Ordering

How to Order
For residents of the U.S., our user-friendly, secure shopping cart makes shopping easy. You can easily navigate between departments, enter promo codes, select rush services, and add a special note or request. After you submit your order, you will receive an email confirmation that your order was received. If you are outside the U.S., please see International Orders below.

To check on an order status, please email: Orders@thebutterflycompany.com, or call: (773)823-7777 if you need urgent assistance.

What to Expect
We sell dried butterflies and moths packaged in glassine envelopes with their wings closed (not spread) and antennae intact but not guaranteed because of their fragility or the quality selected. Other insects are set on cardboard covered with cellophane, legs and antennae tucked close to the body. Spreading and posing options are available at the time of purchase.

We take great care to package your order to assure safety in transit. Dried insects can be stored indefinitely or re-hydrated and spread when they arrive. With Morpho butterflies and some Saturnid moths, please note that many of our suppliers remove the abdomens to prevent the oil in them from staining the wings.

Bulk/Wholesale Purchasing
We offer discounts when purchasing in quantities of three or more of the same kind. However, expect some less than A1/A- quality since every specimen is not physically inspected. When possible, we try to compensate by adding extra specimens to large orders. Depending on the species and supplier, antennae are not always intact or included. If you need 100 or more of any species, sometimes we can offer further discounts. Please contact us to learn more about our wholesale options.

Payments
For your peace of mind, our website uses SSL certificate technology. This means your online order will be encrypted to protect your personal information so it cannot be read in transit. We can accept most major credit cards, but only from U.S. residents. See below for information on international orders. Money orders and checks are welcome by selecting “pay by invoice” during the checkout process. This will reserve your order for five days.

Auctions
At the conclusion of each auction, all winning bids will be final. In the days following the end of the auction, winning bidders will be sent a formal invoice that includes a hammer fee to cover the cost of processing through the auction platform, as well as a shipping charge calculated to cover the cost of insured shipping to the winner's designated shipping address. We will ship your order via UPS or post at our discretion based on the most cost-effective and timely manner of delivery.

International Orders
If you do not reside in the United States, we can only accept orders of more than $500 because of complicated paperwork, permits, and declarations required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to export butterflies and insects. In addition to your order, there is a fee of $96 for us to process export declarations, as well the shipping cost. Orders typically arrive via FedEx in 2-3 weeks.

If your order contains any CITES-listed species (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which include Ornithoptera, Troides, and Trogonoptera butterfly species, the minimum order is $1,000 plus $275 for a CITES re-export certificate plus the cost to ship with FedEx. It may take 6-8 weeks or longer for us to receive the permits and paperwork to ship your order. Prepayment is required without exception. To place an international order, please email joseph@thebutterflycompany.com.

Rush Orders
If you’re in a last-minute rush and need posed butterflies for a large project immediately, please call Joseph at (773) 225-9909. We often have a nice selection of butterflies already posed in various flying positions or with their wings flat like you’ll see in photos throughout our website that are available for purchase. To add expedited processing to your order, simply select one of the available Rush options at checkout. But please also call us after the order is placed! So we can be aware of your rush project.

Returns and Cancellations
Any returns or cancellations must be requested within 14 business days of delivery. They must be authorized and are subject to a 10% restocking fee plus credit card processing fees for the order and refund. Shipping fees cannot be refunded, and our return packaging requirements must be followed. Spread specimens and custom spread work are not returnable. We also must be made aware of any issues with an order within 14 days of delivery if an adjustment is needed. Please call (773) 823-7777 to talk to us about a return or cancellation.