FAQs

We obtain our specimens from insect sellers in South-East Asia, South America and Africa. They are either captive bred or wild caught. We don't deal in protected species and our suppliers have appropriate permits. None of our specimens die naturally.

Most of our specimens do not come already set. Butterflies and moths generally have their wings closed together and beetles have their legs tucked under their bodies.

We have hyrdating and setting instructions in our store, but YouTube can also be a great help.

Some specimens do come already set. You can filter for these in your search. It is also indicated in the description for each specimen.

No, we never sell Australian species. All Australian insects are protected and can not be sold commercially unless they come from licensed breeders. They must also have an export permit prepared if they are shipped overseas.

Sometimes specimens are a bit dirty, oil leaks out of the abdomens, or they develop mould if they are not kept completely dry. Wiping with acetone can remove dirt and mould. Specimens can also be soaked in acetone for some time to remove oil or more serious mould growth.

Morpho butterflies, especially the males, are most often supplied without abdomens because the oils come out and stain the wings black. This is quite acceptable and does not make the specimen less than A1 quality.

Insect specimens can be stored indefinitely if they are kept dry and away from insect pests and direct sunlight. We store ours in plastic bags inside plastic food containers.

If you suspect something is eating your specimen, it can be safely frozen for a few days to kill the pest/s.

Since insect specimens are natural products, they can vary slightly from each other. The size noted on the product page is the average size for the specimen being offered. The one you receive may be slightly larger or smaller. If they cary a lot in size we normally note that in the product description.

Specimens may be out of stock for many months or even years at a time due to several reasons. Many are only in season for a short time each year, and sometimes they may only be available in small numbers because of climate events. Our suppliers too often live in very remote places, and they may not always offer the same specimens each year. They may also stop dealing in insects from time to time. Collecting and exportation laws from various countries may also imapct supply, as can civil unrest or disease outbreaks such as COVID.

We are based in Australia and currently ship to customers in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and select Asian countries.

You are able to import dried insect specimens into your country. However, you are responsible for making sure you meet the import requirements for your country. Some countries, such as the USA, may require an import permit and sometimes Quarantine, such as Quarantine in New Zealand, may require treatment of the parcel before entry.In such cases they will contact you and require you to pay a treatment fee.You may also be liable for duties and taxes.

Australian customers should have no concerns about shipping as we are based in Australia and can ship to all states freely.

Live shipping rates will be displayed in your cart. Because insect specimens are very light, your parcel is likely to cost the same no matter how many specimens you order. Standard shipping is free on orders over AU$180.

Depending on how many orders we have to process, we normally ship parcels within 24 hours, excluding weekends and public holidays. However, if there has just been a larger than normal update to stock in the store, orders may take a few extra days to process as we normally receive a great number of them at once. Thank you for your patience. We send parcels using Australia Post. These normally take a few days to arrive. International parcels may take anywhere from a week to several weeks, depending on shipping method chosen and delays in customs/quarantine. All shipments receive a tracking number so you can keep track of where your aprcel is at any given time.

If your parcel is lost or the contents are damaged during transit, we will either resend the parcel or issue a refund. Antenna damage due to postal shock will not be covered, unfortunately.If tracking shows that the parcel has been delivered, we will not replace it if the parcel is stolen from your property or is damaged after it has been delivered.

We pack all of our specimens in cardboard boxes using bubble wrap for cushioning.