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)
Pigritia nr-murtfeldtella-two
Pigritia nr-murtfeldtella-two
Pima albocostalis - Hodges#5750
Pima albocostalis
Pima boisduvaliella - Hodges#5746
Pima boisduvaliella
Pima fosterella - Hodges#5748
Pima fosterella
Pima granitella - Hodges#5752
Pima granitella
Pine False Looper Zale Moth
Zale duplicata
Pine Satyr - Hodges#4580
Paramacera xicaque
Pine Tube Moth - Hodges#3602
Argyrotaenia pinatubana
Pine Tussock Moth - Hodges#8305
Dasychira pinicola
Pini's Polia - Hodges#10274
Polia piniae
Pink Underwing Moth
Catocala concumbens
Pink-barred Pseudeustrotia Moth
Pseudeustrotia carneola
Pink-edged Sulphur
Colias interior
Pink-fringed Dolichomia Moth
Hypsopygia binodulalis
Pink-legged Tiger Moth - Hodges#8133
Spilosoma latipennis
Pink-patched Looper
Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides
Pink-shaded Fern Moth - Hodges#9631
Callopistria mollissima
Pink-spot Sulphur - Hodges#4233.1
Aphrissa neleis
Pink-spotted Dart Moth
Pseudohermonassa bicarnea
Pink-spotted Hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata
Pink-spotted Swallowtail - Hodges#4183.1
Papilio rogeri
Pinyon Pitch Nodule Maker - Hodges#2893
Retinia arizonensis
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
Pistachio Emerald Moth
Hethemia pistasciaria
Pitch Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2868
Rhyacionia rigidana
Pitch Twig Moth
Rhyacionia comstockiana
Pitch Twig Moth - Hodges#2889
Retinia comstockiana
Pitcher-plant Borer Moth - Hodges#9493
Papaipema appassionata
Plagiomimicus aureolum - Hodges#9741
Plagiomimicus aureolum
Plagiomimicus curiosum - Hodges#9747
Plagiomimicus curiosum
Plagiomimicus hilli - Hodges#9750
Plagiomimicus hilli
Plagiomimicus kathyae - Hodges#9750.1
Plagiomimicus kathyae
Plagiomimicus ochoa - Hodges#9740
Plagiomimicus ochoa
Plagiomimicus pyralina - Hodges#9752.1
Plagiomimicus pyralina
Plain Longtail
Spicauda simplicius
Plain Smudge
Ypsolopha lucella
Plataea blanchardaria - Hodges#6921.1
Plataea blanchardaria
Plataea personaria - Hodges#6922
Plataea personaria
Platphalonidia aenigmana - Hodges#3835.11
Platphalonidia aenigmana
Platphalonidia albertae - Hodges#3828
Platphalonidia albertae
Platphalonidia felix - Hodges#3831
Platphalonidia felix
Platphalonidia magdalenae - Hodges#3833.1
Platphalonidia magdalenae
Platynota calidana - Hodges#3739
Platynota calidana
Platynota islameconae - Hodges#3738.2
Platynota islameconae
Platynota polingi - Hodges#3744.1
Platynota polingi
Platynota redingtonensis - Hodges#3736.1
Platynota redingtonensis
Platynota richersi - Hodges#3712.1
Platynota richersi
Platynota texana - Hodges#3744.2
Platynota texana
Platynota viridana - Hodges#3733
Platynota viridana
Platynota wenzelana - Hodges#3744
Platynota wenzelana
Platynota yumana - Hodges#3734
Platynota yumana
Platynota zapatana - Hodges#3736.2
Platynota zapatana
Platypolia anceps - Hodges#9976
Platypolia anceps
Plebeian Sphinx Moth
Paratrea plebeja
Pleromella opter - Hodges#10026
Pleromella opter
Pleromelloida arizonata - Hodges#10030
Pleromelloida arizonata
Pleromelloida bonuscula - Hodges#10029
Pleromelloida bonuscula
Pleromelloida conserta - Hodges#10027
Pleromelloida conserta
Plume Moth
Hellinsia homodactyla
Plumose Gray Moth
Glena plumosaria
Plusia magnimacula - Hodges#8951.1
Plusia magnimacula
Plusia nichollae - Hodges#8951
Plusia nichollae
Pluto Sphinx - Hodges#7887
Xylophanes pluto
Pococera arizonella - Hodges#5612
Pococera arizonella
Pococera fuscolotella - Hodges#5615
Pococera fuscolotella
Pococera gelidalis - Hodges#5618
Pococera gelidalis
Pococera griseella - Hodges#5614
Pococera griseella
Pococera humerella - Hodges#5617
Pococera humerella
Pococera melanogrammos - Hodges#5597
Pococera melanogrammos
Pococera texanella - Hodges#5598
Pococera texanella
Podiasa chiococcella - Hodges#2412
Podiasa chiococcella
Pointed Dagger Moth - Hodges#9274
Acronicta lanceolaria
Polenta mimica - Hodges#9755.1
Polenta mimica
Polia discalis - Hodges#10273
Polia discalis
Polia propodea - Hodges#10277.1
Polia propodea
Polia richardsoni - Hodges#10279
Polia richardsoni
Polia rogenhoferi - Hodges#10277
Polia rogenhoferi
Poling's Giant Skipper - Hodges#4143
Agathymus polingi
Polixenes Arctic - Hodges#4613
Oeneis polixenes
Polka Dot Wasp Moth
Syntomeida epilais
Polopeustis arctiella - Hodges#5784
Polopeustis arctiella
Polychrysia morigera - Hodges#8902
Polychrysia morigera
Polygrammodes eleuata - Hodges#5230
Polygrammodes eleuata
Polygrammodes langdonalis - Hodges#5229
Polygrammodes langdonalis
Polygrammodes oxydalis - Hodges#5228.1
Polygrammodes oxydalis
Polygrammodes sanguinalis - Hodges#5231
Polygrammodes sanguinalis
Polyhymno acaciella - Hodges#2210
Polyhymno acaciella
Polyphemus Moth
Antheraea polyphemus
(c) Senna Bryce Robeson, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Pompostolella charipepla - Hodges#0302
Pompostolella charipepla
Pondapple Leafroller Moth - Hodges#3606
Argyrotaenia amatana
Ponderosa Pine Coneworm Moth - Hodges#5846
Dioryctria auranticella
Ponderosa twig moth - Hodges#5850
Dioryctria ponderosae
Pondside Pyralid Moth
Elophila icciusalis
Pondweed Moth
Parapoynx curviferalis
Ponometia acutus - Hodges#9105
Ponometia acutus
Ponometia altera - Hodges#9107
Ponometia altera
Ponometia clausula - Hodges#9086
Ponometia clausula
Ponometia fasciatella - Hodges#9102
Ponometia fasciatella
Ponometia heonyx - Hodges#9093
Ponometia heonyx
Ponometia macdunnoughi - Hodges#9116
Ponometia mcdunnoughi