Stick Insects in the US: Legal Questions

[PravusBelua]

Hi!
I've been offered some stick insects that I think are non-native to the US. I would like to know what would happen if I were to accept them and post photos of them online? Would someone come to my house and take them from me, or kill them?

I can understand some species being illegal here, but I am in a state with all 4 seasons and I don't think these exotic sticks could survive here long enough to be a pest species.

Is there a place where I can find out not only which stick insects are illegal in my state, but if the ones I have been offered are illegal, how I can go about getting a permit or something? Thanks SO much for any help! I can't seem to find information anywhere online so I'm depending on you guys! Would love an answer very soon just in case I miss the chance to own these if it is possible.

 

[barabootom]

All of them are illegal because most are parthenogenic and all are plant eaters. Even if they can't survive in the North, if they somehow made it South they could potentially become major pests. I would stay away from them. I have seen several large Asian species occasionally for sale as eggs in the US on ebay, and eventually they get taken off. I don't know what kind of trouble you could get into but there are lots of legal fun invertebrates (tarantulas ) so why look for trouble. The restrictions were designed by biologists for good reasons.

 

[barabootom]

APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) used to issue permits for zoos under some rather strict guidelines. Maybe they are still the governing body. If you search for APHIS you might find more info. Good luck.

 

[ftorres]

Hello,
All exotic Phasmids (Stick insects) that are not native to the US are illegal.
Mainly because they are plant pest (eat lots and lots of plants and are very prolific)

Only the ones Natives to you state will be OK to keep.
Now if you accept these and start posting pics on the net, you might or might not see any APHIS officers (Bug Police) visiting your house or contacting you regarding your pets.

Not only they will take them, but most likely terminate them.

They might also question you if you keep roaches or Ts, as these are also illegal to keep in some states, so check your city or State regulations.


Now if you want to try to apply for permits, you can go to the APHIS website, you need to go here and follow the instructions.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/permits/index.shtml

I believe you need to registered so you can download the application.

or contact:

Wayne Wehling
Entomologist
USDA APHIS PPQ
4700 River Rd, Unit 133
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 734-8757
wayne.f.wehling@aphis.usda.gov


There are no issuing of permits for the public, mainly Insect Zoos,Zoos,and Universities.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Say Hello to Dr Wehling for me.


francisco

 

[Miss Bianca]

I just picked up some of these at a local expo, and I've found a wealth of knowledge online, about them...

Not planning on setting any free or dipsosing of any eggs.. I read that freezing the eggs or the substrate periodically rids you in a better way of population problems..

 

[What]

To add to the above info(which is all correct), if the species is established as a pest in your area they are also legal to keep, provided you can point out the place where it came from(at least according to the USDA reps I talked to at the LA Nat. History museum's bug fair).

While not really an issue for someone in WV, it is relevant for those of us in SoCal.

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

I don't disbelieve that officials may have told "What" that, but I do find it difficult to believe that Carausius morosus (assuming you are referring to this species) is legal to keep there now just because it has established itself in a few pockets.

I'd recommend people consider that advice very carefully.

 

[dtknow]

Agreed. That would be somewhat ridiculous in any case. Admittantly it is now quite abundant in some areas in Socal.

What about species native to the US but not to your state? A vendor(on here actually) was selling some from Texas here(CA) and apparently got the ok from Wayne Wehling.(w,o a permit even)

 

[Miss Bianca]

I believe the rules are just very specific from state to state...

I'm in NY for example, and while I have no idea of the limitations on keeping here,
I don't think mine are native here.
more importantly however, they wouldn't survive even a generation out here,
with all the pesticides that are regularly applied..
and I do mean regularly...

NY is definitely not the best place to find wild-caughts... not the city anyway..
sorry if I went too off topic..

What I meant to point out is that I'm sure different states have different rules because
of the different circumstances and potential for invasive sp. to thrive..
but it's worth it to find out!

 

[What]

Bianca, we are talking about federal laws. These are universal to the entire USA. If you own sticks that arent native to the US you are keeping them illegally...

(Plus my earlier comment, but that is up for debate)

 

[Miss Bianca]

Bianca, we are talking about federal laws. These are universal to the entire USA. If you own sticks that arent native to the US you are keeping them illegally...

(Plus my earlier comment, but that is up for debate)

Yes.. I understood that (thank you)
Not sure where these are from- (M. extradentata?)

Thank gosh I didn't pick up the ones I thought of purchasing that were from New Guinea! Those looked hot!

 

[What]

Umm... Those are native to Vietnam...

 

[Miss Bianca]

Oh... Good to know!

 

[hasani1408]

Stick insects are illegal to keep without a proper permit.
A LPS in my area just recently was selling stick insect and they were confiscated and given to a local insect zoo that had a valid permit.

 

[ftorres]

I don't disbelieve that officials may have told "What" that, but I do find it difficult to believe that Carausius morosus (assuming you are referring to this species) is legal to keep there now just because it has established itself in a few pockets.

I'd recommend people consider that advice very carefully.

HEllo all
Peter, not only Carausious morosus has been found in small pockets but also M extradentata and Sipyloidea sipylus.

I also agree with you, even though there are some small pockets already stablish doesn't mean they are OK to keep.

I think they were just generalizing the answer to What's question.

Agreed. That would be somewhat ridiculous in any case. Admittantly it is now quite abundant in some areas in Socal.

What about species native to the US but not to your state? A vendor(on here actually) was selling some from Texas here(CA) and apparently got the ok from Wayne Wehling.(w,o a permit even)

I saw those Megaphasma dentricus that were for sale at the NARBC show and I was very impressed they were selling them.

Did you ask any of the two persons selling them if Dr Wehling gave them the OK?

Perhaps Dr Wehling told them they were OK to keep, since they are native to USA.

Even if it is native you need a permit to move from one state to the other.

regards

francisco

 

[What]

HEllo all
Peter, not only Carausious morosus has been found in small pockets but also M extradentata and Sipyloidea sipylus.

While both C. morosus and M. extradentata were mentioned, C. morosus was used as the specific example as it has established itself in almost all of Newport Beach(surrounding the back bay), La Jolla, and in a large contiguous population in LA... :wall:

 

[dtknow]

I forgot the lady's name but she told me they had talked to Wayne Wehling and he gave them to ok, and apparently no permit was needed either. They think they are Diaphomera sp. not Megaphasma dentricus.

 

[bizzely]

Legal Shmegal! What are the chance that the authorities are gonna make a bust on some ones house with some stick insects. As for there ecological danger, i'm no scientist but how devastating to an ecosystem could they be. The natural world has its checks and balances, and even if it would shock a ecosystem at first, things would work them selves out. say there population explodes and they defoliate a forest, there populations them going to crash as they starve. They they become food for a bunch of other things. Aside from a couple poisonous species predators would find most of them very palatable (if they can find them first). It's not like they go around eating the eggs of rare birds or any thing. i couldn't even see them becoming a major agricultural pest either, except to black berry and raspberries. Call me crazy but exotic species becoming naturalized is hardly that big of a danger to the world when you consider that the number one most dangerous species (if your any thing but human) is us!(mostly because we think no species has the right to keep us in check)...........eh then again maybe i just miss they Vietnamese stick i had as a kid.

 

[zonbonzovi]

Legal Shmegal! What are the chance that the authorities are gonna make a bust on some ones house with some stick insects. As for there ecological danger, i'm no scientist but how devastating to an ecosystem could they be. The natural world has its checks and balances, and even if it would shock a ecosystem at first, things would work them selves out. say there population explodes and they defoliate a forest, there populations them going to crash as they starve. They they become food for a bunch of other things. Aside from a couple poisonous species predators would find most of them very palatable (if they can find them first). It's not like they go around eating the eggs of rare birds or any thing. i couldn't even see them becoming a major agricultural pest either, except to black berry and raspberries. Call me crazy but exotic species becoming naturalized is hardly that big of a danger to the world when you consider that the number one most dangerous species (if your any thing but human) is us!(mostly because we think no species has the right to keep us in check)...........eh then again maybe i just miss they Vietnamese stick i had as a kid.

Chances are pretty good that if you flaut the law openly via a public internet forum you will get a visit. Don't think it hasn't happened. Frankly, "if the natural world has its checks and balances" yet the "most dangerous species" has not been negatively affected by these supposed checks and balances there is a fair chance that it can happen See: RIFA, milfoil, zebra mussels, Agrilus planipennis, etc. if you don't think there are unintended consequences from invaders.

 

[Deroplatys]

Just because i can

Phobaeticus magnus

Heteropteryx dialata

Haaniella echinata, H.grayii, H.dehaani, and H.eringtoniae

Parectatosoma moquerysi