Hard to See

Tiny insects or other arthropods such as aphids, scales, mites.

Please include a Insect/Arthropod ID Request form in separate plastic bag to keep it dry.

 For best results, follow these steps:

  1. Collect specimens in a sealable container (screw-top vial, pill container, etc).
  2. Add alcohol (rubbing aclohol or isopropyl) to the container to cover the specimen.
  3. If the sample cannot be collected in a container, clear tape or a sticky trap can be used. Place tape or sticky trap on clear plastic wrap or waxed paper.  Please note that using tape or a sticky trap makes diagnosis more difficult as the specimen may have to be pulled off the material for microscopic examination destroying the sample in the process.
  4. Place the container into a small box and pad the container to keep the specimen from being damaged during transit.
  5. Ship the sample to the address on the submission form.

PPDC is not a medical facility. We cannot accept samples from a person's or animal's body.