The Japanese toy company Tenyo made this robotic butterfly that looks and acts like the real thing. It was on display at the Tokyo Toy Show this year.
http://www.japantrends.com/chouchou-robotic-butterfly-in-a-jar/ via Gizmodo
While I did capture butterflies in Ball jars as a child. I question why anyone would think that the object was to torture them. The Hunt, Observation, Understanding. Those are the reasons.