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)
Riding's Satyr - Hodges#4603
Neominois ridingsii
Rifargia ditta - Hodges#7986
Rifargia ditta
Rifargia occiclina - Hodges#7986.1
Rifargia occiclina
Rigid Sunflower Borer - Hodges#9503
Papaipema rigida
Riley's Clearwing - Hodges#2552
Synanthedon rileyana
Rindgea hypaethrata - Hodges#6417
Rindgea hypaethrata
Rindgea maricopa - Hodges#6369
Rindgea maricopa
Rindgea prolificata - Hodges#6409.1
Rindgea prolificata
Rindgea subterminata - Hodges#6413
Rindgea subterminata
Roadside Sallow Moth
Metaxaglaea viatica
Robin's Carpenterworm Moth
Prionoxystus robiniae
Robinson's Acleris - Hodges#3536
Acleris robinsoniana
Robinson's Pelochrista Moth - Hodges#3009
Pelochrista robinsonana
Rockslide Checkerspot - Hodges#4496
Chlosyne damoetas
Rocky Mountain Duskywing - Hodges#3948
Erynnis telemachus
Roland's Sallow - Hodges#10014
Psaphida rolandi
Rose Hooktip Moth
Oreta rosea
Rose Tortrix Moth - Hodges#3650
Archips rosana
Ross's Alpine - Hodges#4592
Erebia rossii
Rostrolaetilia ardiferella - Hodges#5961
Rostrolaetilia ardiferella
Rostrolaetilia coloradella - Hodges#5958
Rostrolaetilia coloradella
Rostrolaetilia eureka - Hodges#5959
Rostrolaetilia eureka
Rostrolaetilia minimella - Hodges#5955
Rostrolaetilia minimella
Rostrolaetilia nigromaculella - Hodges#5960
Rostrolaetilia nigromaculella
Rostrolaetilia pinalensis - Hodges#5963
Rostrolaetilia pinalensis
Rostrolaetilia placidella - Hodges#5954
Rostrolaetilia placidella
Rostrolaetilia placidissima - Hodges#5956
Rostrolaetilia placidissima
Rostrolaetilia utahensis - Hodges#5957
Rostrolaetilia utahensis
Rosy Maple Moth
Dryocampa rubicunda
(c) northerly, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Rough-skinned Cutworm Moth - Hodges#9648
Proxenus mindara
Royal Poinciana Moth - Hodges#8610
Melipotis acontioides
Ruacodes tela - Hodges#9810
Ruacodes tela
Ruby Quaker Moth
Orthosia rubescens
Ruby-spotted Swallowtail - Hodges#4183
Papilio anchisiades
Ruddy Dagger Moth
Acronicta rubricoma
Ruddy Daggerwing - Hodges#4550
Marpesia petreus
Ruddy Highflyer - Hodges#7254
Hydriomena ruberata
Rumatha polingella - Hodges#5980
Rumatha polingella
Rupela segrega - Hodges#5310
Rupela segrega
Rupela tinctella - Hodges#5311
Rupela tinctella
Rural Skipper - Hodges#4055
Ochlodes agricola
Russet Skipperling - Hodges#3983
Piruna pirus
Russian Thistle Stem Miner Moth - Hodges#1398.8
Coleophora parthenica
Rustic Quaker
Orthodes majuscula
Rustic Sphinx Moth
Manduca rustica
Rusty-tipped Page
Siproeta epaphus
Sabulodes edwardsata - Hodges#7004
Sabulodes edwardsata
Sabulodes mabelata - Hodges#6999
Sabulodes mabelata
Sabulodes olifata - Hodges#7001
Sabulodes olifata
Sabulodes sericeata - Hodges#6997
Sabulodes sericeata
Sachem Skipper
Atalopedes campestris
Sad Underwing Moth
Catocala maestosa
Saddleback Caterpillar Moth
Acharia stimulea
Saddled Prominent Moth
Cecrtia guttivitta
Saddled Yellowhorn
Colocasia flavicornis
Sagebrush Checkerspot Butterfly
Chlosyne acastus
Sagra Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7846.1
Eupyrrhoglossum sagra
Salbia mizaralis - Hodges#5286
Salbia mizaralis
Salbia tytiusalis - Hodges#5285
Salbia tytiusalis
Salebriacus odiosella - Hodges#5770
Salebriacus odiosella
Salebriaria annulosella - Hodges#5774
Salebriaria annulosella
Salebriaria carolynae - Hodges#5775.8
Salebriaria carolynae
Salebriaria equivoca - Hodges#5775.4
Salebriaria equivoca
Salebriaria fasciata - Hodges#5775.1
Salebriaria fasciata
Salebriaria fergusonella - Hodges#5774.3
Salebriaria fergusonella
Salebriaria grandidentalis - Hodges#5774.4
Salebriaria grandidentalis
Salebriaria integra - Hodges#5775.5
Salebriaria integra
Salebriaria kanawha - Hodges#5775.9
Salebriaria kanawha
Salebriaria pallidella - Hodges#5776.2
Salebriaria pallidella
Salebriaria roseopunctella - Hodges#5773.1
Salebriaria roseopunctella
Salebriaria rufimaculatella - Hodges#5775.2
Salebriaria rufimaculatella
Salebriaria simpliciella - Hodges#5775.7
Salebriaria simpliciella
Salenus Faceted-Skipper
Synapte salenus
Sallow Apotomis Moth - Hodges#2753
Apotomis capreana
Salobrena vacuana - Hodges#5561
Salobrena vacuana
Salt Marsh Moth
Estigmene acrea
Salt Marsh Skipper - Hodges#4116
Panoquina panoquin
Salt-and-pepper Looper Moth
Syngrapha rectangula
Saltbush Sootywing - Hodges#3980
Hesperopsis alpheus
Saltern Bent-wing
Bucculatrix maritima
Samea baccatalis - Hodges#5152
Diastictis baccatalis
Samea druchachalis - Hodges#5152.1
Samea druchachalis
San Emigdio Blue - Hodges#4377
Plebejus emigdionis
Sand Wainscot Moth - Hodges#9395
Apamea lintneri
Sandplain Heterocampa - Hodges#7982
Heterocampa varia
Saphenista bartellae - Hodges#3841.1
Saphenista bartellae
Saphenista latipunctana - Hodges#3806
Saphenista latipunctana
Sapodilla Pod Borer Moth - Hodges#3414.1
Dichrorampha sapodilla
Sappho Underwing - Hodges#8786
Catocala sappho
Sarasota plumigerella - Hodges#5733
Sarasota plumigerella
Sarita relicta - Hodges#9520.1
Sarita relicta
Sassafras Caloptilia - Hodges#0633
Caloptilia sassafrasella
Sathria rufescens - Hodges#5213
Sathria rufescens
Satin Moth
Leucoma salicis
Satin White Moth - Hodges#5217
Palpita flegia
Saturnia mendocino - Hodges#7751
Calosaturnia mendocino
Saturnia walterorum - Hodges#7752
Calosaturnia walterorum
Satyr Comma Butterfly
Polygonia satyrus
Saucy Beauty - Hodges#8039
Phaloesia saucia
Saw-wing Moth
Euchlaena serrata