I think we should, as a community, create a guide on how to get the permits required to import beetles. Some people have got them, so the process has been discovered and proven to be possible. We should create a guide so more people can get the permits and bring more species into the US hobby.
Creating a Guide on how to get Beetle Importing Permits (US)
- Thread starter FlamingSwampert
- Start date
I believe the permits in question are "aphis-ppq"
If only it were that easy... 
Yeah... I hope we can make the process clearer and easier to understand.If only it were that easy...
I'm pretty sure only people who work for museums are able to get approved. Also, a select few keepers in the US get the option.
I'm not so sure, I've seen people sell larvae of foreign species. It may be very difficult, but I'm sure it's possible for private collectors to get one.
But are you sure these people actually have permits? Most bypass all of that and just import them anyways.
A majority don’t, trust me. It’s way too easy just to import them into the states by taking the risk. I do not condone it however.
I do agree that the process should be a bit easier, but I get why it’s so hard to obtain at the same time.
I do agree that the process should be a bit easier, but I get why it’s so hard to obtain at the same time.
Hisserdude
Dynastes
100% none of those people have permits for them... It's nearly impossible for pet hobbyists to get the permits needed to keep exotic beetles, and that's just a fact. However the USDA has been very lax in enforcing the laws regarding keeping exotic scarabs for the last decade, and so for the past few years exotics have been smuggled into the US and are being kept illegally on a an increasingly larger and larger scale. Without more funding it'd be extremely difficult or impossible for the USDA/APHIS to actually do anything about it now, so they seem to be just letting it slide for the time being and focusing on more high concern, agriculture damaging invert groups.
California has a weird legal loophole where you can keep exotic stag beetles legally, and Goliathus are legalized in the US, but that's about it for exotics here. Unless you work at a museum, for a university, etc., you can't get the permits needed to legally keep most exotic beetles.
Last edited by a moderator:
Ideally yes but that would require cooperation from government employees, who likely have more pressing issues to attend to.
But if anyone is going to pursue this route, please keep us posted!