At Arizona State University's School of Interdisciplinary Forensics, a new kind of criminal evidence is being unpacked. Over 3,000 black market bugs, some small as sunflower seeds while others span six inches, represent a weirdly profitable world of crime that most don't even know exists.
These bugs, previously destined for a National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Oregon, have found a new home thanks to ASU Assistant Professor Lauren Weidner. The collection boasts a wide array of insects, from the delicate Marmessoidea rosea to the sturdy stag beetles, some sporting an armor as tough as a pair of Doc Martens. "They are just stunning," Weidner told ASU News, "At least to me they are."
Dr. Weidner isn't just fascinated with their beauty; she's on a mission to crack the operations behind their illegal trafficking. "It’s a very lucrative business... They can be souvenirs or sold for their parts or used for jewelry and art. For some, they are delicacies while others use them for traditional medicine, religious ceremonies and even witchcraft. But mainly they are exotic pets or rare specimens in a collection," Weidner explained in an interview with 12news.
Insects like the Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, which flaunts a 10-inch wingspan, can fetch up to $100,000 on the black market. Turning the corner in this shadowy marketplace, Weidner and her team at ASU will use their new insect trove to aid law enforcement and educate the public on an a illegal wildlife trade not usually in the spotlight. The vast collection will be sorted and studied, with plans for public displays and fact sheets for each insect identifying and explaining wildlife trafficking.
As criminals go as far as to tuck bugs into their clothes or mail them hidden amongst innocuous items to evade detection, ASU's foray into this underworld will be a first of its kind. Weidner’s enthusiasm for her work is palpable. "This project is something that’s important to me... Doing this work makes me feel like they were not taken for nothing," she said to ASU News.
