rearing for commercial gain

[Pierre le Roux]

In response to Semjase:
> >If I can sell enough! The hobbyists seem to be a stingy bunch, so
> >the main purchacers are butterfly houses, for a limited period each
> >year when they don't breed their own stock. On top of that, African
> > courier services sometime take amazing times to not deliver
> >parcels
A lot of the above was, as you can gather, tongue in cheek. 
> Well you have to consider that you can buy some other animal for the
> same investment which will live a lot longer.
True, but then I specialize in lepidoptera.
> Also you point out poor delivery and resulting losses.  You also say
> you prefer not to deal with individuals.  Really not a good business
> position is it?
Individual generally require a couple of insects of a species. 
Courier costs is prohibitive, so either I must sell the species for a 
lot higher price, or mail them by ordinary snailmail, in which case 
they invariably dont arrive alive.
> By the way what would you charge for your most common species in US
> currencies or British pound?
I sell common species for $1, and rarer stuff for around $10 per 
pupae, and charge 30% more for dried stock. The wholesalers I supply 
take around 50 or more of a species at a time, and pay for 
airfreight. They resell, to make up for losses, etc. at around three 
times that price. I've been informed by peolple in the know, that a 
pair of Eochroa trimenii ( a localized Saturnid, but by no means rare 
or endangered) sells fro $400 for a pair in good condition. 
Our local currency, the Rand, chnages for R6 to $1, and further up in 
Africa, you can get 30 - 50 local units for $1.
Regards,
Pierre le Roux Tel&Fax:+(27)-15-583-0084
P.O. Box 8     ( Cellphone+27-82-9234-975)
0929 Levubu
South Africa
23 05'S 30 15'E, 680m above mean sealevel.