Who We Are

James & Son Butterfly Co. is inspired by the beauty of nature. Through our products and services, we hope to shed light on the importance of our winged friends. Butterflies are world-renowned for their unique colors and patterns, coming in all shapes and sizes. As a father-son duo, we have dedicated our lives to invertebrate conservation and environmental education.

Jame(son) Reiser - Founder & Owner

Jameson, James’ son, grew up surrounded by the amazing world of butterflies and wildlife. He is a naturalist at heart, enjoying all aspects of the great outdoors. He can be found hiking in the high alpine regions of Colorado to fishing farm ponds for largemouth bass in his home state of Nebraska. He holds a M.S. in Sustainability Planning and Management from the University of Colorado-Boulder and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an emphasis in Conservation and Environmental Sciences. Jameson has worked for various non-profit, public, and private organizations across the conservation and natural resources industry. He started the family business to combine his passion and love for science, conservation, and of course, butterflies.

James Reiser - Lead Lepidopterist

James, aka “The Bug Guy”, has been passionate about butterflies from an early age. He has over 50 years of experience observing, collecting, breeding, rearing caterpillars, and preserving adult butterflies. His knowledge of larval/host plant relationships has even been featured in several scientific journals. As a child, he would take his butterfly net and explore the local parks, alfalfa fields, and neighborhood backyards of his small hometown, Columbus, NE, in search of our winged friends. Over the years, James’ hobby of catching butterflies grew into a lifestyle. He majored in Entomology (the study of insects) in college and spent the majority of his 20’s traveling across the United States catching, collecting, and preserving butterflies for his personal collection. Shortly after, he decided to share his passion of the fascinating world of butterflies with others. He formally became “The Bug Guy” when he began show-and-telling his butterflies, caterpillars, tarantulas, and other creepy crawlies to schoolchildren, inspiring the next generation to get outdoors and explore the natural world.

Referenced In Scientific Journals & Reports

MUSINEON TENUIFOLlUM (APIACEAE): NEW HOST OF FOUR NEBRASKA PAPILlO (PAPILIONIDAE)

Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 48(1), 1994, 68-69

OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF OCCIDRYAS ANICIA BERNADETTA (NYMPHALIDAE) AT THE TYPE LOCALITY

Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 39(1), 1985, 55-57

RED LIST OF POLLINATOR INSECTS. Species profile: Hesperia dacotae, Dakota Skipper

Vaughan, D. M., and M. D. Shepherd. 2005. Species Profile: Hesperia dacotae. In Shepherd, M. D., D. M. Vaughan, and S. H. Black (Eds). Red List of Pollinator Insects of North America. CD-ROM Version 1 (May 2005). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia Drury): A Technical Conservation Assessment

Selby, G. (2007, February 9). Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia Drury): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/ regalfritillary.pdf.

Survey for additional colonies of the endemic Black Hills fritillary butterfly

A report to the South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish, and Parks Wildlife Diversity Small Grants Program. 523 E. Capitol-Foss Bldg. Pierre, SD 57501