question on mantid legality

[HepCatMoe]

while browsing some mantids for sale i noticed that its cool and even encouraged to release some into the wild but not others.

why?

 

[skips]

while browsing some mantids for sale i noticed that its cool and even encouraged to release some into the wild but not others.

why?

As a general rule I would NEVER release anything that isn't native to a region into the wild. Some species like chinese mantises, which I recently acquired, i'm fairly sure are used for pest control (they eat the bugs plaguing your garden), and are therefore "encouraged" to be released into one's garden. Though I don't think they've had a massive impact here in ohio, they're still non-native and still probably out compete other species for prey items. Plus, there are so many pathogens or parasites that you can be releasing with the mantis that aren't native to here either and can be devastating. I'm not sure if that's ever happened with mantises in particular, but definitely with other imported inverts.

You'll find that the laws governing the transport and legality of mantis species to be very hard to define. At this point I'm 99% positive that if anybody can give you a straight answer on whether they're illegal, or why some species are illegal to release, they're making it up. Look on mantidforum.net and do a search for laws. Theres a ton of info, but I wouldn't post the question there. it's been brought up way too many times and no one has the answer.

does that answer your question at all? It was a bit of a rant.

 

[codykrr]

uhhh.last i checked missouri's native pecies of mantids are acually being lost to the chinese mantis. mainly due to over popular magazines that sell their egg cases for bug control in the garden. i wouldnt say releasing any non native pecies is "encouraged" by any means. thats why the laws on mantids are fairly strict. i know herein missouri its illegal to ship any mantid across state lines via mail, car, train, plane...as for keeping them its ok as long as your not selling them, now if i was you idpersonaly check with the U.S.D.A. on more statures about the law, i know in california its jus as illegal to keep any sort of phasmids as it is mantids. but people still do...but definatly DONT release any non native species into the wild!

 

[skips]

uhhh.last i checked missouri's native pecies of mantids are acually being lost to the chinese mantis. mainly due to over popular magazines that sell their egg cases for bug control in the garden. i wouldnt say releasing any non native pecies is "encouraged" by any means. thats why the laws on mantids are fairly strict. i know herein missouri its illegal to ship any mantid across state lines via mail, car, train, plane...as for keeping them its ok as long as your not selling them, now if i was you idpersonaly check with the U.S.D.A. on more statures about the law, i know in california its jus as illegal to keep any sort of phasmids as it is mantids. but people still do...but definatly DONT release any non native species into the wild!

Now I'm just curious, because I've talked to several people in california, via mantidforum.net, that own mantid species and they seem to think it's not illegal. The species are however "regulated" by aphis. So you can get in trouble for having them, but only based on weak wording and usually you get in trouble for other things. But there's supposedly no specific law banning them, and no one ever really gets caught. I know interstate shipping requires a permit anywhere in the U.S., though it's seldom ever enforced.

That's interesting to know about missouri. Here in ohio we have chinese mantids but they're really not even seen as a pest as far as I know.

 

[codykrr]

sorry i should have been more clear. i n cali. their not permited to keeping and elling the native species, and really not supposed to have any other native american species in that state. this is what was told to me by a USDA personell. i was trying to sell off a bunch of baby mantidsi hatched a few months back to somone in Ca and thats what as told to me. like i said though people still due this and keep them, but as you said the laws are usually not enforced so much.

 

[skips]

sorry i should have been more clear. i n cali. their not permited to keeping and elling the native species, and really not supposed to have any other native american species in that state. this is what was told to me by a USDA personell. i was trying to sell off a bunch of baby mantidsi hatched a few months back to somone in Ca and thats what as told to me. like i said though people still due this and keep them, but as you said the laws are usually not enforced so much.

got it, got it. That makes sense. I would pay anyone who could actually show me the language of any law that bans them. I'm glad you actually have a credible account though. No one before has been able to tell me they were actually in contact with someone from the usda. did you get fined or anything? How'd you get caught?

 

[codykrr]

no, i didnt get caught, nor fined, i just backed out of the deal....(why i still have 130 mantids) but i did contact the local usda office here in marshfield, missouri. see right before i was about to sell my mantids to the not named person. i found a thread stating legalities of shipping,keeping and selling native american species. after reading it i figured better safe than sorry. so i called my buddy who is a Mo conservation officer and asked him about it. he pointed me to a fella by the name tom morse a local usda personell(not sure of his title) but if you would like i can see about him printing me some info for you regarding the laws. long story short..i have 133 juvinile mantids. didnt feel like paying for a permit. sooo...their mine for the keeping