Butterflies, Naturally

I've always been attracted to beautiful butterfly specimens like this Morpho Didius, but also concerned about the implications of buying them. Are these butterflies endangered, or subjected to cruel treatment?

Luckily, dealer Wings & Things puts these concerns to rest with an innovative business model. This establishment purchases butterflies imported from all over the world, but only those grown on farms. These specimens are about ninety times more likely to survive into adulthood than wild butterflies, and generally die natural deaths before being preserved and shipped. Even better, butterfly farms remove the strain from over-hunted wild populations, reintroduce butterflies into the natural environment, and provide a sustainable source of income for local indigenous populations.

Wings and Things offers beautifully mounted individual specimens of many species, in addition to mixed mounted collections and special items like butterfly hair clips.