I am not saying "wild insects are 100% safe." But.... remember that chameleons are insect specialists. My adults eat just about every crazy looking wild insect I put into their enclosure. The way that they catch a grasshopper is different than the way they catch a yellow jacket (they love both). They seem to have a way of quickly chomp, chomp, chomping a yellow jacket that keeps them from being stung. I am not encouraging other keepers to do as I do, I am just saying that a sweep net can be a really nice addition to your husbandry. Some known problems are lightning bugs, and blister beetles. Google those to get a good identification. Some butterflys also can have concentrated plant poisons in them but it is unclear if these are dangerous to feed. I would say that many of the insects that shouldn't be eaten also taste bad and are spit out quickly. I have seen this with my juveniles that are still "learning" as well as with my adults. As for pesticides: I just don't think this is as big a problem as people fear. Insects exposed to pesticides generally die or are incapacitated pretty quickly. My animals seem to thrive on sweep net insects, but I know that not everyone is comfortable with that. Mainly, I'm saying that the good seems to outweigh the risks in my situation. And for me, the sweep net adds another component of interest to my husbandry efforts.
