Interstate/International Shipping Restrictions for Butterflies & Moths

All butterflies and moths are classified as "plant pests" because (with few exceptions) their larvae (caterpillars) eat leaves. Within the USA, permits are required for interstate shipping. CITES permits are required for international shipping. Preserved insect specimens also require CITES permits to verify they are not endangered. For more information, go to:

US Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (CITES)

To learn more about butterfly releases, with
links to many butterfly breeders, visit the

Outstanding Butterfly & Moth Related Sites

The Butterfly Website
The Children's Butterfly Site
InsectNet
The Lepidopterists' Society
The Young Entomologists' Society
The Monarch Watch & Journey North
The Butterfly Farm of Costa Rica
Electronic Resources on Lepidoptera
The US Geological Survey's Butterflies of North America
The US Geological Survey's Moths of North America
Domestic Silk Moth (Bombyx mori) Rearing Supplies
Adam Fleishman's Wild Silk Moth Site
Bill Oehlkew's Wild Silk Moth Site
World's Largest Saturniidae Site
Yahoo's Lepidoptera Links
The National Wildlife Federation & Backyard Habitat Program
UC Berkeley's California Wildflower Photograph Collection
Virtual Seeds
Seedman: Exotic Seeds & Garden Plants

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