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
Japanese Swallowtail
Papilio xuthus
A common Asian swallowtail with pale yellow wings striped with black tiger-like bands. It is one of ...
Japanese Yellow Swallowtail
Papilio machaon hippocrates
The Japanese subspecies of the Old World swallowtail, known as 'ki-ageha.' A large and elegant butte...
Jersey Tiger
Euplagia quadripunctaria
A day-flying moth with striking black and white striped forewings and bright orange hindwings. It ga...
Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus
A small green hairstreak butterfly with intricate white line patterns on its hindwing underside. Its...
Kaiseri-i-Hind Butterfly
Teinopalpus imperialis
An elusive swallowtail from Himalayan cloud forests. Its name means Emperor of India. Rarely seen du...
Kamehameha Butterfly
Vanessa tameamea
Hawaii's state insect, a beautiful orange-and-black butterfly endemic to the islands. It is one of o...
Karner Blue
Plebejus samuelis
A tiny bright blue butterfly with orange crescents on the hindwing underside that depends entirely o...
Kauri Moth
Agathiphaga vitiensis
An extremely primitive moth considered a living fossil, with larvae that feed inside the seeds of ka...
Kentish Glory Moth
Endromis versicolora
A day-flying moth once widespread in England but now extinct there....
Lackey Moth
Malacosoma neustria
A pale tawny moth whose colorful striped caterpillars spin communal silk tents on trees....
Lana'i Sandalwood Moth
Iliahia pahulu
A critically endangered moth discovered in 2026, known only from a small grove of roughly 30 sandalw...
Lange's Metalmark Butterfly
Apodemia mormo langei
A small metalmark butterfly found only at Antioch Dunes in California. Its larvae feed exclusively o...
Lapland Ringlet
Erebia embla
A dark brown butterfly with prominent yellow-ringed black eyespots on both wings. The flight is slow...
Lappet Moth
Gastropacha quercifolia
A moth that rests with wings layered to perfectly resemble a cluster of dead leaves....
Large Blue
Phengaris arion
A blue butterfly with distinctive black spots that has one of the most complex life cycles in the in...
Large Case Moth
Metura elongatus
A bagworm moth whose larva builds a distinctive silk case covered in sticks and leaves. The wingless...
Large Copper Butterfly
Lycaena dispar
Once widespread across European wetlands, the English subspecies went extinct in the 1850s. Remainin...
Large Emerald
Geometra papilionaria
A beautiful bright green moth with delicate white wavy lines across both wings. Its green color fade...
Large Fruit-tree Tortrix
Archips podana
A relatively large tortricid with reddish-brown males and paler females. It is a common pest in orch...
Large Pale Clothes Moth
Tinea pallescentella
A pale straw-colored clothes moth that is larger than the common webbing clothes moth. Its larvae pr...
Large Skipper
Ochlodes sylvanus
A robust golden-orange skipper with a distinctive swift darting flight. Males have a prominent dark ...
Large Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis polychloros
A large orange butterfly with dark spots resembling a scaled-up small tortoiseshell, once widespread...
Large Wall Brown
Lasiommata maera
A medium-sized brown butterfly with large apical eyespots and warm orange patches on the forewings. ...
Large White
Pieris brassicae
A common white butterfly with black wingtips and one or two black spots on the forewing. Its green-y...
Large Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba
One of the most abundant moths in Europe with bright yellow-orange hindwings bordered in black. It i...
Latreille's Hawk Moth
Theretra latreillii
A medium-sized hawk moth with olive-brown forewings bearing a distinctive pale stripe. It is common ...
Lemon Migrant
Catopsilia pomona
Variable coloring from white to deep yellow with a reddish spot on hindwing underside. A widespread ...
Leopard Moth
Zeuzera pyrina
A striking white moth covered in black spots like a snow leopard's coat. Its wood-boring larvae can ...
Lesser Death's-head Hawk Moth
Acherontia styx
An Asian relative of the death's-head hawk moth, similarly marked with a skull pattern on the thorax...
Lesser Purple Emperor
Apatura ilia
Similar to the Purple Emperor but smaller, with an ocellus on the forewing and more strongly marked ...
Lesser Swallow Prominent Moth
Pheosia gnoma
A white moth very similar to the Swallow Prominent but with a thinner dark wedge mark and a clear wh...
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Noctua comes
Similar to the Large Yellow Underwing but smaller with more orange-yellow hindwings. Very common in ...
Lichen Moth of New Zealand
Declana floccosa
A beautifully camouflaged moth endemic to New Zealand that resembles a patch of lichen when resting ...
Light Brown Apple Moth
Epiphyas postvittana
A small variable brown moth native to Australia that has invaded several continents. It feeds on ove...
Light Emerald
Campaea margaritaria
A delicate pale green moth with fine white cross-lines that fades to white as it ages. It is one of ...
Lime Hawk-moth
Mimas tiliae
A beautifully scalloped hawk-moth with variable pink-green to brown colouration and dark central win...
Lime-speck Pug
Eupithecia centaureata
A small whitish moth with a distinctive dark spot on each forewing. One of the most widespread pug m...
Lined Tiger Moth
Grammia virgo
A boldly patterned moth with black forewings bearing thin cream stripes and bright pinkish-red hindw...
Little Carpenterworm
Prionoxystus macmurtrei
A smaller relative of the carpenterworm moth that bores into oaks and other hardwoods. Larvae create...
Liturata Hawk Moth
Ambulyx liturata
A large hawk moth with brownish-ochre forewings marked with dark streaks and patches. It is widespre...
Lobster Moth
Stauropus fagi
A moth whose young caterpillar mimics an ant and mature caterpillar resembles a lobster....
Loepa Yellow Silk Moth
Loepa katinka
A vivid yellow silk moth with large lavender-centered eyespots on all four wings. It is one of the m...
Long-tailed Blue
Lampides boeticus
A small pale violet-blue butterfly with thin hairlike tails on the hindwings and prominent false eye...
Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus
A striking skipper with iridescent blue-green body and wing bases and long tail-like projections on ...
Lotis Blue Butterfly
Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis
A small blue butterfly historically found in sphagnum bog habitats in coastal Mendocino County, Cali...
Luna Moth
Actias luna
A stunning lime-green moth with long trailing hindwing tails. Adults live only about one week. The l...
Lunar Hornet Moth
Sesia bembeciformis
A large clearwing moth that mimics a hornet and bores into willow and sallow trunks. Adults emerge i...
Luzon Peacock Swallowtail
Papilio chikae
An extremely rare Philippine endemic with dark wings bearing brilliant green bands and large red-cen...
Macedonian Grayling
Pseudochazara cingovskii
A rare grayling butterfly found only on a few limestone hillsides in North Macedonia. It flies low o...
Macrosoma conifera
Macrosoma conifera
Small grayish-white moth-butterfly with narrow pointed wings. Inhabits forest understory and is acti...
Macrosoma hyacinthina
Macrosoma hyacinthina
Small moth-butterfly with a subtle blue-violet sheen on fresh specimens. Named for the hyacinth-like...
Macrosoma lucivittata
Macrosoma lucivittata
Moth-butterfly with pale wings bearing a translucent vitreous stripe. One of the more distinctive he...
Macrosoma tipulata
Macrosoma tipulata
Slender moth-butterfly with elongated brown-gray wings and long legs. Nocturnal and rarely encounter...
Madagascan Emperor Moth
Antherina suraka
A large silk moth with brownish wings and prominent eyespots. Endemic to Madagascar and commonly use...
Madagascan Giant Swallowtail
Pharmacophagus antenor
A large black swallowtail butterfly with red and white markings, endemic to Madagascar. It is the is...
Madagascan Moon Moth
Argema mittrei male form
The male form has exceptionally long tail streamers that can exceed 15 cm. These tails spin in fligh...
Madagascan Sphinx Moth
Xanthopan praedicta
A hawkmoth with an extraordinarily long proboscis, endemic to Madagascar. Darwin famously predicted ...
Madagascan Sunset Moth
Chrysiridia rhipheus
Often considered the most beautiful insect in the world. Its rainbow-colored wings with metallic hue...
Madagascan Tiger Moth
Radiarctia rhodesiana
A colorful tiger moth found in Madagascar with orange and black wing patterns. It advertises its tox...
Madagascar Swordtail Butterfly
Graphium evombar
An elegant swallowtail butterfly with elongated sword-like tails on the hindwings and pale green to ...
Madeiran Brimstone Butterfly
Gonepteryx maderensis
A yellow butterfly endemic to the island of Madeira in the Atlantic. It is closely related to Canary...
Madeiran Large White
Pieris brassicae wollastoni
A subspecies of the large white butterfly that was endemic to Madeira. It has not been reliably reco...
Magellan Birdwing
Troides magellanus
A large Philippine birdwing with black forewings and vibrant golden hindwings. It is endemic to the ...
Magpie Moth
Abraxas grossulariata
A conspicuous white moth with bold black spots and an orange-yellow band across the wings. It played...
Malabar Banded Peacock
Papilio buddha
A striking swallowtail endemic to the Western Ghats with broad green bands across dark wings. Males ...
Malabar Large White
Pieris brassicae mahometana
A rare subspecies of the Large White butterfly endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Found only in ...
Malabar Tree Nymph
Idea malabarica
A very large, elegant butterfly with translucent white wings patterned with dark veins and spots. It...
Malachite Butterfly
Siproeta stelenes
A large butterfly with striking black and brilliant malachite green patterning on both wing surfaces...
Malagasy Atlas Moth
Epiphora bauhiniae
A large silk moth with rich chestnut and cream wings bearing translucent triangular windows. The win...
Malagasy Blue Butterfly
Leptomyrina phidias
A small butterfly with brilliant blue upperwings in males and more subdued brown in females. The und...
Malagasy Emerald Moth
Chrysiridia croesus
A day-flying uraniid moth closely related to the sunset moth but smaller, with iridescent green and ...
Malagasy Moon Moth
Ceranchia apollina
An elegant silk moth with soft white wings bearing delicate eyespots and fine dark scaling. It is sm...
Malagasy Processionary Moth
Anaphe madagascariensis
A pale silky white moth whose caterpillars march in long head-to-tail processions through the forest...
Malagasy Skipper Butterfly
Heteropsis narcissus
A small satyrinae butterfly with brown wings marked by subtle eyespots along the wing margins. It fl...
Malagasy Tiger Moth
Grammodes stolida
A nocturnal moth with bold geometric patterns of orange, cream, and dark brown on its forewings. The...
Malay Lacewing
Cethosia hypsea
A vividly colored butterfly with deep orange-red wings outlined in black with white spots along the ...
Malay Leaf Butterfly
Kallima limborgii
A master of camouflage, with undersides that perfectly mimic a dead brown leaf complete with midrib,...
Malaysian Moon Moth
Actias maenas
A large, pale green silk moth with long, twisted tails on the hindwings. The wings are adorned with ...
Maldives Coconut Moth
Opisina arenosella
A small moth whose larvae feed on coconut palm leaves across the Indian Ocean. It is a significant p...
Map Butterfly
Araschnia levana
A small butterfly that produces two dramatically different seasonal forms within the same year. Spri...
Marbled Minor
Oligia strigilis
A small, cryptically marked moth that is extremely variable in pattern. Part of a complex of similar...
Marbled White
Melanargia galathea
A distinctive butterfly with bold black and white chequered wings that resembles no other European s...
Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly
Hypolimnas octocula marianensis
A butterfly subspecies endemic to the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. It has suffered from h...
Marsh Fritillary
Euphydryas aurinia
A colourful butterfly with a complex mosaic of orange, cream, and brown markings across its wings. I...
Mauritius Lowland Forest Day Moth
Agarista agricola
A day-flying moth with black wings marked by white and orange patches. Found on Mauritius and neighb...
Meadow Argus
Junonia villida
A medium-sized brown butterfly with prominent eyespots on each wing. It is one of Australia's most c...
Meadow Brown
Maniola jurtina
The most abundant butterfly in Britain, a brown species with a single eyespot on each forewing....
Meal Moth
Pyralis farinalis
A distinctive moth with olive and reddish-brown banded wings that infests stored grain and flour. La...
Mediterranean Flour Moth
Ephestia kuehniella
A major pest of flour mills that produces dense silken webbing that clogs milling machinery. It is p...
Melissa Arctic
Oeneis melissa
A gray-brown butterfly with subtle orange patches and small blind eyespots. The hindwing underside f...
Merveille du Jour
Griposia aprilina
A strikingly camouflaged moth with green and black lichen-like patterning on its forewings. It rests...
Miami Blue
Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri
A small blue butterfly once common throughout coastal South Florida. It is now restricted to a few i...
Micropterix Moth
Micropterix calthella
One of the most primitive moths with functional mandibles that chew pollen. Lacks the typical coiled...
Mitchell's Diurnal Moth
Pollanisus viridipulverulenta
A small, metallic blue-green day-flying moth with a slow, fluttery flight. It is common in heathland...
Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly
Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii
A small brown butterfly with distinctive eyespots found in calcareous fens of the Great Lakes region...
Mnestra's Ringlet
Erebia mnestra
A dark alpine ringlet with bright orange patches on its forewings. It inhabits steep, rocky grasslan...
Mocker Swallowtail
Papilio dardanus
A remarkable swallowtail where females mimic several different toxic butterfly species while males l...
Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
Famous for its incredible multi-generational migration spanning up to 4,800 km between Canada and Me...
Moorland Clouded Yellow
Colias palaeno
A lemon-yellow butterfly with dark wing borders found in northern bogs and mountain moors. It is a g...
Mopane Worm
Gonimbrasia belina
The most economically important edible insect in southern Africa. The caterpillar of an emperor moth...