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heh.... ask Danny
Platymeris biguttata questions
- Thread starter cjm1991
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Hey Danny.
How did you apply for and receive the permits? Are you part of an institution of some sort?
How did you apply for and receive the permits? Are you part of an institution of some sort?
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I think he ment by p.m 
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Does anyone know offhand where to go to and how to get a permit? It probably shouldnt be that hard to get or costly.
The USDA... and it is hard, expensive, and currently impossible for private citizens to get permits.
The question of Assassin Bug Legalities pops up now and again, always causes a debate. I will post the link (that also leads to another link) to help give some insight. It has my thoughts and the thoughts of many others.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=114536&highlight=Assassin
As for their care, substrate can be sand, ground walnut shells (sold for birds), coconut fiber (dried!), or dirt. Humidity needs to be kept dry, if kept too moist they have trouble shedding. Give them something to climb for shedding use and some place to hide as they like dark spots. You can mist them now and then, but be sure the water dries in a few hours. They do not need a water dish and can get their moisture from their food. Room temp is just fine. They will actually tell you when they need to be fed. The nymphs will go from flat, to plump after feeding. Once you see them flat again, its time to feed. Adults do the same, but it is a bit more difficult to tell since they have their wings. You can feed them: crickets, mealworms, roaches, pillbugs, wax worms, and other feeder insects. Younger nymphs can be scared easily so try feeding them fruit flies, pillbugs, pinhead crickets, small roach nymphs or small mealworms. The older they get, the braver they become. When adult, they will be able to take down adult hissing roaches! If you want to have the most luck keeping nymphs, seperate each one. When kept in groups, they will gladly eat their siblings!
Best of luck!
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=114536&highlight=Assassin
As for their care, substrate can be sand, ground walnut shells (sold for birds), coconut fiber (dried!), or dirt. Humidity needs to be kept dry, if kept too moist they have trouble shedding. Give them something to climb for shedding use and some place to hide as they like dark spots. You can mist them now and then, but be sure the water dries in a few hours. They do not need a water dish and can get their moisture from their food. Room temp is just fine. They will actually tell you when they need to be fed. The nymphs will go from flat, to plump after feeding. Once you see them flat again, its time to feed. Adults do the same, but it is a bit more difficult to tell since they have their wings. You can feed them: crickets, mealworms, roaches, pillbugs, wax worms, and other feeder insects. Younger nymphs can be scared easily so try feeding them fruit flies, pillbugs, pinhead crickets, small roach nymphs or small mealworms. The older they get, the braver they become. When adult, they will be able to take down adult hissing roaches! If you want to have the most luck keeping nymphs, seperate each one. When kept in groups, they will gladly eat their siblings!
Best of luck!
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Presently there are no laws regarding keeping these animal (only a skewed interpretation of a regulatory power), however when HR669 --or whatever version of this bill-- is eventually passed it will make breeding or transport of any nonlisted exotic species (including all arachnids and insects) a felony resulting in prison terms. This bill or it's offspring will eventually be passed and the nightmare it causes invert fans will be incomprehensible (I'm not trying to call anyone to arms as I feel it's inevitable).
Uh...Wrong. I have talked to 3 individuals at the USDA/APHIS and a lawyer, all agree they are illegal. The law very clearly states that without permits they cannot be legally possessed.
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What specific law are you referring to?
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I don't keep them nor would I recommend anyone in USA to keep them but the changes in the plant pest act allow for the regulation of any creature that eats plant pests or pollinators but is regulatory, not criminal (there's a big difference between a fine and a felony conviction). As new laws are created that will most certainly change.
Seriously? Reading comprehension isnt your strong suit I guess...
(Also worth noting that individual states have their own versions of the Plant Pest Act that have separate fines and penalties. West Virginia happens to have a minimum $100 and maximum $500 fine on the first offense. That jumps to $500/$1k on the second and jailtime on the third.)
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You do understand that's Code of Federal Regulations Title 7 part 330 and you can read the text online? Beyond not having the powers you imply, using it for those bugs is a very skewed interpretation since Platymeris species live under logs in nature where they apparently do not eat bees. You could easily say all arachnids and centipedes are illegal under a secondary plant pest interpretation.
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What: I don't understand what your purpose is? You appear to keep illegal insects from your photos.
In my personal face to face conversations with Federal law enforcement agents, Elytra and Antenna is absolutely correct. There are regulations concerning import/transport in/out of states, but no law that says they are illegal to posses.
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They arent prohibited in any way, sounds like a mix of paranoia and misunderstanding. If the govenment bans something they are extremely specific due to legality issues. If they dont specifically say NO terrestial assassins(which they dont) your all good to go to keep the species. Besides, how many people have you heard of getting their assassins confiscated? Exactly.
Does anyone know what started the very first debate on assassins being illegal or not? Not this one, but the very, very first one.
This has to be the longest running debate I know about. I remember asking a similar question almost 5 years ago when I first started keeping captive born.
This debate is turning into a debate like 9mm vs 45 acp for self defense... a debate that will never die.
This has to be the longest running debate I know about. I remember asking a similar question almost 5 years ago when I first started keeping captive born.
This debate is turning into a debate like 9mm vs 45 acp for self defense... a debate that will never die.
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just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it is so...I wonder if the folks that have been busted with mantids and phasmids had plattymeris in thier collections:?
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Apparently, you haven't been dealing with lawyers much. Ambiguity is the basis for many of these laws. Assassins are illegal to possess folks, I'm not a lawyer so don't ask me to quote the law but I am a biologist who has received the fruits of more than a few confiscations. Now law enforcement generally won't come after you for keeping them, but if you've got them and they come to your house for some other wildlife complaint/issue then you can believe possessing them will get another few fines and penalties tacked on. If you are selling them or shipping them then you already have one foot in the boiling kettle.
Getting a permit requires specialized facilities which need to be inspected by a USDA inspector and approved before you receive a permit. You also have to have a damn good reason for keeping them too, not just as pets either. Most permits are reserved for institutions who are doing bona fide scientific research or public exhibition/education.
Yes, I have read it, and with my prior knowledge about how it is interpreted it makes sense that assassins are regulated by it.
Elytra and Antenna: I don't understand what your purpose is? You appear to keep illegal invertebrates from your books, photos, and rationalization about the laws.
Anyways... what inverts am I keeping that are illegal?
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"Sec. 330.200 Movement of plant pests regulated; permits required.
No person shall knowingly move any plant pest into or through the
United States from any place outside thereof, or interstate, or
knowingly accept delivery of any plant pest so moving unless such
movement is authorized under permit under this part and is made in
accordance with the conditions therein and the provisions in this part.
The movement of snails and slugs, as well as other plant pests, is
governed by such provisions. Biological specimens of plant pests, in
preservative or dried, may be imported without further restriction under
this part, but subject to inspection on arrival in the United States to
confirm the nature of the material and freedom from risk of plant pest
dissemination."
The above is your "specific" reg?
I most certainly kept tropical mantids and assassins, legally acquired from local retailers before the regulations/interpretations were changed. I was warned that anti-terrorism money was to be funneled into going after invert hobbyists quite a few years ago and determined then that I no longer wanted to keep them. When they decide to go after arachnids I'll probably make the same decision and stick with the native ones till they go after those too.
The books cover thousands of inverts, many native USA species, have also sold to numerous permitted institutions and internationally where laws vary greatly, and various photos were taken at permitted institutions or by overseas hobbyists depending on the species.
No person shall knowingly move any plant pest into or through the
United States from any place outside thereof, or interstate, or
knowingly accept delivery of any plant pest so moving unless such
movement is authorized under permit under this part and is made in
accordance with the conditions therein and the provisions in this part.
The movement of snails and slugs, as well as other plant pests, is
governed by such provisions. Biological specimens of plant pests, in
preservative or dried, may be imported without further restriction under
this part, but subject to inspection on arrival in the United States to
confirm the nature of the material and freedom from risk of plant pest
dissemination."
The above is your "specific" reg?
I most certainly kept tropical mantids and assassins, legally acquired from local retailers before the regulations/interpretations were changed. I was warned that anti-terrorism money was to be funneled into going after invert hobbyists quite a few years ago and determined then that I no longer wanted to keep them. When they decide to go after arachnids I'll probably make the same decision and stick with the native ones till they go after those too.
The books cover thousands of inverts, many native USA species, have also sold to numerous permitted institutions and internationally where laws vary greatly, and various photos were taken at permitted institutions or by overseas hobbyists depending on the species.