NOTIFICATION NOV 19, 2024 (Apr 1st, 2024)
AS OF NOV 15, THE EMPLOYEES OF CANADA POST HAVE BEGUN A STRIKE ACTION. AS OF NOW WE WILL HOLD ON TO ANY ORDERS CURRENTLY IN PREPARATION, AND WILL SEND OUT AS SOON AS WE ABLE. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND IN YOUR ORDER TO BE SURE OF THE SPECIMENS YOU REQUIRE. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

ATTENTION FIRST TIME VISITORS. (Apr 2nd, 2016)
PLEASE CHECK UNDER "TERMS & CONTACTS" ON THE TOP MENU PRIOR TO MAKING YOUR FIRST ORDER. THIS OUTLINES THE ORDERING REQUIREMENTS AND THERE IS A MINIMUM ORDER. ALL TERMS OF BUSINESS ARE ALSO SHOWN HERE. POSTAGE RATES ARE ALSO SHOWN HERE AND THESE ARE NOT ADDED TO THE ORDER FORM ELECTRONICALLY. THESE ARE ADDED UPON COMPLETION OF FILLING THE ORDER AS IT DEPENDS ON THE WEIGHT AND SIZE OF THE PACKAGE AND WHERE IN THE WORLD IT IS SENT. POSTAGE RATES SEEM TO CHANGE FREQUENTLY.

SOME TIPS TO MAKE NAVIGATING EASIER (Apr 3rd, 2015)
THIS WEBSITE CONTAINS MANY PAGES WHICH CAN BE TIME CONSUMING TO GO THROUGH. IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, HERE IS A SIMPLE WAY TO SEE IF IT IS AVAILABLE AT THE PRESENT TIME. (As long as you spell the word the same way as the inputed data this way works wonders) 1. CLICK ON "MAIN CATALOGUE" ON THE TOP MENU. 2. SCROLL DOWN TO "ADVANCED SEARCH" 3. IN THE "NAME" BOX ENTER A KEY WORD FOR THE SPECIMEN YOU WISH TO FIND. FOR EXAMPLE: PAPILIO PARIS ARJUNA -ENTER THE WORD "PARIS", CLICK SEARCH AND ALL THE SUBSPECIES OF PAPILIO PARIS WILL BE PRESENTED. -OR, ENTER THE WORD "ARJUNA" AND THAT PARTICULAR SUBSPECIES WILL BE PRESENTED. -IF YOU ENTER THE WORD "PAPILIO" ALL SPECIES OF PAPILIO IN STOCK WILL BE PRESENTED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SPECIMENS THAT GO GREASY (Apr 4th, 2014)
SOME SPECIES OF INSECTS EXUDE GREASE AND OILS FROM STORED FOOD FATS ONCE THEY HAVE DIED. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. THIS MOSTLY OCCURS IN SATURNID MOTH MALES, NOT SO MUCH THE FEMALES. MORPHO SPECIES ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THIS AND THE COLLECTORS OR BREEDERS REMOVE THE ABDOMENS, WHICH IS WHERE THE OILS ARE STORED. THE OILS WILL SOMETIMES STAIN THE WINGS. MANY OF THE SATURNID MOTHS ARE NOW STARTING TO RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT WITH ABDOMENS BEING SENT SEPERATELY. THEY CAN EASILY BE GLUED BACK ON AFTER THE ABDOMEN HAS BEEN TREATED WITH ACETONE. ALTHOUGH ALL PRECAUTIONS ARE TAKEN NOT TO SEND A GREASY SPECIMEN THIS MAY HAPPEN OCCASSIONALY AS IT CAN EVEN OCCUR IN TRANSIT. THERE IS A SIMPLE REMEDY TO FIX ANY OIL PROBLEM THAT OCCURS AND ONE CAN USE THIS ON OLDER SPECIMENS IN A COLLECTION AS WELL. BUY A CAN OF ACETONE FROM THE HARDWARE STORE OR AUTOMOBILE SUPPLY STORE (IN CANADA CANADIAN TIRE IS THE PLACE). PUT SOME ACETONE IN A PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH A GOOD LID TO PREVENT EVAPORATION AND SPILLS. PLACE YOUR ENTIRE SPECIMEN, PINNED OR FOLDED, INTO THE ACETONE. THE SPECIMEN, WINGS AND ALL, WILL SOAK UP THE ACETONE. AS ACETONE IS A SOLVENT IT WILL LEACH OUT THE OILS FROM THE SPECIMEN. USUALLY ABOUT A HALF HOUR IS LONG ENOUGH. SOME SPECIMENS WILL TAKE LONGER, PARTICULARLY SOME OF THE REALLY GREASY BEETLES BUT YOU WILL LEARN HOW LONG IS NECESSARY AS YOU BUILD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS. WHEN SUFFICIENT TIME HAS ELAPSED REMOVE THE SPECIMEN FROM THE ACETONE AND PLACE ON A PAPER TOWEL AND LET IT AIR-DRY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. IT SHOULD REMOVE ALL THE GREASE AND SPECIMEN WILL APPEAR FRESH AND NEW. SOMETIMES WITH REALLY HEAVILY GREASED SPECIMENS ONE MAY HAVE TO REPEAT THE PROCESS. IT MAY NOT ALWAYS WORK 100% OF THE TIME BUT IT IS THE BEST METHOD THERE IS. ONCE YOU ARE DONE NEVER USE THAT ACETONE AGAIN. ALWAYS USE FRESH ACETONE FOR THE NEXT DEGREASING JOB EVERY TIME.