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
South American Swallowtail
Heraclides thoas
A large swallowtail butterfly with black wings bearing bright yellow band patterns and prominent tai...
Southern Birdwing
Troides minos
India's largest butterfly, with a striking black and bright yellow color scheme. Males display velve...
Southern Dogface
Zerene cesonia
Yellow butterfly with a pointed forewing showing a poodle-dog-face pattern in black. Males have a wa...
Southern Festoon
Zerynthia polyxena
A strikingly patterned butterfly with yellow wings marked with black zigzags and red spots. It is on...
Southern Flannel Moth
Megalopyge opercularis
A fluffy moth covered in cream to orange-brown fur-like scales. Its larva, called the puss caterpill...
Southern Snout Butterfly
Libytheana carinenta
A medium-sized butterfly with an extremely elongated snout formed by its labial palps, giving it a u...
Southwestern Corn Borer
Diatraea grandiosella
A pale moth whose larvae bore into corn stalks and girdle stems from the inside, causing extensive l...
Spanish Festoon
Zerynthia rumina
A brightly patterned butterfly with zigzag black markings and red and yellow patches on its wings. I...
Spanish Moon Moth
Graellsia isabellae
A striking green moth with long hindwing tails found only in Spain and France....
Speckled Emperor Moth
Gynanisa maja
A large earth-toned emperor moth with speckled brown and grey wings bearing clear eyespots. It is a ...
Speckled Wood
Pararge aegeria
Brown butterfly with cream or orange spots and small eyespots on hindwings. Males defend sunlit patc...
Speckled Yellow
Pseudopanthera macularia
A bright yellow day-flying moth with brown speckles across the wings. It flutters through woodland c...
Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus
A dark swallowtail butterfly with blue-green hindwing scaling and orange spots. Its caterpillar has ...
Spiny Oak Slug Moth
Euclea delphinii
A small colorful moth with green, brown, and silver-spotted forewings. Its flattened, jewel-like cat...
Spiny Oakworm Moth
Anisota stigma
A medium-sized saturniid with rich orange-brown wings bearing a small white discal spot. Males are d...
Splendid Ghost Moth
Aenetus ligniveren
A large, primitive moth with bright green and white patterned wings. Its larvae bore into tree trunk...
Splendid Ochre
Trapezites petalia
A moderately large skipper butterfly with bright orange uppersides and mottled brown undersides. Mal...
Spotted Grass Moth
Rivula propinqualis
A tiny yellowish moth with a distinctive dark spot on each forewing. It is extremely common in damp ...
Spotted Jezebel
Delias aganippe
A boldly patterned butterfly with black-bordered white wings and red-spotted undersides. It is the m...
Spotted Stem Borer
Chilo partellus
A straw-colored moth whose larvae bore into stems of maize and sorghum in Africa and Asia. It can ca...
Spruce Budworm
Choristoneura fumiferana
A small mottled grey-brown moth that is the most destructive forest pest in North America. Outbreaks...
Spurge Hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae
A striking hawkmoth with olive and pink forewings and rosy-red hindwings with a black base. Its cate...
Square-spot Rustic
Xestia xanthographa
An extremely common autumn-flying moth with a diagnostic square stigma on the forewing. One of the m...
Striped Hawkmoth
Hyles livornica
A streamlined hawk-moth with olive-brown forewings crossed by pale veins and pink-banded hindwings. ...
Subarctic Dart Moth
Agrotis gelida
A medium-sized moth with dark grayish-brown forewings marked with kidney and orbicular spots. It fli...
Sugarcane Borer
Diatraea saccharalis
A straw-colored moth whose larvae bore into sugarcane stalks, causing yield losses and allowing dise...
Sulkowsky's Morpho
Morpho sulkowskyi
A high-altitude Morpho butterfly with translucent, pearly-white wings that display a subtle blue iri...
Summer Fruit Tortrix
Adoxophyes orana
A small yellowish-brown moth with darker V-shaped markings on the forewings. It is a significant fru...
Sunbeam Butterfly
Curetis thetis
Dark upper wings contrast with brilliant silvery-white undersides. Fast-flying and sun-loving, often...
Sunset Morpho
Morpho hecuba
The largest species in the morpho butterfly genus, with brownish-orange wings rather than the typica...
Swallow Prominent
Pheosia tremula
A pale grey-white moth with a distinctive dark wedge-shaped mark along the inner edge of each forewi...
Swallow-tailed Moth
Ourapteryx sambucaria
A large, pale lemon-yellow moth with pointed tail-like projections on its hindwings. Its graceful sh...
Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio machaon
Elegant butterfly with yellow wings marked with black veins and blue-red eyespots on hindwings. The ...
Swamp Metalmark
Calephelis mutica
A rare and localized metalmark butterfly of midwestern wetlands with warm rusty-brown wings marked w...
Sweetbay Silk Moth
Callosamia securifera
A large silk moth similar to the promethea but associated with sweetbay magnolia in the southeastern...
Sweetheart Underwing
Catocala amatrix
A large underwing moth with mottled gray-brown forewings and rosy-pink hindwings crossed by black ba...
Swiss Brassy Ringlet
Erebia tyndarus
A dark butterfly with a greenish metallic sheen on its upperside. It is endemic to alpine meadows in...
Sycamore Moth
Acronicta aceris
A plain grey moth whose caterpillar is spectacular with white tufts and bright orange and yellow hai...
Tailed Jay
Graphium agamemnon
A fast-flying black swallowtail butterfly covered with spots of green or blue-green. It rarely settl...
Tapestry Moth
Trichophaga tapetzella
A distinctive clothes moth with whitish forewings and a dark brownish-black base. It creates extensi...
Tau Emperor Moth
Aglia tau
A day-flying silk moth with a distinctive T-shaped mark on each wing....
Tawny Emperor
Asterocampa clyton
A warm tawny-brown butterfly with dark bars and a row of small eyespots on the hindwing. Unlike most...
Tawny-edged Skipper
Polites themistocles
A small brown skipper with a warm orange-tawny leading edge on the forewing. It is one of the most c...
Teak Defoliator Moth
Hyblaea puera
A medium-sized moth with orange-brown forewings and bright orange hindwings bordered in black. Its c...
Tenerife Speckled Wood Butterfly
Pararge xiphioides
A brown butterfly with orange eyespot patches endemic to the western Canary Islands. It flies in sha...
Tersa Sphinx Moth
Xylophanes tersa
A sleek hawk moth with narrow, pointed forewings in lavender-gray with darker streaks. It is a fast ...
Teucer Giant Owl
Caligo teucer
One of the largest owl butterflies with a prominent blue-purple sheen on the upper wings. Its unders...
Tiger Moth of the Amazon
Idalus herois
A striking moth with bold black and white striped forewings and orange hind wings with black spots. ...
Tiridates Charaxes
Charaxes tiridates
A spectacular large forest butterfly with vivid blue and black upperside and ornate brown and white ...
Tobacco Moth
Ephestia elutella
A small greyish-brown moth that primarily infests stored tobacco but also attacks cocoa, cereals, an...
Tomato Leafminer
Tuta absoluta
A devastating South American moth that mines through tomato leaves, stems, and fruits. Since 2006, i...
Transparent Burnet
Zygaena purpuralis
A day-flying moth with semi-transparent red-streaked forewings. It is found in calcareous grasslands...
Transparent Burnet Moth
Methona confusa
A delicate butterfly with almost entirely transparent wings bordered by dark brown and orange margin...
Trinidad Morpho Butterfly
Morpho achilles trinidadensis
A subspecies of morpho butterfly found in Trinidad with bright blue iridescent wings. It flies in fo...
Tropical Warehouse Moth
Ephestia cautella
A common pest of stored products in tropical and subtropical warehouses. Its larvae produce frass an...
True Armyworm Moth
Mythimna unipuncta
A tawny-brown moth with a single white dot on each forewing. Its larvae march in armies across field...
Tulip-tree Silk Moth
Callosamia angulifera
A large silk moth similar to the promethea but with more angular wing shapes and richer coloring. It...
Turnip Moth
Agrotis segetum
A drab brown moth whose fat cutworm larvae sever the stems and roots of root vegetables and seedling...
Tussar Moth
Antheraea mylitta
A large Indian silk moth with deep golden-brown wings and prominent eyespots bordered in black. It i...
Twin-spotted Sphinx Moth
Smerinthus jamaicensis
A medium-sized hawk moth with scalloped gray-brown forewings and blue and black eyespots on the hind...
Ulysses Butterfly
Papilio ulysses
A large swallowtail with electric blue uppersides and cryptic brown undersides. It is an iconic symb...
Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly
Boloria acrocnema
A small alpine butterfly found only above 3900 m in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. It was not d...
Vampire Moth
Calyptra thalictri
A dull grey-brown moth with a uniquely evolved proboscis capable of piercing mammalian skin. Males o...
Vapourer Moth
Orgyia antiqua
A moth in which males are russet-brown day-fliers while females are completely wingless and never le...
Variegated Cutworm
Peridroma saucia
A mottled brown moth whose plump soil-dwelling caterpillars cut through stems of seedlings at ground...
Vegetable Caterpillar
Ophiocordyceps robertsii
The host of this relationship is the caterpillar of the native moth Aenetus virescens, parasitized b...
Venezuelan Poodle Moth
Artace cribraria
A fuzzy white moth densely covered in hair-like scales giving it a woolly appearance. Its large blac...
Verdant Hawk Moth
Tinostoma smaragditis
A vivid emerald-green hawk moth found in tropical Pacific islands....
Verdant Sphinx Moth
Euchloron megaera
A large green and brown hawk moth that pollinates tropical flowers at dusk....
Viceroy Butterfly
Limenitis archippus
Orange and black wings resembling the Monarch but with a black postmedian line across the hindwings....
Vine Hawk Moth
Hippotion velox
A sleek olive-brown hawk moth with a distinctive pale dorsal stripe. It is widespread across Africa ...
Violet Copper
Lycaena helle
A tiny butterfly whose males display a vivid violet-purple sheen over coppery-orange wings. It is on...
Wall Brown
Lasiommata megera
An orange-brown butterfly with eyespots that basks with wings open on walls, rocks and bare ground....
Wallace's Longwing
Heliconius wallacei
A relatively rare Heliconius species with dark wings marked by a distinctive yellow band on the fore...
Wallaces Golden Birdwing
Ornithoptera croesus
Named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who called it the finest specimen he ever captured. Males are bri...
Walnut Sphinx Moth
Amorpha juglandis
A beautifully cryptic hawk moth with scalloped wing edges and mottled brown, gray, and lavender patt...
Water Veneer Moth
Acentria ephemerella
A unique aquatic moth whose larvae live entirely underwater in freshwater lakes. Females are often w...
Waterlily Borer Moth
Elophila gyralis
A small pale brown moth with wavy dark lines across its wings. Its larvae are aquatic, living underw...
Waved Sphinx Moth
Ceratomia undulosa
A large gray hawk moth with wavy dark lines across the forewings, providing superb bark camouflage. ...
Waved Umber
Menophra abruptaria
A brown geometrid moth with distinctive wavy cross-lines. A common urban moth often found on walls a...
Wax Moth
Galleria mellonella
A moth whose larvae feed on beeswax in bee hives, causing major damage to comb. Also famous in scien...
Webbing Clothes Moth
Tineola bisselliella
A small golden-buff moth whose larvae are the primary insect pest of woolen clothing and textiles. A...
Western Spruce Budworm
Choristoneura occidentalis
A major defoliator of Douglas-fir and true firs in western North America. Repeated defoliation leads...
White Admiral
Limenitis camilla
An elegant woodland butterfly with dark brown wings crossed by a broad white band, noted for its gra...
White Ermine
Spilosoma lubricipeda
A pure white moth peppered with variable black dots, resembling ermine fur. The number of spots vari...
White Morpho
Morpho polyphemus
A large pearly white morpho butterfly with subtle iridescent sheen on its broad wings. It has a slow...
White Plume Moth
Pterophorus pentadactyla
A delicate pure white moth with deeply divided wings that split into feather-like plumes. Often seen...
White Underwing
Catocala relicta
A striking underwing moth with white and black banded forewings that mimics birch bark. Its hindwing...
White Witch Moth
Thysania agrippina
Holds the record for the widest wingspan of any moth or butterfly at up to 310 mm. A nocturnal neotr...
White-banded Grass Dart
Taractrocera papyria
A small orange-brown skipper butterfly with a distinctive white band across its hindwings. It is com...
White-letter Hairstreak
Satyrium w-album
A small dark butterfly with a distinctive W-shaped white line on the hindwing underside. Breeds on e...
White-Lined Sphinx Moth
Hyles lineata
A common sphinx moth with bold white stripes on its forewings and a pink-banded hindwing. It hovers ...
White-shouldered House Moth
Endrosis sarcitrella
A small greyish moth with a conspicuous white head and thorax that is common in buildings year-round...
Willow Beauty
Peribatodes rhomboidaria
A well-camouflaged moth with grey-brown wings marked with dark cross-lines that blends perfectly wit...
Willowherb Hawk Moth
Proserpinus proserpina
A compact hawk moth with olive-green forewings and bright orange hindwings with a dark border. It fl...
Winter Moth
Operophtera brumata
A cold-hardy moth whose tiny green inchworm caterpillars defoliate fruit and shade trees in early sp...
Witchetty Grub
Endoxyla leucomochla
The larva of a cossid moth and the most important insect food of Australian Aboriginal desert people...
Wood White
Leptidea sinapis
A delicate, fluttery butterfly with rounded white wings and a small grey wingtip patch. It has a wea...
Woodland Brown
Lopinga achine
A large brown butterfly with prominent yellow-ringed eyespots along the margins of both wings. It is...
Xypete Euphaedra
Euphaedra xypete
A West African forest butterfly with striking green forewings and orange hindwings. The underside is...