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Enquiries & Identification
If you find live or dead spiders you can't identify by using our spiders web-page, or if you want to know the identity of insects or any other arthropod, you are most welcome to contact us. We might be able to identify the specimen immediately from your description or we might need to examine it further at the Museum.
Information to send with your request or specimen
Please include all the information about the specimen you think is relevant, as well as all the main collecting details:
- the place where the specimen was found
- the date when it was found
- the name of the collector
- your name (if you are not the collector) and contact details.
Sending live specimens
You can send live specimens to us provided they are well packed and sent by a fast delivery service. In the case of spiders and other predators, do not place more than one live specimen in the same container, otherwise one will usually kill and eat the other.
Sending dead specimens
If you do not want to send a live specimen, there are two relatively painless methods of killing an arthropod: either by placing it in a freezer for at least twenty-four hours or by putting it in boiling water for a few minutes.
Freezing is recommended for winged insects. Freezing slows down the metabolism until it eventually stops and the specimen freezes. Boiling water is better for soft-bodied insects as well as centipedes, millipedes, spiders, harvestmen, and other arachnids. It kills the specimen almost immediately. Once the specimen is dead, put it into a container of 70% alcohol, either methylated spirits or ethanol, so that it doesn’t decompose. Use a strong container with a tight seal that does not leak.
Alternatively, if the specimen is a hard-bodied insect such as a beetle, you can send it in a strong, well-padded container rather than in liquid. The padding will protect the specimen against damage while in transit.