Top 100 Insect Auctions

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_{Discover our selection of rare insects available online.}

Collector's Secret selects everyday the rarest butterflies, beetles and other insect you can find online. Rare Papilio, scarce Cerambycidae, splendid Ornithoptera with CITES permits and a nice selection of Agrias. Our Top 100 Insect Auctions is updated everyday, add this page to your favorites.

RARE INSECTS FOR COLLECTORS:

INTERESTING INSECTS FROM GERMANY:

BEST INSECTS FROM THE UK:

_{Making an insect collection : more than a passion !}

Insect collecting should be encouraged among the population as it gives people a very high sensibility about insect and biotope conservation, evolution science, geography, biology and taxonomy. Insect collectors have a thrilling life : they travel the world to find new insect, read entomological books, meet some collector friends in insect fairs.

_{How much does a rare insect cost ?}

The worth of an insect depends of various factors :
- a common insect species could well be rare on the market for various reasons (difficulty to harvest them, lack of local sellers...)
- the quality of the specimen : an A1+, ex-pupae, insect will be harder to find,
- some genera are more popular amongst collectors than others, Ornithoptera and Agrias for example,
- the size of a beetle has an impact on its price. A giant Goliathus cacicus or Titanus giganteus will reach very high price on the market.
- an insect with some rare patterns, rare form, will also face a higher demand.

To give you some precise examples, a rare Agrias phalcidon form floqueti will be sold above $2,000, a rare Delias cumanau from New Guinea above $5,000 and a scarce Ornithoptera allotei around $1,000.

_{What are the rarest insects in the world ?}

It is hard to answer that question for several reasons :

- a rare species can be common in nature, it is just hard to reach it. For example, Delias fojaensis is extremely rare in collection but could be common in the Foja Mountains on New Guinea.

- hard to make a "ranking" between rare insect species,

But we can list you 10 very rare insect species in collection like :

Ornithoptera alexandrae (CITES 1 species)
Graphium levassori
Delias cumanau
Colias ponteni
Megachile pluto
Goliathus atlas
Papilio homerus (CITES 1 species)
Bhutanitis ludlowi

Please also note that some protected species like Parnassius apollo or Ornithoptera priamus can be very common in some localities. Very often, protection lists have been defined by non-entomologists in the 1970ies which explains some oddities in the protection lists. Always check the rare insect protection list before collecting or purchasing an insect specimen to avoid any risk. CITES II species can be sold with permits.

_{How to get rare insects here ?}

You have find an elusive butterfly for your insect collection on this page, just click on the picture and you will be automatically redirected towards a merchant site where you can purchase it. It is as simple as that. Our Top 100 Insect Auction selection reflects our point-of-view of what are the most interesting rare insects available online today.

Why are some insect rare ?

Most of the time, insects are considered as rare for the following reasons :

- it lives in very remote places. Some species are endemic to very remote islands or to a specific mountain in tropical areas. So of course, you won't find them easily online or in insect fairs.

- its biotope has been destroyed. A good example is Ornithoptera alexandrae, its prime forest habitat is under pressure by palm oil plantations in New Guinea. You can admire live Ornithoptera alexandrae on the video below.

Top Insect Auctions :

Beetles for collectors :

Butterflies for collectors :

Moths for collectors :

Other insects for collectors :