I carefully source all of my specimens from reputable and sustainable insect farms. Unfortunately, specimens that die of old age have a lot of wear and tear from their life. So the reality is that the majority sold from farms are not natural death specimens as they are not as saleable. Therefore most farms raise a portion of the insects to be euthanised, but they do also generally release large portions back to restore natural populations.

The life cycle of a butterfly is extremely short (often only 1-2 weeks) and they lay a huge amount of eggs. The survival rate of the eggs goes from around 5% in the wild to around 80% or higher when they are being raised in captivity, so they can build up huge numbers of them. These butterfly farms also provide important sources of income for communities in tropical countries where they are raised.

Personally, I believe the benefits of commercial insect raising outweigh the relative costs in terms of environmental, economic and educational benefits. But, of course, it is important to acknowledge there is often a cost of life involved in this craft. This is why I prefer not to label my art as ‘ethical’, as many other creators in this discipline do, as I feel that this is very subjective and can be misleading for those who don’t understand the ins and outs of the practice.

It is important for me to be as transparent as possible so that others have the space to decide for themselves. Thank you for reading and please feel welcome to ask me any questions, especially if you are intending to purchase from Moth and Petal.

Rita
Owner, Moth and Petal