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)
Phalonidia straminoides - Hodges#3809.1
Phalonidia straminoides
Phaon Crescent Butterfly
Phyciodes phaon
Pharga pallens - Hodges#8516
Pharga pallens
Pheosia californica - Hodges#7923
Pheosia californica
Phereoeca praecox - Hodges#0390.1
Phereoeca praecox
Pherne parallelia - Hodges#6950
Pherne parallelia
Pherne placeraria - Hodges#6949
Pherne placeraria
Pherne subpunctata - Hodges#6952
Pherne subpunctata
Phidotricha erigens - Hodges#5594.1
Phidotricha erigens
Philagraula slossoniae - Hodges#7654
Philagraula slossoniae
Philip's Arctic - Hodges#4603.2
Oeneis philipi
Philocrotona kendalli - Hodges#5738
Philocrotona kendalli
Philonome clemensella - Hodges#0462
Philonome clemensella
Philonome nigrescens - Hodges#0462.2
Philonome nigrescens
Philotiella speciosa - Hodges#4370
Philotiella speciosa
Philtraea albimaxima - Hodges#6849
Philtraea albimaxima
Philtraea elegantaria - Hodges#6845
Philtraea elegantaria
Philtraea paucimacula - Hodges#6850
Philtraea paucimacula
Philtraea surcaliforniae - Hodges#6847
Philtraea surcaliforniae
Philtraea utahensis - Hodges#6846
Philtraea utahensis
Phlyctaina irrigualis - Hodges#8392
Phlyctaina irrigualis
Phobolosia anfracta - Hodges#8439
Phobolosia anfracta
Phobus curvatella - Hodges#5816
Phobus curvatella
Phoenicophanta bicolor - Hodges#9028
Phoenicophanta bicolor
Phoenicophanta modestula - Hodges#9029
Phoenicophanta modestula
Phoenicoprocta hampsonii - Hodges#8285
Phoenicoprocta hampsonii
Phosphila fernae - Hodges#9624
Phosphila fernae
Photedes enervata - Hodges#9441
Photedes enervata
Phrygionis privignaria - Hodges#6671.2
Phrygionis privignaria
Phtheochroa aegrana - Hodges#3810
Phtheochroa aegrana
Phtheochroa baracana - Hodges#3812
Phtheochroa baracana
Phtheochroa birdana - Hodges#3813
Phtheochroa birdana
Phtheochroa canariana - Hodges#3813.1
Phtheochroa canariana
Phtheochroa cartwrightana - Hodges#3814
Phtheochroa cartwrightana
Phtheochroa fulviplicana - Hodges#3815
Phtheochroa fulviplicana
Phtheochroa perspicuana - Hodges#3821
Phtheochroa perspicuana
Phtheochroa riscana - Hodges#3822
Phtheochroa riscana
Phtheochroa terminana - Hodges#3823
Phtheochroa terminana
Phtheochroa vitellinana - Hodges#3825
Phtheochroa vitellinana
Phtheochroa vulneratana of authors - Hodges#3826
Phtheochroa vulneratana-of-authors
Phtheochroa waracana - Hodges#3827
Phtheochroa waracana
Phyllira Tiger Moth
Apantesis phyllira
Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella - Hodges#0844
Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella
Phyllocnistis hyperpersea - Hodges#0845.1
Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella - Hodges#0848
Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella
Phyllocnistis meliacella - Hodges#0851.1
Phyllocnistis meliacella
Phyllocnistis occidentalis
Phyllocnistis occidentalis
Phyllocnistis on-eubotrys-racemosa
Phyllocnistis on-eubotrys-racemosa
Phyllocnistis subpersea - Hodges#0852.1
Phyllocnistis subpersea
Phyllodesma coturnix - Hodges#7688
Phyllodesma coturnix
Phyllodonta peccataria - Hodges#6973
Phyllodonta peccataria
Phyllodonta sarukhani - Hodges#6973.1
Phyllodonta sarukhani
Phyllonorycter aeriferella - Hodges#0726
Phyllonorycter aeriferella
Phyllonorycter albanotella - Hodges#0727
Phyllonorycter albanotella
Phyllonorycter arbutusella - Hodges#0732
Phyllonorycter arbutusella
Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella - Hodges#0733
Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella
Phyllonorycter argentinotella - Hodges#0734
Phyllonorycter argentinotella
Phyllonorycter auronitens - Hodges#0737
Phyllonorycter auronitens
Phyllonorycter basistrigella - Hodges#0738
Phyllonorycter basistrigella
Phyllonorycter bataviella - Hodges#0739
Phyllonorycter bataviella
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella - Hodges#0742
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella
Phyllonorycter celtisella - Hodges#0743
Phyllonorycter celtisella
Phyllonorycter clemensella - Hodges#0744
Phyllonorycter clemensella
Phyllonorycter comptoniella - Hodges#0745
Phyllonorycter comptoniella
Phyllonorycter crataegella - Hodges#0746
Phyllonorycter crataegella
Phyllonorycter diversella - Hodges#0750
Phyllonorycter diversella
Phyllonorycter fitchella - Hodges#0752
Phyllonorycter fitchella
Phyllonorycter fragilella - Hodges#0753
Phyllonorycter fragilella
Phyllonorycter incanella - Hodges#0757
Phyllonorycter incanella
Phyllonorycter intermixta - Hodges#0759
Phyllonorycter intermixta
Phyllonorycter inusitatella - Hodges#0760
Phyllonorycter inusitatella
Phyllonorycter kearfottella - Hodges#0761
Phyllonorycter kearfottella
Phyllonorycter ledella - Hodges#0763
Phyllonorycter ledella
Phyllonorycter leucothorax - Hodges#0826
Phyllonorycter leucothorax
Phyllonorycter manzanita - Hodges#0768
Phyllonorycter manzanita
Phyllonorycter mariaeella - Hodges#0769
Phyllonorycter mariaeella
Phyllonorycter martiella - Hodges#0770
Phyllonorycter martiella
Phyllonorycter memorabilis - Hodges#0771
Phyllonorycter memorabilis
Phyllonorycter mildredae - Hodges#0771.2
Phyllonorycter mildredae
Phyllonorycter obscuricostella - Hodges#0775
Phyllonorycter obscuricostella
Phyllonorycter occitanica - Hodges#0777
Phyllonorycter occitanica
Phyllonorycter quercialbella - Hodges#0785
Phyllonorycter quercialbella
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella - Hodges#0787
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella
Phyllonorycter rileyella - Hodges#0789
Phyllonorycter rileyella
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella - Hodges#0791
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella
Phyllonorycter scudderella - Hodges#0794
Phyllonorycter scudderella
Phyllonorycter symphoricarpaeella - Hodges#0796
Phyllonorycter symphoricarpaeella
Phyllonorycter trinotella - Hodges#0799
Phyllonorycter trinotella
Phyllonorycter tritaenianella - Hodges#0800
Phyllonorycter tritaenianella
Phyllonorycter viburnella - Hodges#0802
Phyllonorycter viburnella
Phymatopus behrensii - Hodges#0033
Phymatopus behrensii
Phymatopus hectoides - Hodges#0036
Phymatopus hectoides
Phytometra apicata - Hodges#8482
Phytometra apicata
Phytometra obliqualis - Hodges#8483
Phytometra obliqualis
Phytometra orgiae - Hodges#8484
Phytometra orgiae
Pickleworm Moth
Diaphania nitidalis
Pigritia cf-fidella-one
Pigritia cf-fidella-one
Pigritia cf-fidella-two
Pigritia cf-fidella-two
Pigritia nr-fidella - Hodges#1227
Pigritia nr-fidella
Pigritia nr-murtfeldtella-one
Pigritia nr-murtfeldtella-one