Services

Taxonomic identification

A name you can trust, checked against the original descriptions and not against a forum thread.

Who is it for?

Collectors who have bought a specimen sold under a doubtful name, or under no name at all.
Breeders who want to know exactly which species they are keeping before they breed it or pass it on.
Museums and universities with Mantodea material waiting to be identified.
Naturalists and photographers with field photographs of a mantis they cannot place.

To species when the material allows it, with author and year, and to genus when it does not.

The characters that support the identification and the literature it is based on.

If something does not fit any known species, I tell you, and we assess whether it may be new to science.

By email, so that you can keep it with the specimen or its labels.

You send me photographs (dorsal, lateral and of any distinctive part) or tell me what material you have.
If photographs are not enough, we agree on how to examine the specimen.
I compare it with the original descriptions, the keys and the type literature.
You receive the identification and its justification in writing.

First step

Tell me briefly about your case and we will set up a first video call of 30 minutes, free and with no commitment, to see whether and how I can help.

Prices on request: after the call I will send you a quote.