Ethics

Here at The Quirky Beetle, we are very passionate about conservation. Considering 97% of the worlds’ animals are invertebrates, most of which are insects, these amazing creatures are a vital part of the worlds’ ecology. A great deal of research goes into sourcing our specimens to ensure they are coming from responsible suppliers.

Where do these insects come from?
All butterfly and beetle specimens we work with are sourced through butterfly farms and insect ranches in Australia, Asia, Africa and Central and South America.

What even is a butterfly farm and how do they help the environment?
A ‘butterfly farm’ or ‘insect ranch’ are farms set up to breed butterflies and other insects. These animals are bred in captivity, with many adults being released into the wild to help boost wild populations, and deceased specimens collected for museums and display purposes.

At the farms, adult butterflies are paired up, with a single female laying hundreds of eggs in her short lifetime. These eggs are hatched and the caterpillars are raised on the locally grown host plants. Many pupae (or chrysalis) are then sent to butterfly houses to help educate people of their importance and showcase their beauty. Back at the farms, once butterflies have reached adulthood, a percentage are released out into the wild to help boost wild populations. Deceased specimens are sent to museums, collectors and artists to use in their work.

There are hundreds of farms like this across the world. Butterfly farming offers an economic alternative to traditional farming of crops and livestock. When farming livestock and sowing crops, farmers will clear land to make it fit for purpose. Whereas with butterfly farming, the land is used to cultivate host plants and in the long term, is more environmentally beneficial.

We do not sell CITES listed species.
Any species in danger of disappearing from our world needs our help, and we will not sell or trade these threatened species.

We do not sell mammals, reptiles or amphibians
Here at The Quirky Beetle, we do not sell any animals that we cannot guarantee have been responsibly sourced. It’s quite common to find preserved and framed lizard, bat and frog specimens available for purchase. However, these animals are quite often taken from the environment without licenses or any form of regulation. This type of animal collection can upset delicate ecosystems and can be devastating to the environment.