Legal to import insects?

[klawfran3]

Hi there,
I've found a seller on ebay that I would love to buy insects from. None of the insects are on CITES, they're all ones like dried beetles, wasps, orthopterans and such. Is it legal for me to buy them and have them shipped to the USA without a permit? (the seller is insectofvietnem if anyone needs to know)
I found on the USDA website (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/permits/regulated-organism-and-soil-permits/insects-and-mites/CT_Insects) the phrase: "USDA does not require permits for dead insects and mites (with the exception of dead bees in the superfamily Apoidea under the authority of 7CFR 319.76). Under 7CFR 330.200 “Biological specimens of plant pests, in preservation or dried, may be imported without further restriction under this part, but subject to inspection on arrival in the United States to confirm the nature of the material and freedom from risk of plant pest dissemination.” A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Form 3-177 may be required." Would this mean I have to fill out a service form for for every shipment, and if I do how do I do that? Also does this mean I am not able to import bees? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I've never done it before and I don't want to have legal trouble.
Also if anyone could be nice enough to go over the basics of importing butterflies and bugs and stuff that would very, VERY much appreciated.

[Kevinswither]

It's only a certain type of bee, so your'e fine on it unless you import a crap load of dried insects, which in that case your'e fine. Lots of red tape these days.

[Ratmosphere]

Posted by Beetle-Experience, August 27, 2015 10:42pm: "I forgot to add that dead insects of any kind would not need any US permits at all, unless they are CITES". You could see the thread here.

 

http://beetleforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2620

[klawfran3]

So you're saying that I can buy a bunch ( was thinking around 30 specimens at a time) of dead specimens and have them shipped, and not have to have a permit? IDK why but I feel like that's a little too simple almost. I found this: http://www.insectnet.com/us_fishandwildlife.htm which says that I would need a permit to bring them in, plus a bunch of fees.

[Titanus]

You only need permits to import dead-stock if you're trying to be a wholesaler/re-seller. If that is the case, yes, you'll need proper permits and yearly renewal fees. Ordering 30 specimens doesn't meet that criteria. I've ordered literally hundreds of specimens directly from Taiwan and have never had any issues other than the occasional individual damaged in transit. It's only trying to be a distributor, or attempting to import CITES listed species that would require permits.

 

In short: if its dead, you're good to go.

[klawfran3]

You only need permits to import dead-stock if you're trying to be a wholesaler/re-seller. If that is the case, yes, you'll need proper permits and yearly renewal fees. Ordering 30 specimens doesn't meet that criteria. I've ordered literally hundreds of specimens directly from Taiwan and have never had any issues other than the occasional individual damaged in transit. It's only trying to be a distributor, or attempting to import CITES listed species that would require permits.

 

In short: if its dead, you're good to go.

Alright thank you. That was very helpful. Just my main hesitation is that I am a double major in Wildlife Management and Biology, so if I accidentally end up doing something wrong/illegal it will have big repercussions since I specifically study this stuff.

You don't happen to have any access to legislature to confirm this fact, since even though I trust you fully, I would like to check the laws to be sure. Thank you again, it was very helpful.

[Green Bean]

It's only a certain type of bee, so your'e fine on it unless you import a crap load of dried insects, which in that case your'e fine. Lots of red tape these days.

 

The superfamily Apoidea actually includes all bees (the clade Anthophila), as well as a bunch of different wasps. Dead bees can't be imported without a special permit because the USDA doesn't want to risk the introduction of foreign parasites or diseases. For the same reason, you can't import used equipment or nest material, wax that hasn't been melted, or honey or pollen for feeding bees (feeding people is fine). There's also a rule against importing bees from any genus except Apis, for reasons I'm not totally clear on.