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Behold D&D stats for using a butterfly net in combat, from the Arms and Equipment Guide. That this exists in and of itself is amazing. However, this is actually a lot better than a regular net.

It's a melee weapon and can thus use Strength instead of Dexterity on to-hit rolls. This is good because Strength is what is used to stop someone entangled in the net from moving out of it's range - Which is the standard 5 feet that melee weapons have to a normal net's 10 feet, and is thus slightly better for controlling said enemy.

It can effect things outside the size range of normal nets. Regular nets can only effect things within one size category of the net, so as a medium creature you can effect Small to large creatures. A butterfly net of the same size can effect any creature up to large, and gets a +2 bonus to smaller creatures.

A regular net must be re-folded to be used a second time, which takes a long time and relegates a net's use to once per battle. A butterfly net logically doesn't have that problem. It also doesn't require a feat to use, which in and of itself would make it infinitely more useful than a net.

Finally, it costs 10g to a standard net's 20g. Presumably just to add salt to the wound.