Recently, when selecting images for upcoming stories, we came across a photo of a living room featuring a grouping of butterfly collages (like those shown in the Jackye Lanham–designed room above) . While it was amazing to see, we wondered about the humaneness of butterfly art, not wanting to encourage unnecessary harvesting of these beautiful creatures. Afterward, I began to notice more butterfly motifs, including preserved-insect collages. If preserved insect art is experiencing a surge in popularity, I wanted to know more about it—specifically, where do the butterflies come from, and should I be protesting this art?

So I did some research. It turns out butterfly harvesting is not only a sustainable practice, but it also provides income for developing countries, such as Papua New Guinea and Madagascar, that rely on rain forests for their livelihood—while allowing the rain forest itself to remain intact. InsectFrames.com explains that most of the butterflies they use are farmed specfically for framing and die naturally (adult butterflies live only a few weeks). Phyllidae.com, which sells butterflies framed with sustainable wood veneer mats (below), also uses sustainably harvested insects; the site adds that, though you might think that these exotic-looking creatures are rare, they are actually common in their native countries.

After learning all this, I feel much better about admiring butterfly collages. If you’re in the market, be sure your butterflies are harvested responsibly; ask if the seller’s insects have been inspected and cleared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If you still can’t bear to display the real thing on your walls, check out Catherine Swan’s paper butterfly collages (below).