The live insects you have collected must be sent immediately to a specialist. If the specimens cannot be hand delivered they must be mailed or sent by an express service. This flyer will describe how to pack and mail both live and dead specimens.
The vials, packing material, etc. that entomologists use to send insects through the mail do not seem to be readily available to most police detectives or coroners. Most of the specimens I get are contained in the heavy plastic medical containers that are used for urine samples. These usually have screw-on caps that retain liquid well. This type of container works for both dead or live insects. The 50-ml liquid containers are a convenient size.
Dead insects and larvae (maggots) should be placed in 70-80% isopropyl alcohol inside one of these containers. After being screwed on, the top of the container can be secured in place using a piece of tape. Do not use masking tape or "Scotch" tape. Both these tapes loose their adhesiveness when exposed to alcohol. Reinforced packing tape works best.
To send live maggots through the mail, place up to about 30 in a 50-ml container. Nothing else should be in the container except a little damp paper toweling. Poke 10-15 very tiny holes in the lid using a stout pin or probe. Make sure the holes are too small for the maggots to crawl through. This sounds difficult but it is not hard to do.
The containers for both live and dead insects can be placed together in a larger box. Wrap the containers in crushed newspapers to keep them from moving around and jarring the specimens inside. Before packing the containers, be sure they have a label with the pertinent information (such as case number).
Be sure to mark on the exterior of the box that it contains live insects. A note saying (depending on the season) "Do not overheat" or "Do not freeze" is also a good idea.
Mail the package using either Express Mail or UPS. Federal Express will not ship live animals. Be sure to phone the addressee before mailing the package to make sure he or she will be in town to receive it.