He worked at the British Museum on the taxonomy of birds, insects, and spiders.

Arthur Gardiner Butler was born at Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London.

He was the son of Thomas Butler (1809–1908), assistant-secretary to the British Museum.

[3] At the British Museum, he was appointed as an officer with two roles, as an assistant-keeper in zoology and as an assistant-librarian in 1879.

[4] He also published articles on spiders of Australia, the Galápagos, Madagascar, and other places.