Insect Lore is the Original Butterflies-By-Mail Company®  and has been delivering the Magic of Metamorphosis™ to families and classrooms for over 50 years. 

We are proud of the exceptional quality of our educational products and the reliability of our Live Insect Kits. We want every customer to have the ultimate Insect Lore experience.

When purchasing live insects, please remember:

  • All instructions must be followed in order for your order to be protected by the Insect Lore Guarantee. 
  • Nature is unpredictable and the hatch rate is not always 100%. 
  • We guarantee 3 out of 5 caterpillars per cup will develop into healthy adult butterflies.
  • If you purchased a 33 Caterpillar School Kit, we guarantee that at least 20 out of 33 caterpillars will become healthy adult butterflies. 
  • We guarantee 5 out of 10-15 ladybug larvae per tube will develop into adult ladybugs. 
  • If you open the lid of the Cup of Caterpillars or remove them from the cup during their development, the Insect Lore Guarantee will be void. 
  • If the ladybug larvae are raised in a habitat other than the Ladybug Land, the Insect Lore Guarantee will be void.
  • If the ants are placed into a habitat other than Ant Mountain, the Insect Lore Guarantee will be void. 
  • This is an observational project. If the insects are over-handled or shaken, the Insect Lore Guarantee will be void. 

If there is a problem with your order do not throw your insects away. Here is how to complete our review process:

  1. Snap a photo of your insects.
  2. Send the photo, a description, and your order information to our team at customerservice@insectlore.com within a week of receiving your order.

Our team will review your order and send you an update within 48 hours. Each inquiry is resolved on a case-by-case basis.

If the above process is not followed, your order will not be eligible for a replacement.

Live products are not returnable

  • If your live order does not meet our guarantee, do not send the live shipment back to Insect Lore.
  • Instead, please contact Insect Lore at customerservice@insectlore.com within 30 days of receipt of your purchase to request a replacement. 
  • If a package is returned to us because an incorrect address has been provided with the order, a damage fee of 50% of the FULL cost of the live insects plus the shipping cost of $8.95 is charged to the customer. If live insects are returned to Insect Lore they cannot be resold.
  • If your order is missing items please contact us within 48 hours with a photo of what you received, including your packing slip. 

Registering for an account has many benefits:

  • Exclusive Special Offers
  • A smooth shopping experience
  • Quick and easy quote generation
  • Fast order processing
  • You choose your ship date
  • Convenient order tracking
  • Access to past order history
  • Better Customer Service!

Have an account? Login

An email has been sent requesting confirming your account.

Visit My Account for your orders status(es) or start shopping.

Tax Exempt Customers

An email has been sent requesting confirming your account.