Each country has its own unique regulations for wildlife trading and collecting. If you are importing specimens into the United States, the US Fish & Wildlife Service may require to see a copy of a collecting permit from the country of origin. Also, if you travel to other countries to collect insects in the field you will want to know the wildlife policies of your host country.

InsectNet.com is in the process of researching the various collecting policies of each country. If you have any information please forward it to this web site so that your colleagues can benefit. Here is what I have found so far (thanks in part to the Bohart Museum of Entomology):

Obtaining Collecting Permits for:

• Australia
  Collecting permits contacts for Australia Council of Heads of Australian Entomological Insect Collections' web site.
• Canada (Yukon)
  The Yukon's Scientists and Explorers Act requires that all people who enter the Yukon for scientific or exploration purposes must obtain a license to do so. This requirement applies to all collectors of butterflies, whether their motivation for collecting is scientific or commercial, as the specimens collected have scientific value. All holders of these licences are required to report the locations and numbers of any specimens collected. Collectors should contact Mr. Jeff Hunston, Director, Heritage (L-1), Dept. of Tourism, Government of the Yukon, Box 2703, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6. Applications are also available on the Internet at http://yukonheritage.yukon.net. The license applications need to go through a public review process, so they should be submitted at least 3 months prior to the planned collecting.

  Mark O'Donoghue
  Northern Tutchone Regional Biologist
  Dept. of Renewable Resources
  Fish and Wildlife Branch
  P. O. Box 310, Mayo, Yukon Y0B 1M0
  Canada
  Phone: (867)996-2162  FAX: (867)996-2830
  E-Mail: mark.odonoghue@gov.yk.ca
   

• Mexico
  For collecting regulations in Mexico, the CONABIO (Comision National para el Conocimiento de la Biodiversidad) web site has fairly complete information about the legal requirements involved. The site is largely in Spanish, though it includes an English profile of CONABIO with contact information.
   
• Thailand
  "Things Insect Traders Should Know" - The web site of Thailand's Forest Protection Office.
   

• Ecuador

  Ministerio del Ambiente
  Avenidas Amazonas y Eloy Alfaro
  Edificio del Ministerio de Agricultura, Piso 8
  QUITO

  Tel: +593 (2) 250 63 37; 254 19 55
  Fax: +593 (2) 256 40 37; 250 63 37
  Email: pgaliano@ambiente.gov.ec

  Other Management Authorities competent to grant permits:

  Ministerio del Ambiente
  Distrito Regional Azuay - Cañar - Morona Santiago
  Bolivar 533 y Mariano Cueva
  CUENCA

  Tel: +593 (7) 282 75 83
  Fax: +593 (7) 282 30 74
  Email: forazuay@cue.satnet.net

  Ministerio del Ambiente
  Parque Nacional Galápagos
  PUERTA AYORA
  Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos

  Tel: +593 (5) 252 61 89
  Fax: +593 (5) 252 61 90
  Email: wtapia@spng.org.ec