Butterflies and Moths
Order Lepidoptera
The Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera) includes 11,813 species across 112 families and 2,787 genera in our directory.
About Butterflies and Moths
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Economic Impact
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Ecological Role
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Families in Lepidoptera (112)
Species in Lepidoptera (11,813)
Pale-spotted Leafwing - Hodges#4556
Memphis pithyusa
Pale-winged Crocidophora Moth
Crocidophora tuberculalis
Pale-winged Gray - Hodges#6583
Iridopsis ephyraria
Pale-winged Midget Moth
Elaphria alapallida
Paleano Sulphur - Hodges#4218
Colias palaeno
Paleophobetron perornata - Hodges#4651
Paleophobetron perornata
Paler Diacme Moth
Diacme elealis
Pallid Blue - Hodges#4368
Euphilotes pallescens
Palo Verde Webworm - Hodges#2206
Faculta inaequalis
Palpidia pallidior - Hodges#8517
Palpidia pallidior
Palpita aenescentalis - Hodges#5227
Palpita aenescentalis
Pammene felicitana - Hodges#3419
Pammene felicitana
Pammene medioalbana - Hodges#3422.1
Pammene medioalbana
Pammene ocliferia - Hodges#3418
Pammene ocliferia
Pammene perstructana - Hodges#3468
Pammene perstructana
Pandemis borealis - Hodges#3669
Pandemis borealis
Pandemis coniferana - Hodges#3670
Pandemis coniferana
Pandemis morrisana - Hodges#3671
Pandemis morrisana
Pandorus Sphinx Moth
Eumorpha pandorus
Pannaria Wave Moth - Hodges#7173
Leptostales pannaria
Panopoda rigida - Hodges#8590
Panopoda rigida
Panthea gigantea - Hodges#9181
Panthea gigantea
Panthea greyi - Hodges#9183.3
Panthea greyi
Panthea judyae - Hodges#9183.2
Panthea judyae
Panthea virginarius - Hodges#9178
Panthea virginarius
Panula inconstans - Hodges#8612
Panula inconstans
Paota fultaria - Hodges#7127
Paota fultaria
Papaipema sauzalitae - Hodges#9474
Papaipema sauzalitae
Papaya Webworm - Hodges#5732
Davara caricae
Papestra brenda - Hodges#10313
Papestra brenda
Papestra cristifera - Hodges#10312
Papestra cristifera
Papestra invalida - Hodges#10314
Papestra invalida
Papestra quadrata - Hodges#10310
Papestra quadrata
Parabagrotis exsertistigma - Hodges#11047
Parabagrotis exsertistigma
Paraeschra tortuosa - Hodges#7918
Paraeschra tortuosa
Paragalasa exospinalis - Hodges#5550.6
Paragalasa exospinalis
Paragona cf. multisignata
Paragona cf-multisignata
Paralobesia crassa - Hodges#2725.5
Paralobesia crassa
Paralobesia monotropana - Hodges#2713
Paralobesia monotropana
Paralobesia pallicircula - Hodges#2716.1
Paralobesia pallicircula
Paralobesia palliolana - Hodges#2720
Paralobesia palliolana
Paralobesia rhoifructana - Hodges#2716
Paralobesia rhoifructana
Paralobesia rougemontensis - Hodges#2722.3
Paralobesia rougemontensis
Paralobesia sambuci - Hodges#2714
Paralobesia sambuci
Paralobesia spiraeifoliana - Hodges#2718
Paralobesia spiraeifoliana
Paralobesia vernoniana - Hodges#2723
Paralobesia vernoniana
Paramiana marina - Hodges#9804
Paramiana marina
Paramiana perissa - Hodges#9805
Paramiana perissa
Paramiana smaragdina - Hodges#9803
Paramiana smaragdina
Paranthrene sogaardi - Hodges#2524.1
Paranthrene sogaardi
Parapheromia cassinoi - Hodges#6608
Parapheromia cassinoi
Parapheromia configurata - Hodges#6611
Parapheromia configurata
Parapheromia falsata - Hodges#6612
Parapheromia falsata
Parapheromia ficta - Hodges#6610
Parapheromia ficta
Parapheromia lichenaria - Hodges#6609
Parapheromia lichenaria
Paratrachea viridescens - Hodges#9627
Paratrachea viridescens
Parectopa geraniella - Hodges#0651
Parectopa geraniella
Parectopa lespedezaefoliella - Hodges#0653
Parectopa lespedezaefoliella
Parectopa plantaginisella - Hodges#0656
Parectopa plantaginisella
Parochromolopis floridana - Hodges#2335
Parochromolopis floridana
Parornix conspicuella - Hodges#0669
Parornix conspicuella
Parornix dubitella - Hodges#0671
Parornix dubitella
Parornix inusitatumella - Hodges#0675
Parornix inusitatumella
Parornix kalmiella - Hodges#0676
Parornix kalmiella
Parornix obliterella - Hodges#0678
Parornix obliterella
Parornix peregrinaella - Hodges#0679
Parornix peregrinaella
Parornix preciosella - Hodges#0680
Parornix preciosella
Parornix quadripunctella - Hodges#0681
Parornix quadripunctella
Parornix spiraeifoliella - Hodges#0682
Parornix spiraeifoliella
Parornix texanella - Hodges#0684
Parornix texanella
Parornix vicinella - Hodges#0686
Parornix vicinella
Parsnip Webworm Moth
Depressaria radiella
Parthenice Tiger Moth
Apantesis parthenice
Passadenoides donahuei - Hodges#5899.2
Passadenoides donahuei
Passadenoides montanus - Hodges#5899.1
Passadenoides montanus
Patalene hamulata - Hodges#6974.1
Patalene hamulata
Patriciola semicana - Hodges#5932
Patriciola semicana
Peach Fruit Moth
Carposina sasakii
Peachtree Borer Moth
Synanthedon exitiosa
Pearl Crescent Butterfly
Phyciodes tharos
Pearly Wood-Nymph Moth
Eudryas unio
Pearly-winged Lichen Moth - Hodges#8051
Crambidia casta
Pecan Bud Moth - Hodges#3263
Gretchena bolliana
Pecan Leafminer - Hodges#0811
Cameraria caryaefoliella
Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius
Pediasia abnaki - Hodges#5416
Pediasia abnaki
Pediasia dorsipunctellus - Hodges#5417
Pediasia dorsipunctellus
Pediasia truncatellus - Hodges#5411
Pediasia truncatellus
Pelidne Sulphur - Hodges#4221
Colias pelidne
Pelochrista adamantana - Hodges#3021
Pelochrista adamantana
Pelochrista agricolana - Hodges#3037
Pelochrista agricolana
Pelochrista ainsliei - Hodges#3157.1
Pelochrista ainsliei
Pelochrista albiguttana - Hodges#3043
Pelochrista albiguttana
Pelochrista argenteana - Hodges#3149
Pelochrista argenteana
Pelochrista argentialbana - Hodges#3038
Pelochrista argentialbana
Pelochrista argentifurcatana - Hodges#3014.2
Pelochrista argentifurcatana
Pelochrista atascosana - Hodges#3023.1
Pelochrista atascosana
Pelochrista aurilineana - Hodges#3011.1
Pelochrista aurilineana
Pelochrista avalona - Hodges#3020
Pelochrista avalona
Pelochrista biplagata - Hodges#3107
Pelochrista biplagata