Arizona State University studies exotic insects smuggled into the country
By David Caltabiano
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PHOENIX, Arizona (KPHO) — Every day, countless items are smuggled into the country, and one of the most valuable possessions is, surprisingly, insects, according to Arizona State University assistant professor Dr. Lauren Weidner.
Weidner is raising awareness about black market bugs and insects smuggled for cash, with some of them going for six figures on the black market.
Weidner’s team of six undergrad students is now studying those seized bugs at ASU’s Forensic Entomology and Wildlife Lab in the West Valley. They’re cataloging thousands of them and creating a database to gain an understanding of the problem and find out the most trafficked species. “How people smuggle these into the country will vary. Some people try to pack them in their suitcase and pack them in between clothes and just hope they get through,” Weidner said. “Others will ship them and label them as something else like women’s clothes and hope they get through.”
Weidner said there are harmful effects behind the trade and that “insects are extremely important to our ecosystem, and if we are depleting them by over-collecting them, we are going to have large environmental impacts from it.” Weidner plans on giving the research to federal agents in hopes of cracking down on the smugglers.
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