Mailing specimens

Regardless of whether you are mailing a live or dead specimen, place the spider in a rigid container, such as a clean plastic or glass food container with a tight-fitting lid.  The container will protect the spider from being destroyed when it passes through the mail processing centers.  If you are mailing smashed spiders, even these must be placed within containers or the mail processing because the useful parts that may have survived the killing process may not survive transport in a flat envelope.  If the spider has been killed in alcohol, it must be removed and placed in a dry container before mailing, as it is illegal to mail flammable liquids without special precautions.

Live spiders can only be mailed to us from within the state of Louisiana.  The best chance for the spider to remain alive is if you add a small piece of dry, crumpled paper towel to the container.  There is no need to pole holes in the container- there will be plenty of oxygen for the spider to survive the journey. 

Please provide the answers to these questions with the specimen so that we can use it in our study:

Where was the spider collected:
1. State
2. City/town
3. Date of collection
4. Your email address or regular postal address, legibly written

Send to:
John Carlson/Medical Ecology Group
Tulane University, Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
1430 Tulane Ave.  SL 57
New Orleans, LA  70115

You will receive an e-mail or letter with the identification of the spider as soon it has been identified.