Standard Butterfly KIT contents laid out on a beige background: two pinning boards, pinning needles, entomology pins, tweezers, a syringe, foil strips, papered butterfly specimens and glassine envelopes

Which EntomoBoxes Starter Kit Is Right for You?

If you just want to try pinning once or twice before committing, start with the Micro or Mini Butterfly KIT. If you want a full first setup with real butterflies and enough supplies to actually learn the process, get the Standard Butterfly KIT. If you want a finished piece ready to hang the moment you're done, get the Premium Butterfly Collection KIT (comes with a display box) or the Blue Morpho KIT (comes with a display frame). If you want to catch your own butterflies too, not just pin ones that arrive already collected, the Master Butterfly Collector KIT is the only one that includes a net. And if beetles interest you more than butterflies, the Beetle Pinning KIT is the only kit built around one.

Quick comparison

All kits include a printable PDF guide. Species counts marked "0-X" mean you can choose the tools-only option (no specimens) at checkout, useful if you already have butterflies or just want the equipment.

  • Micro Butterfly KIT (€10.90) - 0-4 swallowtails, 1 small pinning board, no tweezers or syringe included
  • Mini Butterfly KIT (€19.90) - 0-6 swallowtails or Morphos, 1 pinning board, tweezers and syringe included
  • Photography Butterfly KIT (€24.90) - 5-20 real butterflies, flat foam pinning pad instead of a grooved board
  • Blue Morpho KIT (€27.30) - 1 Blue Morpho (Morpho helenor or the larger, rarer Morpho didius), reusable board, includes an 18x18cm display frame
  • Beetle Pinning KIT (€39.90) - 1 real beetle (Goliathus meleagris, Chalcosoma atlas, or Eupatorus gracilicornis), the only kit for beetles
  • Standard Butterfly KIT (€45.90) - 5-20 tropical Asian butterflies, 2 pinning boards (big and small), the best-selling entry point
  • Premium Butterfly Collection KIT (€59.90) - 5-20 butterflies, 3 pinning boards, includes a 25x25cm display box and insect glue
  • Master Butterfly Collector KIT (€199.90) - 20 dry papered butterflies, a net and telescopic rod for catching your own, 6 pinning boards in 3 sizes, a 25x25cm display frame

Just trying it out: Micro or Mini

Micro Butterfly KIT contents including pinning board, pins, foil strips, and a monarch butterfly specimen

The Micro Butterfly KIT is the cheapest way to find out if pinning is for you: one 16cm board, a handful of pins and foil strips, and up to 4 swallowtail butterflies. It doesn't include tweezers or a syringe, so if you already own basic tools, this is the leanest option. The Mini Butterfly KIT costs a bit more but adds tweezers and a syringe (for rehydrating specimens), so it's a more complete starting point if you're not equipping yourself from another source.

For photographers and artists

Photography Butterfly KIT with a flat pinning foam pad, pins, tweezers, and syringe

The Photography Butterfly KIT is built differently from the others: instead of a grooved pinning board, it comes with a flat foam pad, since photographers and artists usually want the whole specimen visible and accessible rather than set into a channel. It includes 5-20 real butterflies, pins, tweezers, and a syringe, but no foil strips - it's meant for people composing and shooting specimens, not necessarily mounting them long-term in a fixed pose.

Ready to display the moment you're done

Blue Morpho KIT with a Blue Morpho butterfly specimen, pinning board, tools, and an 18x18cm display frame

Two kits give you a finished piece, not just a pinned specimen. The Blue Morpho KIT focuses on a single, striking specimen - either the smaller Morpho helenor or the larger, rarer Morpho didius - and includes an 18x18cm display frame plus a reusable pinning board you can use again for other butterflies and moths afterward. The Premium Butterfly Collection KIT goes bigger: 5-20 butterflies, 3 pinning boards for different sizes, insect glue, and a 25x25cm display box to house the finished collection.

If beetles interest you more than butterflies

Pinned beetle specimen with colorful setting pins on a pinning pad

Every other kit here centers on butterflies. The Beetle Pinning KIT is the exception - it comes with one real beetle (your choice of Goliathus meleagris, Chalcosoma atlas, or Eupatorus gracilicornis), a pinning pad, wing support pads specifically for a beetle's stiffer wing cases, and a full PDF guide. It's a genuinely different mounting process from a butterfly, so this is the kit to get if you want to try that specifically rather than treat it as an afterthought.

A full first setup: Standard Butterfly KIT

Standard Butterfly KIT contents including two pinning boards, pins, tweezers, syringe, foil strips, and papered butterflies

The Standard Butterfly KIT is EntomoBoxes' best-selling kit, and the reason is straightforward: it's the smallest kit that gives you two board sizes (one large, one small) to handle different wingspans, 5-20 tropical Asian butterflies, and every basic tool (tweezers, syringe, needles, foil strips) without extras you may not need yet. It's the reasonable default if you're not sure which of the more specialized kits above fits you better.

If you want to catch your own: Master Butterfly Collector KIT

Master Butterfly Collector KIT with a butterfly net, telescopic rod, six pinning boards, display frame, and tools

Every kit above starts from butterflies that are already collected for you. The Master Butterfly Collector KIT is the only one that includes the catching side too - a 35cm butterfly net with a 1.5m telescopic rod, plus 100 paper bags for storing what you catch. It also comes with 20 dry papered butterflies to start with, 6 pinning boards across 3 sizes (small, medium, large, two of each), 100 setting pins, 100 entomology pins, and a 25x25cm display frame. It's built for someone who wants the complete process end to end, not just the pinning stage - and priced accordingly as the most complete kit in the range.

FAQ

Is any of these kits suitable for a child?

The Micro or Mini Butterfly KIT are the best fit for a child or complete first-timer - smaller board sizes, fewer pieces to manage, and a lower price if it turns out not to hold their interest. Pinning still involves handling insect pins, so younger children should do it with supervision.

What's not included that I'll still need?

Most kits note that you'll need a sealed plastic container or food box and a spray bottle to build a simple humid chamber for rehydrating specimens before pinning - these are common household items, not sold as part of the kits.

Can I buy a kit without butterflies included?

Yes, on the kits marked with a "0-X" specimen range - choose the option with 0 specimens at checkout if you only want the tools and guide, for example because you already have butterflies or specimens from elsewhere.

Which kit should I get as a gift for someone who's never tried this?

The Blue Morpho KIT or Premium Butterfly Collection KIT make the best gifts, since both end with a piece ready to display rather than just a stack of loose supplies - the recipient gets a finished result even on their first attempt.

Do the pinning boards in these kits work for anything besides the included species?

Yes - all the boards are reusable. Once you've used the specimens included in a kit, the same board works for any butterfly or moth of a similar size, so a kit isn't a one-time-use purchase.

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