Butterfly economics is the title of a book dealing with economic theory. Paul Ormerod's book "Butterfly Economics: A New General Theory of Social and Economic Behavior" was published in 1999. The author uses a plethora of insect-related metaphors to show that an economy tends to function like a living organism rather than a machine and is thus able to learn and to adapt.
The theory presented by the book departs from conventional economic wisdom which understands individuals as isolated decision makers who act based on a rational evaluation of sufficient information about cost and benefits of respective choices. Butterfly economics adds interaction to the equation and argues that individuals interact when pursuing their interests, thereby gaining new information, which in turn influences their decision-making.