Insect Lore
Insect Lore Europe, established 2019 as the EU arm of the 1969-founded US brand, sells live insect metamorphosis kits — primarily Painted Lady butterfly, ladybird, stick insect, and ant habitats — direct-to-consumer via Shopify Plus across 26 European countries, serving families, schools, trade retailers, and event planners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Insect Lore does
Insect Lore Europe is the UK- and EU-facing subsidiary of the US-based Insect Lore brand, founded in 1969 in California and expanded into Europe in 2019 from its current headquarters and distribution center in Indian Queens, Cornwall. The company designs, packages, and sells live insect metamorphosis observation kits — primarily Painted Lady butterfly caterpillar-to-butterfly kits, alongside ladybird (BugLand), stick insect (Living Twig), and ant (Ant Hill) habitats — using reusable pop-up mesh enclosures and proprietary accessories such as the Chrys-A-Lid Holding Log and ultra-clear viewing habitats. Products are dispatched on customer-selected dates during the March-to-mid-September live-caterpillar season, with year-round availability for stick insect eggs, and shipped via standard and DHL next-day delivery.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through a Shopify Plus storefront (insectlore.co.uk) selling to families across 26 European countries, complemented by a trade/wholesale network supplying educational suppliers, online toy stores, and independent retailers, plus UK school purchase-order invoicing for institutional buyers. Pricing is unit-based and accessible: core butterfly kits range from £23.00 to £29.99 inc VAT, refill caterpillar sets at £12.98, school kits up to 33 caterpillars, and premium live butterfly release packages for events ranging from £185 (50 butterflies) to £375 (200 butterflies). The company also sells eGift Cards (£5-£250), observation diaries, life cycle figurines, magnifiers, and themed accessories that deepen the per-customer product ecosystem.
Customer segments split across families with children (primary consumer segment), schools and educators (institutional), trade/wholesale buyers, and event planners seeking butterfly releases. Credibility is anchored by STEM.org authentication, consecutive Toymark awards (2025 and 2026), and 11,000+ verified five-star Yotpo reviews. The European subsidiary operates with a small team (1-10 listed) and no external institutional funding, making it a lean, brand-equity-driven extension of a 55-year-old US educational product company.
Insect Lore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Insect Lore
- Legal name
- Insect Lore Europe
- Website
- https://insectlore.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Insect Lore Europe, established 2019 as the EU arm of the 1969-founded US brand, sells live insect metamorphosis kits — primarily Painted Lady butterfly, ladybird, stick insect, and ant habitats — direct-to-consumer via Shopify Plus across 26 European countries, serving families, schools, trade retailers, and event planners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Insect Lore industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Science Kits
- NAICS
- Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42392), Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423920), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Insect Farming (Crickets, Mealworms, Black Soldier Fly) (AFAEAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Beneficial Insects (Predators & Parasitoids) (AFABAEAH)
Keywords
Where Insect Lore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Insect Lore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales (B2C): Primary revenue stream through the insectlore.co.uk Shopify storefront, selling live insect kits, refills, habitats, accessories, books, and toys directly to consumers in the UK and Europe. Customers select dispatch dates for live insects and pay via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other digital payment methods.
- Trade/Wholesale Sales (B2B): Selling Insect Lore products through educational suppliers, online toy stores, and independent retailers. Contact via [email protected] or telephone +44 (0) 1726 860 273.
- Gift Cards: eGift Cards and physical gift vouchers sold in denominations from £5 to £250, providing flexible gifting options for customers
- Live Butterfly Celebration Releases: Specialized event packages for weddings, graduations, memorials, and community events featuring live Painted Lady Butterflies in quantities from 50 to 200 butterflies
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Butterfly Garden with 3-5 Live Caterpillars |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Giant Butterfly Garden (6-10 Caterpillars) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BugLand with Ladybird Larvae |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Living Twig Stick Insect Kit |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Trade Sales |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Live Butterfly Celebration Releases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Refill Caterpillar Set |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Insect Lore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Insect Lore designs, breeds, and ships educational kits containing live insects — primarily Painted Lady butterflies, ants, ladybirds (ladybugs), and stick insects — for use at home and in classrooms. The company operates dual distribution entities, Insect Lore USA and Insect Lore Europe (UK), fulfilling live-insect orders direct-to-consumer and through wholesale/trade channels serving schools and educational distributors.
Product overview
Insect Lore is an educational live insect kit company that has operated since 1969, offering a comprehensive portfolio of hands-on nature and STEM learning products. The core offering centers on live butterfly-raising kits (Butterfly Garden, Giant Butterfly Garden, Butterfly Pavilion, Home School Edition, School Kits, and Gift Sets) where customers receive caterpillars that transform into Painted Lady Butterflies over 3-5 weeks. The product line extends to minibeast kits including Ant Hill habitats, Living Twig stick insect kits, BugLand ladybird kits, and silkworm rearing kits. Supporting accessories include observation journals (My Butterfly Diary, My Ant Observation Journal), life cycle figurines, magnifiers, butterfly feeders, habitats, themed toys, books, and fidget toys. The company also offers event butterfly releases (Butterfly Celebrations with 50-200 butterflies) and eGift cards. STEM authentication from STEM.org validates the educational value of selected products, and several items carry the Toymark award. The portfolio is organized around insect types (butterflies, ants, ladybirds, stick insects) and use cases (home kits, school/classroom kits, themed accessories), with refill options for all live kits enabling repeated use of habitats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BugLand: Dome-shaped bug habitat with island landscape and volcano water reservoir for raising ladybirds.
- Ant Hill
- Living Twig
Products and services
- Butterfly Kit (Painted Lady Butterfly Rearing Kit)
- Ant Farm / Ant Works Kit A gel- or sand-based habitat kit shipped with a queen ant and worker ants (voucher included where regulated) for live observation of ant colony behavior in homes and classrooms.
- Ladybird (Ladybug) Kit A habitat kit with live ladybird larvae for school and home observation of insect metamorphosis and beneficial-insect release in gardens.
- Stick Insect Kit A rearing kit featuring stick insects (and eggs/food as applicable) for classroom and hobbyist observation of insect life cycles.
- Trade / Wholesale Supply for Schools and Educational Distributors Bulk and wholesale fulfillment of Insect Lore rearing kits to schools, districts, homeschool co-ops, nature centers, and educational resellers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 11,000+ verified customer reviews with 5-star average rating on Yotpo platform
Companies that use Insect Lore
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Insect Lore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Insect Lore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and important.
- ShopifycoreShopify powers the Insect Lore Europe e-commerce platform, enabling online store functionality, payment processing, and order management. The store is specifically identified as 'Shopify Plus' indicating an enterprise-level implementation.
- DHL ExpresscoreDHL provides next-day delivery service for UK customers ordering live insect kits. Live products with selected send-out dates are dispatched via DHL on the chosen date, with weekend deliveries excluded.
- Educational Suppliers and Toy RetailersimportantTrade sales network including educational suppliers, online toy stores, and independent retailers reselling Insect Lore products. Contact via [email protected] or telephone.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Insect Lore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Toysmith: Educational and nature-themed toy company with kits covering bug catchers, magnifying tools, and science activities. Comparable in nature-toy category overlap and toy-retail distribution channels, though it does not ship live insects.
- Carolina Biological Supply Company: Established US educational science supplier offering butterfly rearing kits, living organism specimens, and STEM lab supplies to schools. Closest incumbent comparator in the live-insect educational kit category with a much broader catalog across biology, chemistry, and physics.
- Educational Insights: Classroom-focused educational toy brand with STEM, science, and design-and-drill product lines sold to teachers and parents. Comparable in the school-procurement and parent-buyer segments and in the broader STEM-toys category.
- Learning Resources: Major educational toy and classroom resource brand selling hands-on STEM, math, and science learning products to schools and parents. Comparable in serving the same primary segment (families with children and educators) but with a broad catalog rather than a live-organism niche.
- SmartLab Toys: STEM toy brand producing all-in-one science activity kits for children, including nature and biology themes. Comparable in single-box STEM learning kits for the family buyer, though the product mix is mostly non-living.
- Wild Republic: Nature-themed plush and educational toy brand with Audubon bird-call and animal figurine lines sold through toy and educational retail channels. Comparable in nature-themed toy retail placement and family buyer, though focused on plush and audio rather than live observation.
- Thames & Kosmos: Large educational science and STEM kit publisher with kits spanning biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Comparable in targeting the same parents-and-schools STEM buyer but with a much broader, mostly non-living-organism product range.
- Safari Ltd: Manufacturer of educational figurines (including life-cycle sets and minibeast figures) used in classrooms and nature education. Comparable in educational life-cycle content and the school-channel buyer, though positioned as a toy figurine maker rather than a live-kit seller.
Regional players
- Insect Lore (US parent): US-headquartered parent entity offering the same live butterfly and minibeast kit portfolio across the Americas. Operates the identical product concept and brand from a different geography, providing a direct comparability benchmark for European operations.
Direct peers
- Nature-Watch: Educational nature-activity company offering hands-on wildlife kits and outdoor learning tools for children and classrooms. Direct peer in the nature-based educational kit category with overlapping customer segments (schools, families, nature programs).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Insect Lore social profiles
Digital presenceInsect Lore compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Insect Lore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Insect Lore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Insect Lore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Insect Lore M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Insect Lore
What does Insect Lore do?
Insect Lore designs, breeds, and ships educational kits containing live insects — primarily Painted Lady butterflies, ants, ladybirds (ladybugs), and stick insects — for use at home and in classrooms. The company operates dual distribution entities, Insect Lore USA and Insect Lore Europe (UK), fulfilling live-insect orders direct-to-consumer and through wholesale/trade channels serving schools and educational distributors.
Is Insect Lore a public or private company?
Insect Lore is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Insect Lore founded?
Insect Lore was founded in 1969. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Insect Lore based?
Insect Lore is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Insect Lore make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales (B2C) is the primary driver. The others are trade/Wholesale Sales (B2B), gift Cards and live Butterfly Celebration Releases.
Who are Insect Lore's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Toysmith, Carolina Biological Supply Company, Educational Insights, Learning Resources, SmartLab Toys, Wild Republic, Thames & Kosmos and Safari Ltd. Insect Lore (US parent) is listed as a regional player. Nature-Watch is listed as a direct peer.
Does Insect Lore have an API?
No public API is recorded for Insect Lore.
What industry is Insect Lore in?
Insect Lore's product category is Educational Science Kits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAIAI, Insect Farming (Crickets, Mealworms, Black Soldier Fly), with a secondary code of AFABAEAH, Beneficial Insects (Predators & Parasitoids). Its NAICS code is 42392 and its SIC code is 3944.