55 pm
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Re: Live beetles intercepted at LAX
by kevinkk » Fri Feb 07, 2025 4:48 pm
Makes for alarming reading for uninformed persons. As if anyone who goes to the trouble to get these animals into the country is going to take them to Florida, or Hawaii to release them. Aren't snakes dangerous? I think there is a problem with snakehead fish, actual snakes and certain specific mammals that are much more of a danger to America than a few pet beetles. Click bait for activists, and eye roll for common sense.
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Live beetles intercepted at LAX
by Chuck » Fri Feb 07, 2025 4:23 pm
“CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl M. Davies said the beetles may appear harmless but pose a threat to agricultural resources.”
I’d like her to name one instance of damage due to large Dynastes and Eupatorus. Swamp creature.
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Re: Joseph's Coat Moth. Agarista agricola. Australia
by 58chevy » Fri Feb 07, 2025 4:16 pm
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Re: Ornithoptera victoriae rubianus "niclasi"
by Chuck » Fri Feb 07, 2025 1:49 am
Ornithoptera male abdomens lose color naturally too. In nature they are bright banana yellow like a beacon. You can’t miss them. After death and over time they pale.
I have various priamus ssp- which would be the cheapest now to experiment on?
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Re: Black glue on birdwings
by mothman55 » Thu Feb 06, 2025 5:02 pm
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Re: Black glue on birdwings
by adamcotton » Thu Feb 06, 2025 8:42 am
Adam.
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Re: Ornithoptera victoriae rubianus "niclasi"
by adamcotton » Thu Feb 06, 2025 8:41 am
Adam.
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Re: Ornithoptera victoriae rubianus "niclasi"
by Chuck » Thu Feb 06, 2025 1:17 am
1. So if I look at the green on a OV rubianus, and see a sheen or shift, it’s structural?
2. When was the first niclasi reported? Aside from which, the number of Lep collectors who have gone to Rannonga is low; even then it’s no guarantee they’d see it. Remember Tennent said he spent eight weeks in San Christobal and that there were no Polyura Jupiter- till I tossed a fresh one on the table. And I scrapped the description of Graphium sarpedon being rare on Guadalcanal, fortunately prior to publication, because they are not- in an area well covered by top level Lep professionals!
OV rubianus is not bred, it’s ranched. So no cross breeding, no selective breeding.
I had flight worn (not bad) niclasi. Damn I wish I’d not gotten rid of them. I don’t think I have photos but I’ll look.