Greetings,

Does anyone know if/where you can get/buy heteropteryx dilatata and phobaeticus serratipes in the US?

Cheers,

pdm

Almost absolutely sure those are illegal without special permission. I know, it frustrates me too!

Illegal? Really?
In what kind of country do you live?!

Maybe you should move over here, I know where to get at least H. dilatata in Switzerland an in Germany and most roaches cost only 10-20% of the US prices .

One with very powerful eyes and hears in which there is a lot of political bull**** maneuvers made by few that affects many (which mostly arises from problems in 1-2 states). But also one that has many pristine areas with low levels of invasive species, despite all the efforts of people that have certain species and no freakin’ brain!

@BugmanPrice
I know it's off topic but anyway...

Most neophytes aren't escapees from privat persons or direct trade but are the result of globalization (e.g. 'pest' cockroaches, rats etc.) or of livestock breeding and agronomy which imported and colonized them on purpose (e.g. Australia and rabbits and Bufo marinus or Mauritius and Réunion and Herpestes edwardsii). Actually globalization is quite likely the most importent and nearly only cause at the moment because it can't be reduced nor controlled tightly and the possibility that there is a stowaway on one of all those hundred thousend pallets and containers transpoted from continent to continent each day is very likely. Even tourism seems to me to be more important than direct trade of possibly problematic animals/plants (e.g. Aedes albopictus a vector for several tropical diseases crossing the Swiss alps).

P.S. Even in Switzerland with our direct democracy we have politicians (and citizens of course) with a doubtful right to be on the loose (hope I translated that idiom right ) but eyes and ears are eighter a bit blind and deaf or just some more tolerant...

At Pharma:
You make a good point; however, I already know this. Most of the reptiles in Florida ARE from private collections, THIS is often what gets used (abused) and cited by politicians and government agencies for controlling the pet trade. That is their basis for controlling imports on pets. The vast majority of insects (and plants) that are invasive in the US are from, as you’ve stated previously, globalization’s accidental introductions and (for the worse invasives) brought in by the us gov.! Of course, there are the invasive PET tarantulas in Florida as well; but, come on...How many inverts have been introduced because of the pet trade? I mean I see why there is regulation; it is good there is regulation. I don’t need the guy down the street introducing some South American fungus that’s going to eat the flesh off my dog or beetles that are going to chow down on my tomatoes because he shipped in a neato orchid and he has the IQ of an epiphyte. I think we should have CONTROLLED imports not CLOSED imports. Anyhow… I don’t want to highjack this thread any longer.

I'd recommend joining the listserver discussion group at http://sticktalk.com though you might start out with a species native to your state. US phasmid keepers are rather quiet about it these days.

We have around 550 phasmid keeping members on the list (which I co-moderate). Today's topic was about a keeper's discovery in his P. crassus phasmids. He observed that they are able to produce a defensive vibration that allows them to repel other insects which may be crawling on them. He describes how it effectively repels the other insect while maintaining crypsis. Interesting!

Hope to see you there!