Butterflies & Moths
Order Lepidoptera
809 speciesKnown for their large, often colorful wings covered in tiny scales. Lepidoptera undergo complete metamorphosis through egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages.
Species in this Order
Cranberry Blue
Plebejus optilete
A small butterfly with violet-blue upperwings in males and dark brown in females. The hindwing under...
Cream Wave
Scopula floslactata
A delicate cream-white moth with subtle cross-lines. Found in deciduous woodland and hedgerows. Larv...
Cream-spot Tiger Moth
Arctia villica
A striking black moth with cream-white spots and orange hindwings with dark patches....
Cretan Tiger Moth
Euplagia quadripunctaria rhodosensis
A colorful tiger moth found on Mediterranean islands including Crete and Rhodes. It has black-and-wh...
Crimson Rose
Pachliopta hector
A striking black swallowtail with bright crimson patches on the hindwings and a red body. It is a mo...
Crimson Speckled Moth
Utetheisa pulchella
A small stunning moth with white forewings densely spotted with black and red marks. It is a strong ...
Crockeri Euphaedra
Euphaedra crockeri
A rare and beautifully patterned forest butterfly with green and orange wing markings. It is restric...
Cruiser Butterfly
Vindula dejone
A large butterfly with warm orange wings marked with black spots and lines. Males are bright tawny-o...
Cuban Clear-winged Moth
Carmenta bassiformis
A wasp-mimicking moth found in Cuba with transparent wings. Its narrow body and buzzing flight close...
Cuban Dagger Moth
Acronicta oblinita
A moth found in Cuba and North America whose caterpillars bear dense tufts of hair. Adults are grayi...
Cuban Pygmy Blue Butterfly
Brephidium exilis thompsoni
One of the smallest butterflies in the world, found in Cuba and the Caribbean. Its wingspan barely e...
Currant Clearwing
Synanthedon tipuliformis
A small wasp-mimicking moth with transparent wings and a black body banded with yellow. Its larvae b...
Cynthia Moth
Samia cynthia
An olive and brown silk moth with distinctive white crescent marks and lilac shading on the wing mar...
Cynthia's Fritillary
Euphydryas cynthia
A striking black-and-white checkered fritillary with orange markings. Males and females differ drama...
Cypress Bark Moth
Laspeyresia cupressana
A small moth whose larvae bore beneath the bark of cypress and juniper trees. It can cause significa...
Cypris Morpho
Morpho cypris
A striking white and blue Morpho butterfly found in Central and northern South American cloud forest...
Dainty Swallowtail
Papilio anactus
A small, elegant swallowtail butterfly that is the most widespread Papilio species in Australia. It ...
Dark Arches Moth
Apamea monoglypha
A large, dark brown moth with complex darker markings and pale stigmata. It is one of the largest an...
Dark Green Fritillary
Speyeria aglaja
A fast-flying fritillary with a powerful gliding flight over open grasslands. Its underside features...
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
Xanthorhoe ferrugata
A common but variable carpet moth found in gardens and hedgerows. Wing pattern ranges from pale to v...
Darling Underwing
Catocala cara
A large underwing moth with cryptic gray-brown forewings and striking pinkish-red hindwings banded w...
Death Head Hawk Moth
Acherontia lachesis
An Asian death head moth that squeaks loudly and raids bee hives for honey....
Death Head Hawkmoth
Acherontia atropos
Famous for the skull-like pattern on its thorax. Can emit a loud squeak when disturbed. Raids beehiv...
December Moth
Poecilocampa populi
A dark, hairy moth that flies in the coldest months of the year, from November to January. Its cold-...
Demon Charaxes
Charaxes lucretius
A large forest Charaxes with deep black upperside marked with blue iridescence in males. Females are...
Dewy Ringlet
Erebia pandrose
A widespread alpine ringlet with grayish-brown wings and small eyespots. It is found across many mou...
Diamondback Moth
Plutella xylostella
A tiny grayish moth with a diamond-shaped pattern along its back when wings are folded. It is the mo...
Didius Blue Morpho
Morpho didius
One of the largest Morpho butterflies, with a wingspan reaching up to 150 mm. The males display bril...
Dingy Arctic Fritillary
Boloria improba
One of the smallest Arctic fritillaries with dull orange-brown wings and dark markings. The undersid...
Dingy Footman Moth
Eilema griseola
A small pale straw-yellow moth with slightly darker forewing edges. It rests flat-winged unlike many...
Dingy Skipper
Erynnis tages
A small, moth-like butterfly with mottled grey-brown wings that rests with wings spread flat. It is ...
Dogwood Borer
Synanthedon scitula
A clearwing moth whose larvae bore beneath the bark of dogwood, apple, and other trees. It is a sign...
Dominican Clearwing Butterfly
Greta diaphanus
A glasswing butterfly found in Hispaniola with nearly transparent wings. Its wings have tiny nanopil...
Doris Longwing
Heliconius doris
A highly variable Heliconius butterfly that occurs in multiple color forms including blue, red, and ...
Dot Moth
Melanchra persicariae
A dark bluish-black moth with a conspicuous white kidney-mark on each forewing. Its boldly marked ap...
Douglas-fir Tussock Moth
Orgyia pseudotsugata
A defoliator of Douglas-fir and true firs in western North America. Outbreaks cause severe defoliati...
Dragon Swallowtail
Sericinus montela
A delicate white swallowtail with black veins and red spots, bearing long spatulate tails. It has a ...
Drinker Moth
Euthrix potatoria
A large golden-brown moth named because its caterpillar was observed drinking drops of dew from gras...
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
A small, chequered brown and orange butterfly and Europe's only member of the metalmark family. It h...
Dun-bar
Cosmia trapezina
A late summer noctuid moth whose caterpillars are partly predatory, eating other moth larvae sharing...
Dusky-winged Fritillary
Boloria natazhati
A small fritillary butterfly with dark brown wings bearing orange spots and complex underside markin...
Ear Moth
Amphipoea oculea
A small brown moth whose larvae bore inside grass and rush stems. Very variable in appearance. Part ...
Early Thorn
Selenia dentaria
A moth that resembles a dead leaf when at rest, with twig-like resting posture. The spring generatio...
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas
Tiny blue butterfly with thin tails on the hindwings and orange spots near the tail. One of the smal...
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum
A common moth whose caterpillars build conspicuous silk tents in the forks of cherry and apple trees...
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
A large yellow butterfly with bold black tiger stripes and blue and orange markings on the hindwing ...
Edwards' Atlas Moth
Attacus edwardsii
A massive Himalayan silk moth rivaling the atlas moth in size, with rich brown wings and large trans...
Eighty-eight Butterfly
Diaethria clymena
A small butterfly with striking black and white markings on its underwings that clearly spell out th...
Elephant Hawk-moth
Deilephila elpenor
A stunning pink and olive-green moth that hovers at flowers like a hummingbird at dusk. Its caterpil...
Emerald Swallowtail
Papilio palinurus
A stunning swallowtail butterfly with broad bands of emerald green on black wings. The green color i...
Emperor Gum Moth
Opodiphthera eucalypti
A large and attractive native moth with prominent eyespots on each wing that serve as a startle defe...
Emperor Moth
Saturnia pavonia
Europe's only native member of the giant silk moth family, with prominent eyespots on all four wings...
Emperor Swallowtail
Papilio ophidicephalus
South Africa's largest butterfly with bold black and yellow-green markings. Its caterpillar mimics a...
Engrailed Moth
Ectropis crepuscularia
A cryptic grey-brown moth with jagged crosslines and excellent bark-mimicking camouflage. It rests f...
Eri Silk Moth
Samia ricini
A large domesticated silk moth with chocolate-brown wings bearing crescent-shaped eyespots. It produ...
Essex Skipper
Thymelicus lineola
A small orange-brown skipper so similar to the small skipper that it was not recognised as a separat...
European Corn Borer
Ostrinia nubilalis
A small yellowish-brown moth that is one of the most destructive crop pests in the world. Larvae bor...
European Grape Berry Moth
Eupoecilia ambiguella
A small cream-colored moth with a dark diagonal band across the forewings. It is one of the two most...
European Grapevine Moth
Lobesia botrana
A small marbled moth with complex grey, brown, and olive patterns on the forewings. It is the most e...
Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis
A North American bagworm whose larvae construct spindle-shaped bags covered in bits of leaves and tw...
Eyed Hawk-moth
Smerinthus ocellatus
A large hawk-moth with cryptic brown forewings that conceal vivid blue and black eyespots on the hin...
Fall Armyworm
Spodoptera frugiperda
A highly destructive migratory moth whose caterpillars can devastate entire corn and cereal fields i...
Fall Webworm
Hyphantria cunea
A native North American moth whose caterpillars build communal silk webs on tree branches. It has be...
False Ringlet
Coenonympha oedippus
A small, drab brown butterfly with a row of striking silver-centred eyespots on the hindwing undersi...
Fan-foot Moth
Zanclognatha tarsipennalis
A subtle brown moth with fan-shaped palps and delicate wing markings. Found in woodland where dead l...
Fatal Metalmark
Calephelis nemesis
A tiny dark brown butterfly with fine metallic silver lines across the wings and minute checkered fr...
Feathered Thorn
Colotois pennaria
An autumn-flying moth with warm orange-brown wings and males bearing dramatically feathered antennae...
Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus
A small bright orange skipper with short antennae and a fast darting flight. Males have a prominent ...
Figure of Eight Moth
Diloba caeruleocephala
Named for the figure-of-eight marking on its grey forewing, this autumn-flying moth is often found a...
Fiji Blue Spotted Crow
Euploea tulliolus
A dark-winged butterfly with distinctive blue-white spotted margins, found in Fiji and other Pacific...
Fiji Moth
Heterallactis baibakoua
A day-flying forester moth endemic to Fiji, with metallic blue-black wings. It is found in native fo...
Fiji Swallowtail
Papilio schmeltzi
A swallowtail butterfly endemic to the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. It inhabits native forest ...
Firethorn Leaf Miner
Phyllonorycter leucographella
A tiny moth whose larvae create blister mines on pyracantha leaves. Originally from southern Europe,...
Five-bar Swordtail
Graphium antiphates
An elegant swallowtail with pale creamy-white wings crossed by bold black zebra-like stripes and exc...
Five-spotted Burnet
Zygaena trifolii
A small day-flying moth with glossy blue-black forewings bearing five red spots and entirely red hin...
Five-Spotted Hawk Moth
Manduca quinquemaculata
A large mottled gray moth whose caterpillar is the familiar tomato hornworm with a distinctive black...
Flame Carpet Moth
Xanthorhoe designata
A small, attractive geometer moth with pinkish-brown and dark banding creating a flame-like pattern....
Forest Giant Owl Moth
Erebus walkeri
A massive dark brown moth with intricate bark-like patterning and subtle eyespots. It rests during t...
Forest Queen Butterfly
Euxanthe wakefieldi
A large, striking butterfly with dark brown wings marked by broad bands of apple green. It is a powe...
Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma disstria
A widespread North American moth whose caterpillars defoliate vast areas of hardwood forest. Despite...
Four-barred Swordtail
Protographium leosthenes
A distinctive swallowtail with translucent wings crossed by four dark bars and a long sword-like tai...
Four-spotted Footman Moth
Lithosia quadra
A large footman moth with strong sexual dimorphism; males are grey with two forewing spots, females ...
Fox Moth
Macrothylacia rubi
A richly colored russet-brown moth. The large hairy black caterpillar is commonly seen crossing path...
Foxglove Pug
Eupithecia pulchellata
A small moth whose larvae feed exclusively inside foxglove flowers. Well-camouflaged with subtle bro...
Foxy Charaxes
Charaxes jasius saturnus
A powerful butterfly with rich orange-brown wings edged in dark brown with blue spots. The underside...
Frangipani Hawk Moth
Pseudosphinx tetrio
A large gray hawk moth whose larvae are among the most spectacular caterpillars in the world, with b...
Freija Fritillary
Boloria freija
A medium-small fritillary with bright orange wings bearing black zigzag markings. The hindwing under...
Freyer's Purple Emperor
Apatura metis
A large, powerful butterfly closely related to the purple emperor but restricted to river valleys. M...
Frigga Fritillary
Boloria frigga
A medium-sized fritillary with tawny-orange wings and a bold pattern of dark lines. The hindwing und...
Gaboon Viper Caterpillar Moth
Lobobunaea phaedusa
A large saturniid moth with rich brown and reddish-purple wings bearing prominent eye-spots. The cat...
Garden Carpet
Xanthorhoe fluctuata
A very common garden moth with variable grey and white patterning. Double-brooded with adults flying...
Garden Grass-veneer
Chrysoteuchia culmella
A small straw-colored moth with a silvery sheen and prominent labial palps forming a snout. It is on...
Garden Tiger Moth
Arctia caja
A boldly patterned moth with chocolate-and-white forewings and red-spotted hindwings....
Gatekeeper
Pyronia tithonus
A common warm-brown butterfly often seen basking on hedgerow flowers in high summer. It has distinct...
Gaudy Sphinx Moth
Eumorpha labruscae
A spectacular hawk moth with blue-green and brown patterned forewings that create an extraordinary l...
Geranium Bronze
Cacyreus marshalli
A small dull brown butterfly with a distinctive white fringe and thin tail that has become a major p...
Ghost Moth
Hepialus humuli
Males are ghostly white and perform an eerie hovering dance over grassland at dusk to attract browni...
Giant Blue Swallowtail
Papilio zalmoxis
One of the largest and most spectacular butterflies in Africa, with a wingspan exceeding 150 mm. The...
Giant Charaxes
Charaxes castor
One of the largest charaxes butterflies with powerful tawny-orange wings with black borders. It has ...
Giant Grey Hawk Moth
Agrius cingulata
A massive hawk moth with gray-streaked forewings and a pink and black banded abdomen. It is one of t...