Platymeris biguttata questions

[dtknow]

arachnids are not under the jurisdiction of the USDA...but rather USFWS.

 

[What]

Wow what a stupid rule. If your buying them for a collection why would you give them the chance to escape? I no accidents happen.. but where I live even if one or even 100 assassins escaped, winter or even the weather now would surely kill them in days. So I dont see a problem, let alone the nymphs surviving a LONG CoLd 6 months..

If the native phasmids can do it I am pretty sure assassins could. I am fairly sure that there are native phasmids in all the lower 48 states, so that is decent evidence that they could do it.

p.s. There are native assassins too, but AFAIK they reproduce at much slower rates(lower brood size).

 

[Takumaku]

This is really quite amusing. Every time this question comes up, the responses are generally the same. And the answer is always the same.... 50/50 legal/illegal.

I also find it quite amusing is when you are looking at the responses, the ones who say they are legal, myself included, are the ones who have been breeding assassins for years. Wouldn't you think if assassins were illegal, the USDA would target the breeders first before a John/Jane Doe? Simple common sense would say yes.

 

[ftorres]

Hello All,

My friend Takumaku, I have an idea so you can really find out if they are legal or not and if you need permits or not.

You should call Dr wehling and tell him that you are breeding them and ask him to send some agent to your house, so you guys can sit down drink some te and cookies and have a nice conversation as to wheter P biguttata and any other exotic are llegal to posses and breed without permits.

record or videotape the converssation and show it here.

I am sure you can do this hobby a big favor and you will be my personal hero.

regards

francisco

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Assassins will sit on flowers and wait for a bee or the like to fly in and then feed, while other spiders are kind of like equal opportunity hunters.

Platymeris live under logs in nature and would never catch a bee. Some of our native assassins sit on plants and flowers but other's suck blood, live under bark, etc. A Platymeris climbing to the top of a flower is the same as a Brachypelma building a web to catch bees. Tarantulas and scorpions eat ground beetles which then are prevented from eating pests like caterpillars.

p.s. There are native assassins too, but AFAIK they reproduce at much slower rates(lower brood size).

False.

 

[cjm1991]

You guys dont use common sense. I DEFINATELY agree in saying the agents would go to the provider/breeder way before the person buying a couple off them.... cmon guys..:wall: Also, have you all forgot that bee's fly.... and native spiders here get a pretty decent size and make pretty big webs... whos to say a spider is more harmful than an assassin? Honestly Id rather have assassins roaming my town rather then billions of bees... my 2 cents

 

[What]

Platymeris live under logs in nature and would never catch a bee. Some of our native assassins sit on plants and flowers but other's suck blood, live under bark, etc. A Platymeris climbing to the top of a flower is the same as a Brachypelma building a web to catch bees. Tarantulas and scorpions eat ground beetles which then are prevented from eating pests like caterpillars.

Thanks for the corrections, I was under the impression that Platymeris still will hunt on plants out in the open.

@cjm1991: Maybe you should go research what the already dwindling numbers of bees are causing. A lot of the US food supply relies upon bees as the primary pollinator.

 

[Takumaku]

You should call Dr wehling and tell him that you are breeding them and ask him to send some agent to your house, so you guys can sit down drink some te and cookies and have a nice conversation as to wheter P biguttata and any other exotic are llegal to posses and breed without permits.

record or videotape the converssation and show it here.

Would that be Dr. Wayne Wehling or are you talking about another Dr. Wehling? Dr. Stewart was my personal contact at the USDA. BTW, when I contacted the USDA a while back I gave them full disclosure (told them I was breeding assassins and my location which btw is only a 2.5 hour drive away) ^^

On another topic, but related, I also keep and breed eastern indigo snakes which require state permits to keep in VA and federal permits to ship across state lines. I state this because I am the 2nd person of 3 people in the state of Virginia who are allowed to keep and breed eastern indigos so a few federal agencies know who I am.

 

[cjm1991]

Ok well screw them then a bug is not worth all this:wall:

 

[dtknow]

So is this a case of it being extralegal but the feds simply turning their head at it. I know mantids are technically illegal yet no one has ever had them seized by feds even at shows. But if you have phasmids they will take your phasmids and your mantids.

 

[cjm1991]

There is no way its illegal to own a mantid of any kind or a stick insect where I live. I can go outside and find a mantid at least 5'' in under 30 minutes... And im sure they do just as much damage as a assassin. So many stupid rules.... i doubt half of what people say on here is a definate answer.. but what do I know right?

 

[What]

There is no way its illegal to own a mantid of any kind or a stick insect where I live. I can go outside and find a mantid at least 5'' in under 30 minutes... And im sure they do just as much damage as a assassin. So many stupid rules.... i doubt half of what people say on here is a definate answer.. but what do I know right?

cjm1991, IT can and is illegal if the law it says it is. The fact that an invasive species(Chinese mantid) has setup in your area is exactly the reason for assassins and phasmids(and mantids) being illegal.

 

[cjm1991]

:clap: Why would it be illegal in a state that has hundreds of insect species with the potential to kill millions of bees. Not to mention that they would never survive a full year here. I see stick insects and a few types of mantids daily. So I dont see where your getting the idea that mantids are illegal in missouri. To be honest I lol'd at you at first. Thats like saying owning a marijuana plant is illegal in a country that it grows naturally and EXTREMELY abundently in.

 

[What]

:clap: Why would it be illegal in a state that has hundreds of insect species with the potential to kill millions of bees. Not to mention that they would never survive a full year here. I see stick insects and a few types of mantids daily. So I dont see where your getting the idea that mantids are illegal in missouri. To be honest I lol'd at you at first. Thats like saying owning a marijuana plant is illegal in a country that it grows naturally and EXTREMELY abundently in.

A) Native species are not illegal.
B) Non-native species can be a lot more dangerous than the native species due to amount of plant consumption and brood size(phasmids).
C) If a non-native species 'would never survive a full year here' how do the native species do it?
D) Chinese mantids(most likely what you are finding if they are 5") are NON-NATIVE and DO have a negative environmental impact.
E) That is totally different and not at all similar.

 

[ftorres]

Would that be Dr. Wayne Wehling or are you talking about another Dr. Wehling? Dr. Stewart was my personal contact at the USDA. BTW, when I contacted the USDA a while back I gave them full disclosure (told them I was breeding assassins and my location which btw is only a 2.5 hour drive away) ^^

On another topic, but related, I also keep and breed eastern indigo snakes which require state permits to keep in VA and federal permits to ship across state lines. I state this because I am the 2nd person of 3 people in the state of Virginia who are allowed to keep and breed eastern indigos so a few federal agencies know who I am.

Hello Takumaku,

USDA works stremely slow in some cases, in case you mention you had some AFRICAN ASSASSIN BUGS I do hope you don't get visited and your Assassins get confiscated.

When I got visited by the USDA, they even asked me to get permits for my Hissers, so go figure the way they interpret the regulations.

regards
francisco

I would like to get some from you.

 

[cjm1991]

A) Native species are not illegal.
B) Non-native species can be a lot more dangerous than the native species due to amount of plant consumption and brood size(phasmids).
C) If a non-native species 'would never survive a full year here' how do the native species do it?
D) Chinese mantids(most likely what you are finding if they are 5") are NON-NATIVE and DO have a negative environmental impact.
E) That is totally different and not at all similar.

Ok so they come to my house right? Say I have 1000000000000000000000 mantids in my house, they cant do a damn thing. You are the only one on this website that has to argue with everyones threads. Im sure im not alone in saying your the most annoying person on here. Stop posting in my threads and do us all a favor. You go COMPLETELY off subject everytime. Stick to the question I asked before you type anymore. Thanks.;P

 

[Takumaku]

ftorres,
I would welcome them with open arms and favorable Southern hospitality.

 

[bluefrogtat2]

okay

after reading thread it is completely clear who's the annoying one.
andy

 

[ZoSoLp510]

Hey Cj,

To answer your question, they like it dry and they eat alot! Dry cocoa fiber mixed with sand would be an appropriate substrate, and be sure to put some vertically oriented cork bark for them to chill on. That's really all you need to know, except of course that they can spit venom with incredible accuracy, not to mention they're bite is not something you want to experience.

All in all, they are fascinating creatures and alot of fun to keep. It's really your call as to what to do. I too have heard many things regarding legallities and there seems to be an endless amount of discrepancy everywhere you go.

My advice... if you decide to get them, just don't call much attention to it and you'll be fine.

P.S.
If you have any other questions,just let me know. I'd be happy to answer them. Feel free to PM or IM me.

 

[cjm1991]

Wow thanks so much for all the info. I find them interesting and I think its what I need.. I got T's and scolopendras and quit a few scorps.. but no insects. Im glad someone who actually cares and knows what they are talking about decided to reply. :clap: :worship: :worship: