2026 Painted Lady Butterfly Kit (PRE-ORDER)

PURCHASE OF LIVE ANIMALS IS SUBJECT TO OUR Animal Code of Ethics.

These butterfly kits have been a wild success three years running! It is a perfect project for classrooms, care facilities, homeschoolers, naturalists, parents, etc. Your orders must be in by April 17 or sooner if we reach our maximum order number. 

Your larvae kit includes:

• 8-10 Painted Lady Butterfly Larvae
• Specially formulated caterpillar diet for larvae to eat in the temporary rearing container
• An accessory kit with a feeding vial (it has an X in the lid) for the adults, paintbrush(s), and info pamphlet

You will need (not provided in the kit):

• A flight cage for the adults. We carry entomological grade cages and highly recommend you pre-order to ensure there is sufficient inventory when your larvae arrive. You can also make your own - please do not use an aquarium or enclosure that has slippery surfaces.
• A misting bottle with water, for spraying the chrysalis and the adult butterflies later on
• Sewing or safety pins
• Food for when your adults emerge (sugar water, orange/watermelon slices)
• Detailed information comes with your kit, and you can find additional instructions here.

IMPORTANT NOTES (please read):

Kits will be ready for pickup at Black Barn Mercantile on Thursday, May 7, 2026 between 12-5:30PM. If you can't make it in that day, no problem just come and see us Friday, May 8 @ 12-5:30PM.

We cannot accommodate requests for alternative pickup dates. Any kits and accessories not picked up by the end of the day on Friday, May 8 will be re-homed and no refunds offered.

You will receive updates via email - please watch! Notifications will be sent to the email you used at checkout.

The project will take 3-4 weeks until butterfly release.

This living project is scheduled specifically for the Yukon school calendar. The life cycle from egg > instar > pupae chrysalis > adult butterfly is timed for completion within the school year for both rural and urban schools.

** ORDERS ARE NON-CANCELLABLE **

THE PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY

The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is one of the most widespread butterfly species in the world (even the Yukon!). They are a migrant (like the Monarch), but travel irregularly, and don't have a set destination. A female can lay around 500 tiny bright blue eggs during her adult life of two weeks. She will lay only on host plants specific to her species: stinging nettle, thistle, and mallows/malvas, including hollyhock. The butterfly phase completes a four-part life cycle (egg, larvae, pupae, adult). Unlike many butterflies, this species does not become dormant during the winter and cannot survive heavy frosts or colder conditions. Therefore it migrates to warmer climates in winter. For more info, click here.

Our butterfly kits come with Live Arrive guarantee and we entrust our precious cargo to none other than Air North. Please remember we are dealing with living animals and nature is not always perfect. In the wild, survival rates would naturally be very low, with only around 5% of insects surviving to adulthood. In captivity and with proper care, you should expect a much higher rate of survival. We are happy to say we typically receive reports of 80% + success rates. Please follow your instructions carefully, and incorporate the volatility of insect life into your plans. We do not recommend assigning a single insect to a single participant, as some of them will not make it. It is always best to observe insects as a population. 

Do you have a special occasion where you would like to release live butterflies (and not worry about raising them)? Please send us a message.

Educators in schools - we know you typically pay by school Visa. Please send us a message and we can assist! Have questions? Please reach out!

We are proud retail partners of Butterfly Wings & Wishes, a sustainable, ethical Canadian 🇨🇦 company.