Los Angeles - A German national who shipped hundreds of live tarantulas into the United States through the mail has pleaded guilty to a federal smuggling charge, prosecutors said.

In pleading guilty on Tuesday, 37-year-old Sven Koppler admitted mailing some 247 live tarantulas to federal agents in Los Angeles, who were posing as buyers as part of an investigation dubbed "Operation Spiderman".

Koppler further admitted sending the agents 22 Mexican red-kneed tarantulas, a species of spider formally known as Brachypelma smithi that is protected under an international treaty.

Koppler, who lives in Wachtberg, Germany, faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 11 US Attorney's spokesperson Thom Mrozek said.

Authorities say the investigation into Koppler began in March, when a routine inspection turned up about 300 live tarantulas in a package he mailed to Los Angeles.

US Fish and Wildlife Service agents ordered more spiders from Koppler and were sent a total of five packages containing dozens of live and dead tarantulas.

He was arrested on December 2 after arriving in Los Angeles to meet with an associate.

Koppler received about $300 000 as a result of tarantula sales to spider fanciers in dozens of countries, including nine in the United States, according to court documents.

The Mexican red-kneed tarantula, which is native to Mexico, can grow to about 10cm long, with a leg span of 15cm, and has a dark body with orange patches on the legs, giving it the "red-kneed" appearance.

The spiders are considered docile and females can live for more than 20 years.

The Brachypelma genus of spider is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species because it is considered threatened, and can only be legally traded with permits from the exporting country.

I would like to know how people do it so often in South Africa then, a lot of the guys on the forum keep saying certain tarantulas are imported, how can so many be imported if they pick it up through x ray? or is SA not that advanced yet, and have any arrests or fines been given to South africans Importing from other countries? also when one sends from over seas isnt there a huge risks that most of the Ts will die on the way?

Illegal imports into South Africa have reduced by almost 100%. Customs have Organic scanners that would pick up flea poop, so the risks for importers/smugglers are high. This does not deter people from trying though.

Arrests have been made, the outcome not clear.

The risks of spiders dying are species and packaging dependent, but most are fine even after two or so weeks in the mail.

But its also still clear that people are still importing isn't it? could they be driving them across the border from a neighboring country where the security isn't that tight?

It is VERY clear that people are still importing. Just look at the spiders for sale "on the inter webs" and in the printed media. Fact is, ALL Tarantula in the hobby (excluding local species obviously) in South Africa were imported at some point if not bred here, and all illegally so.

The human brain is a wonderful tool if you have one, so it is possible that people drive them across the border.

so without importers we wouldn't have our collections, so besides for the fact that its illegal and u can get a huge fine and go to jail and ruin your life, importing isn't so bad