The Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic is staffed by Donald Lewis, Ken Holscher, Christine Engelbrecht and Laura Jesse.

E-mail:  insects@iastate.edu

Phone number: (515)294-1101

If you have an insect, spider, tick or mite you would like identified, specimens can be submitted to the Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic for diagnosis at no charge.   You can e-mail a close-up digital image to insects@iastate.edu, take your insect to your local extension office (list of office locations), or send it to us directly. 

Specimens should be dead when shipped and mailed in a bottle, box or padded envelope.  Soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, aphids and ants, and spiders, mites and ticks can be preserved in hand sanitizer gel.  Hard insects such as moths, butterflies and beetles do not need to be preserved, but they should be restrained inside the container so they don't bounce around during shipment (for example, secure a moth or butterfly inside a box with layers of dry paper toweling). Mail sample to:

Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic
327 Bessey Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3140 USA

Please include information about where you live, where you found your insect, and how to get in touch with you. 

Not a resident of Iowa?

Your local Extension Office is the best to help you with your insect problems.  Directory of U.S. Cooperative Extension System Offices.