Worldwide Butterflies has been supplying butterflies and moths for over half a century. There is a range of species available as livestock. Schools can see Recommended School Species. 

Butterflies and moths are supplied for historic, scientific and identification collections, medical research, for photography and conservation, and even just for their incredible beauty and natural history interest.

Schools and educational establishments are prominent in Worldwide Butterflies’ list of customers. A number people started by buying from Worldwide Butterflies, and have gone on to become professional in Entomology and Natural History in a number of ways. In fact in fact this has now continued in subsequent generations. To read about Worldwide Butterflies from the earliest days please see History.

Welcome to the WWB Website

If you wish to edit your order, click on Shopping Cart where you can change the quantities or remove an item. It is essential to click the blue circular arrow ikon after making a change on an item, which updates the calculations.

Then proceed to Checkout.

If your order is not going through at checkout, you are then with PayPal, not on the WWB website, it sometimes helps to try an alternative valid card, otherwise, you can select to pay by PayPal instead of a card.

Login to My Account  to follow availability of booked items. You can see your order history, Store Credits and check on dispatch. Booked species may have an update note. If none please check the species text on the website to see the current availability.

Have you received the latest WWB NEWS? To receive WWB NEWS by email in future, please go to your Account and click NEWS Subscribe. It's free. You will be notified about current and coming species, special offers and more.

Most items on the website pages have multiple pictures which show when you click the main picure. If you hover the cursor over a picture, arrows appear left or right so you can scroll through the pictures enlarged. You can click any picture to see it enlarged.

LIVING BUTTERFLIES and MOTHS. For film shoots, weddings and other events we are sometimes asked for butterflies to release. Foreign species cannot be used for this and we don't supply living adults. You can buy pupae but not to a specific date, so you need to organise the synchronisation of emergence for the particular requirement.

Send a GIFT CERTIFICATE

To make sure that the recipient gets the greatest benefit, let them choose from the whole WWB website the things they MOST want.

This is a wonderful way to mark an event, birthday, anniversary or show appreciation to friends or family, or to encourage a budding interest, even to start a new one.

Click here to select one of the pictures to accompany your Gift.

If you wish to enquire about an order: Before you email, please check the anticipated availability period for the species, and check your Account History because for most booked species you will see a note on your account. This may answer your query. If you do enquire, please quote the five figure ORDER NUMBER and SPECIES, without which we may not be able to respond.

Availability: The availability of each species is shown. Orders are booked, and the availability can change. Anything that is immediately available is shown as NOW. If a month or period is shown, and we are at that time, unless the availability is NOW, we must wait until the species is ready to be sent out. As soon as it is, the availability changes to NOW, and dispatch commences.

Orders sent internationally are at the risk of the purchaser: When placing an order to be sent internationally, you agree to accept non-arrival, delay or hatching or death of livestock - all risks. We do everything possible to get your order to you safely, by post. Dormant livestock can normally be sent by post, but in hot seasons all livestock is at risk. For European destinations orders can be sent by courier, and arrive in only a few days after dispatch. If this is not shown as the means of sending and you wish to order Express courier, please select Express European courier (XXP) from the main menu. Click on XXP and add this to your order. We cannot send by courier to USA, AUS,NZ, S. Africa and most other countries outside Europe. Even though Express courier costs considerably more: it does not guarantee safe arrival, but usually ensures prompt delivery in fresh condition and perfect health. 

Time in the Post: Ordered items may come from several different sources, breeders, publishers, manufacturers in different places, even from another country. Most orders are sent by post and arrive with your letters. There is no tracking.  Please remember that each species has its season, and allow for this, also for the possibility of your order being posted internationally, which can take  a week or two to arrive.

Orders for European destinations may be sent by Express courier, once the species is available, if it is obligatory because the species develops quickly, or because it is specifically requested. Generally Express courier takes 1-3 days and is the best way to send livestock that requires special handling. 

LIVESTOCK

If you are a beginner and need information on rearing from small caterpillars, or hatching out pupae, please order the book shown above. INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT SENT WITH EACH SPECIES, you need to acquire basic skills and this book is a simple way to learn them.

Newly hatched or small larvae are too small to be put into a cage or aquarium. If you can put them on growing foodplant, protected with a sleeve, that is ideal. Alternatively keep in a plastic box, lined with absorbent paper, in close confinement with fresh foodplant, and changed daily. Fuller hints on the page for Plastic Rearing Containers. For illustrated instructios see the All Colour Paperback BUTTERFLIES.

LIVESTOCK ON OUR WEBSITE  is very wide-ranging. Please scroll down the different sections. There are some very interesting species for the connoisseur and for the beginner.

AWAY DATES

ON YOUR ACCOUNT please enter dates when you cannot receive livestock. Letting us know by any other means will not apply the dates to the system and will not prevent dispatch of orders when you cannot receive them.

NEWS and UPDATES

We will email you: just go to My Account and click to receive these.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Breeding stock of 5 or 10 pupae: If the species breeds easily, or you are  experienced and if both sexes emerge at about the same time, 5 pupae may well be enough to give you a pairing and fertile eggs. With ten pupae, the chances of breeding success are considerably better.

Classic species. The WWB website has a very wide range of species from all over the world, including Deathshead Hawkmoth, Swallowtails, wonderful Exotic Butterfly Pupae, tropical giants such as the Atlas Moths and a variety of amazing Moon Moths. The anticipated season for availability is shown for each one.

LARVAE of the GIANT ATLAS MOTH are available immediately, feeding on Privet. These are established and doing well. They like a little extra warmth indoors at this time of year and are a welcome species, when most others are entering dormancy. We recomment these very highly.

Even in autumn there are some larvae available immediately. Pre-hibernation larvae and winter eggs of certain British butterflies are ready to send right now - see the large Fritillaries, Hairstreaks and Marbled White galathea. This month, Painted Lady cardui larvae in a pot of diet are available for the last time this this year. Best to order in the first half of October.

We are reaching the time of harvest of cocoons and pupae which will be entering their dormant hibernation period. This is the time to look ahead to plans for rearing next spring and summer. The dormant pupae can be kept in cold storage, even a fridge, and brought out in the spring for emergence of the adults and subsequent breeding. 

International customers can save Express courier fees in summer by buying dormant winter pupae by post, for breeding next season.

Deathshead Hawkmoth atropos eggs and larvae are doing wonderflly this year and more will be available this month. This is one of the most sought after of all species and they may be available for only a short time. Oleander Hawk nerii eggs are available again immediately. Convolvulous Hawk eggs, seldom available, may become available this October. 

Belted Beauty Lycea zonaria Found in only about 3 British localities on sandy nutrient-poor grassland or dunes. Very scarce in Holland, otherwise it occurs rarely in isolated parts of central Europe. The female is bulbous and wingless! Very few breeders have had experience of rearing this fascinating Geometer.

Eggs and larvae of Large Fritillaries. Larvae of the Dark Green Fritillary aglaia are immediately available. Winter them sleeved on potted Violet, kept out of doors. Hibernating eggs of the rare High Brown Fritillary adippe are available now, as long as stocks last. Marbled White galathea pre-hibernation larvae are also available to hibernate outside, sleeved on potted coarse grass

Woolly Bears are the larvae of the Garden Tiger Moth Arctia caja. Young Woolly Bears can be ordered in advance for spring delivery, when they come out of hibernation. Once found commonly on waysides but now quite scarce. Sleeve the larvae on Willow or Sallow, letting the leaves accumulate in the sleeve to give the caterpillars a hibernation haven. They are normally ground feeders on Dock, Dandelion, Nettle and other such plants but they hibernate well sleeved.

Bee Hawkmoths. Pupae are immediately available of the Broad-bordered Bee Hawk fuciformis, and the Far Eastern Bee Hawk affinis. For the first time we also have some pupae of the magnificent bright green Hemaris croatica - a great rarity from eastern Europe into Russia. See the pictures and text for this exceptional species. 

Butterfly winter pupae available right now include Orange Tip cardamines, Chequered Blue orion, and Festoon polyxena. Soon there will be others, including Map Butterfly levana, Swallowtail machaon gorganus and Scarce Swallowtail podalirius.

Osier Willow S. viminalis. Years ago we planted a stick that was floating down a river in Wiltshire. That was in 1954! It grew - rapidly - producing a wealth of leaves. We tried it as a foodplant and discovered that not only did British species do well on it, but exotic silkmoth larvae as well.  An amazing foodplant that grows prodigeously, looks most attractive grown formally in a garden, or in a wild setting.

Three particularly interesting moth species all available immediately: Vapourer Moth antiqua store the eggs cold until spring. The caterpillars are tufted and brilliantly coloured. Small Eggar Moth lanestris cocoons, available NOW,  are smooth and oval, looking rather like nuts. See the pictures of the moths. The female has a powder-puff tail which she uses to cover the eggs. The larvae live in a white tent, emerging at night to feed. Kentish Glory versicolora now very scarce, emerges and breeds in late winter. Pupae are ready immediately. The larvae cluster and blend with their foodplant, and become as impressive as the Hawkmoths. Male and female are different in size and colour, and quite unlike any other moth. These are highly recommended, and pupae numbers are very limited.

Moonlander Moth Trap and Goodden GemLight. No other trap is so compact and lightweight for travel. The only ultra compact trap and light for travel and sampling insects in remote habitats. 

Rearing Cages There are cages for travel, small ones for starters, Giant for larger breeding programmes and the range of Pyjama Cages in three sizes. Pyjama Cages are practical in use and  one of the most important features is that, a used cage can be renovated to almost new state in only a few minutes. No need to replace netting that is worn or dirty, simply by removing the entire netting cover and replacing with a new or freshly washed one. 

Sleeves. Sleeving is the most natural method for rearing larvae, proving constantly fresh food, with protection from parasites and predators, and preventing escape. The WWB sleeves uniquely have zip access which is a great convenience and time-saver. Five sizes from small to giant.

Hawkmoth pupae.  Ready now are Privet Hawk ligustri, Elephant elpenor,  Bee Hawk fuciformis, Lime Hawk tiliae, Eyed Hawk ocellata, Elephant Hawk elpenor and Small Elephant Hawk porcellus. In the coming weeks, other species will arrive and can be ordered now for breeding next season. This RECOMMENDED section is in the process of construction, and will be added to in due course. Please keep visiting the WWB website to see more, and all the other changes and additions.

IMPORTANT NOTES

 Livestock orders not able to be supplied are carried over for priority supply the next season. Please inform us if you wish to cancel and be credited or refunded.

Livestock sent to UK addresses will be replaced or credited if it arrives dead and is reported within 2 days. Not if it dies subsequently or is reported later.   Orders are sent internationally only at the buyer's risk.

Please note that all prices are subject to carriage charges and 20% VAT (except books and orders from non-EU countries), which will be added to your order at the checkout.

Livestock sent outside the UK, whilst we do our best to see that it arrives safely, is sent at the BUYER'S RISK. Livestock to Mediterranean countries is often subject to delay and hot climate. Please do not order eggs/larvae, nor pupae that are not dormant, to be sent where it is hot.  Livestock sent to USA need USDA permits. We cannot send to AUS or NZ, unless government authorised.

WWB email: sales@wwb.co.uk