Certain arthropods are available live, but not many. We can obtain alive, for sale: various North American tarantulas, centipedes, millipedes, scorpions, spiders, roaches, flies, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, mantids, butterflies, moths, true bugs, beetles, and a variety of aquatic insects. Crustaceans are not our specialty, but they can also be obtained. Exotic insects cannot be sold to anyone who does not have USDA permits for the exotic species you wish to buy. All live arthropods are a resource whose sale and distribution (import/export) is controlled by the USDA. This is to prevent "Alien Invasions"; that is, the establishment of foreign, invasive species on U.S. soil, resulting in a disruption of the local ecosystem (think: "ALB" Asian Longhorn Beetles). Permits may even have to be obtained from the USDA for some native North American species, depending on where you live, what species you want, and what you plan on doing with them. The variety of living specimens available for sale fluctuates with the seasons, so please inquire if you are interested in something as we do not have a list of live stock.  We field-collect on demand and can be hired to collect for you.  There is a minimum charge of $50 for that service which is nonrefundable, regardless of whether or not we are successful.

When live specimens are shipped, overnight express shipping is almost always required for us to guarantee live arrival. That usually costs about $70-$80.  No other form of shipping comes with a live-arrival guarantee. For orders where several of a single species are purchased we always add extra to insure against any deaths. It is necessary that anyone who wishes to buy live arthropods understand that there is always a risk involved. Live arthropods are, after all, living creatures, and fragile ones at that. Many do not have long life spans and the age of wild-caught specimens cannot always be known, so if your animal arrives alive but dies shortly thereafter, we cannot be held liable for a replacement.

If you are interested in purchasing live specimens for use as props, consider that a common problem in the use of live insects is their mobility. They are not necessarily the best subjects for still photography since they are hard to control, so please keep that in mind. If you have the budget and are not making a film where a living, moving specimen is required, we strongly suggest the use of dead specimens posed in a life-like fashion. Check out samples of our work in the Portfolio.

For further information on the services we offer, please follow these links.

• Our Services
• Bug Wrangling Services
• Buying Dead Arthropods
• Stock Photography
• F.A.Q. - For general information.