The warning from the USDA: Platymeris biguttata

[Takumaku]

I kepted hearing about assassins being illegal to own, but I couldn't find any documentation from the USDA. So I posed the question to the USDA: Are Platymeris biguttata (white spot assassin) legally allowed to be owned/imported into the US? Their response is priceless.

Response from the USDA:

Yes, but only into USDA APHIS Inspected Containment Facilities. We are currently not inspecting private residences as containment facilities.

Regards,

Senior Entomologist
USDA/APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine
Evaluation and Permitting of Regulated Organisms & Soil

 

[dtknow]

What?!? That makes no sense.

 

[Takumaku]

my point exactly...

 

[mr.wilderness]

What?!? That makes no sense.

Since when has the usda ever made sense with their decisions regarding bugs and stuff?? Don't act so shocked

 

[nepenthes]

I can understand keeping some insects illegal. Ones that can become invasive, and wreak havoc on the environment! (Unforunetaly this applies to almost all ants, and allot of insects). But how do they expect us invert lovers away from our addiction, when they wont give us a strait forward answer?

Its kind of like the IRS and the law that says we have to pay federal taxes. :?

They don't want to say its OK, cause its not, but they want you to get the idea that they really only want USDA approved facilities to keep insects like that. They would rather you keep boring US native insects. Even though their are huge numbers of amazing insects in the USA but unfortunately they are hard to rear!

 

[Tleilaxu]

LOL Perhaps someone should tell them that USA insects are hard to rear and suggest that they help find ways to rear them to make it easier for the hobbiest that way they will be contributing to solution and not the problem (USDA)

 

[vvx]

Its kind of like the IRS and the law that says we have to pay federal taxes. :?

Actually the IRS/tax laws are pretty clear, once you find the applicable section. And it's not that hard to find really, as long as you know what you're looking for exists. The only real problem is there's so many tax credits and deductions that most people have probably missed tax savings because they didn't know they existed. But if you know they exist finding out how to fill out the form and how it applies to your situation is pretty easy.

 

[lucanidae]

Although the wording might be a little confusing the statement is very clear to me.

You need a permit to keep those bugs.
They aren't currently inspecting private residences for permit applications.

Therefore, unless you have a building outside of your own residence, you can't get a permit, and thus, can't keep exotic insects legally.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Which means then that the people who are asking for them or who have them may be expecting a visit from the USDA if they mentioned their collection on this forum as it is monitored.

 

[KyuZo]

as long as you don't have anything illegal,i wouldn't worry about it:liar:.
and the USDA can come by my house for some tea any day, as long as they let me know a day in advance so that i can set up some nails and traps;P:evil:. just kidding just kidding

 

[Ted]

Anyone else get the feeling that Tleilaxu knows someone in the USDA?

 

[Tleilaxu]

I have heard of accounts of people from this forum that have had their walking sticks and assassins seized and destroyed so I try to warn people to prevent that from happening and no I am not affiliated with the USDA in anyway LOL

 

[KyuZo]

Anyone else get the feeling that Tleilaxu knows someone in the USDA?

yea, i think he is!!! snitcher!!! jk jk ;P

 

[Takumaku]

I have heard of accounts of people from this forum ...

This was one of the main reasons that I asked the USDA myself. I was getting tired of hearing third party information. I am still talking to the entomologist and hopefully will have some true documentation (other than emails) that I can post. It's my second pet peeve: until I can see/feel/touch/smell/taste true documentation (w/ company logo or published in a respected journal), emails and conversations are taking as nothing more than hearsay.

 

[KyuZo]

wow, so serious... :worship:

 

[Tleilaxu]

yea, i think he is!!! snitcher!!! jk jk ;P

I'd never rat out my fellow arachnoboards members LOL why do you think I go through the trouble of warning people. On a more serious note it REALLY ticks ME off when the government attempts to dictate what we can and cannot have. Now granted there are some valid reasons that certain species shouldd not be allowed in but the government just passes blanket bans without doing their research or talking to people in the hobby. I HIGHLY doubt that the spotted assassins, tropical mantids and walkingsticks, or AGMs are going to bring ruin upon US crop production or bee populations.

Temperate parthenogenic walking sticks are a different matter entirely...

 

[KyuZo]

Temperate parthenogenic walking sticks are a different matter entirely...

I was going to say something about the walking stick, but i think your last sentence covered it.

 

[Takumaku]

Time for an update...

I am still talking with the senior entomologist at the USDA about the assassins. I have furthur requested official documentation stating that assassins can only be kepted by USDA APHIS Inspected Containment Facilities. The entomologist couldn't provide the documentation as he didn't know where (or if) it existed, but has sent my request to someone more senior. Hopefully, I should have something else to update within a week.

 

[arachnocat]

Cool. It's really hard to get a straight answer about keeping inverts from them. I've spoken to several of their entomologists and asked "how do I know if an invert is legal to keep or not?" their response was "try to apply for a permit". So all I could really get out of them is that all inverts not native to your state are illegal to keep without a permit. Predatory insects were the exception, but now there seems to be an issue with assassins and mantids. So who knows.

 

[dtknow]

I think temperate "native" species are much more of a potential. Somene on these boards is selling wheel bugs. Which would have a better chance of establishing in my state CA? Wheelbugs, or some tropical species?
I also think that large tropical beetles, butterflies, moths, mantids are little threat to agriculture in the US.