How are butterflies that are sold in Puetro Rico, & Mexican tourist shop obtained?

Question

Are they legal in the U.S? Could it be considered cruel to make & buy them?

Answer 1

They are caught alive in nets then euthanized and mounted. Because they are insects they usually are not protected by any laws so they could probably be shipped to the US without a problem.You might get a better and more accurate answer from the US Customs website.

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/...

Answer 2

Can not bring anything that is alive or once was alive in to Canada, unless it has some stamp (never seen a stamped object.  Not sure about your laws, but they should protect nature as well.