Looking to identify an insect or spider? Wondering about a specimen you spotted at home or found outdoors? Our entomological information service can help you identify a species and answer your questions, with support from our specialists.
The Insectarium’s entomological information service is free of charge and aims to:
- help you appreciate and identify the insects, spiders, and other arthropods you encounter in everyday life;
- suggest simple tips for living peacefully alongside these species.
Send a photo for insect identification
If you would like our team to identify an insect or other arthropod from a photo, please send us a clear image of the specimen using our online form. Our entomologists will review your request and get back to you as soon as possible.
Tips for photographing specimens
To help our specialists identify species accurately, please:
- take sharp photos (with the subject in focus);
- use direct lighting (daylight or under a lamp) and avoid backlighting or heavy shadows that reduce visibility;
- photograph the specimen from different angles. Multiple views of the same specimen can reveal key features used to identify certain families or species.
Ants, ticks, or collection specimens
We do not analyze photos of:
- ants, including carpenter ants. If you have an ant issue, regardless of the species, please consult our content on ants;
- ticks. Please visit etick.ca instead;
- specimens from personal collections, or requests for monetary or scientific appraisal.
Send a specimen to the Insectarium
When removed from their natural habitat, most insects die shortly after capture. When you find a live insect, we suggest leaving it in its habitat, where it will continue its life cycle, help maintain its species’ population and play an essential ecological role.
When a photograph does not allow for the identification of an insect or other arthropod, please follow the procedure to send us the specimen.
How to send a specimen to the Insectarium
Ask a question about an insect, spider, or other arthropod
Use our contact form to send your question to our entomologists.
Specimens found in food
If you suspect the presence of an insect, spider, or other arthropod in fruits or other foods, you should contact:
For the Montréal region
Food Inspection Division, Ville de Montréal: 514 280-4300.
Elsewhere in Québec
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) (in French): 1 800 463-5023
Who is this service for?
The entomological information service is intended primarily for citizens. Students, teachers, non-profit organizations, and professionals are also welcome to contact us with questions about insects and other arthropods.
This service does not offer the following: :
- Expertise for legal purposes (e.g., disputes, official reports);
- Telephone or in-home consultations.
- The sale, loan, or donation of specimens from the Insectarium's collections.