Invertebrate Specimen(s) - Identification Fees

Invertebrate &
General Entomology

Coleoptera

Lepidoptera

Invertebrate Specimen Identification Service

This is mainly aimed at research projects & EIA's with large quantities of specimens. The Public are fee to ask the research sections for help.

Who to contact Dept. of Invertebrates (General Entomology, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera)

Background
The diversity of invertebrate organisms in southern Africa is higher than that of any other group of animals, but with relatively few specialists to identify such for the wider community of academic institutions, wildlife reserves and conservation officials. The scientists at the Transvaal Museum are uniquely equipped to help due to the large collections and library at our disposal.

If your project requires sampling of invertebrates and you need some level of identification for your reports and future planning, we are happy to collaborate or to provide our services and expertise to bring additional credibility to each respective project.

General Comments on Determining Costs

If a lot contains duplicates of the same species, there will not be a charge for each specimen of the same species.

If a lot is relatively simple so that the identifications can be completed within a short period of time, the hourly fee will be charged, not a per specimen cost.

We will do our best to provide the most economical service and determine what a fair fee is without sticking to per specimen charges when a cost for the shortest period of time can be applied.

Identifications will result in a list of the names of the specimens and individual labels on the specimens which will include the names of the specimen and the name of the identifier.

Identifications to genus or species level may require the use of literature not held by the museum and/or the dissection of genitalic, or other internal, organs. Should either of these services be necessary, additional fees may apply. If such is necessary, the client will be contacted for approval of additional costs which will be negotiated at that time.

Some or all of the costs can be waived in exchange for permission to retain some or all of the specimens in our collections.

Minimum fee (including *handling* cost ):	R50,00
Additional, for lots of specimens, identified to lowest possible level	R150,00/hour
Per specimen, for small lots or small numbers of specimens:
To family/subfamily:	R20,00/spm
To genus (see Qualification):	R35,00/spm
To species (see Qualification):	R60,00/spm
for all costs, South Africa VAT (14%) is included.

Other fees:

Postage: will be charged at cost and the type of service will be determined by the client, e.g. if a lot of specimens is sent by Courier to the museum and specified that it be returned by the same level of service, the cost of the Courier will be added to the invoice. Normal small parcel costs are generally used to keep the costs as low as possible.

Materials: if we are required to use materials, e.g. insects pins, packing boxes, alcohol, vials, etc., these may be billed according to our costs.

Qualifications
handling includes unpacking, repacking, cross-pinning, preparation for shipment, etc.
where possible, from identifications in collection, without extensive use of literature and/or dissections.