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)
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Hemaris diffinis
Snowy Eupseudosoma Moth - Hodges#8257
Eupseudosoma involuta
Snowy Urola
Urola nivalis
Snowy-shouldered Acleris Moth
Acleria nivisellana
Sober Renia
Renia sobrialis
Solidago Root Moth - Hodges#3438
Ephippiphora eclipsana
Somatolophia ectrapelaria - Hodges#6945
Somatolophia ectrapelaria
Somatolophia pallescens - Hodges#6946
Somatolophia pallescens
Somatolophia simplicius - Hodges#6948.3
Somatolophia simplicius
Somber Carpet Moth
Disclisioprocta stellata
Sonia albimacula - Hodges#3219.11
Sonia albimacula
Sonia ferruginana - Hodges#3218.3
Sonia ferruginana
Sonia hodgesi - Hodges#3220.1
Sonia hodgesi
Sonoran Blue - Hodges#4365
Philotes sonorensis
Sonoran Skipper - Hodges#4044
Polites sonora
Sonoran Sphinx - Hodges#7788
Ceratomia sonorensis
Sooty Hypena - Hodges#8457
Hypena minualis
Sooty Lipocosmodes - Hodges#4888
Lipocosmodes fuliginosalis
Sooty-winged Chalcoela Moth
Chalcoela iphitalis
Sophona greenfieldi - Hodges#2513.1
Sophona greenfieldi
Sophronia gelidella - Hodges#2213.1
Sophronia gelidella
Sophronia primella - Hodges#2213
Sophronia primella
Sophronia teretracma - Hodges#2215
Sophronia teretracma
Sordid Underwing - Hodges#8846
Catocala sordida
Sorghum Webworm Moth
Nola cereella
Sosipatra anthophila - Hodges#6016
Sosipatra anthophila
Sosipatra knudsoni - Hodges#6017.1
Sosipatra knudsoni
Sosipatra rileyella - Hodges#6015
Sosipatra rileyella
South Coastal Coneworm - Hodges#5863.4
Dioryctria ebeli
Southern Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9672
Spodoptera eridania
Southern Broken-Dash - Hodges#4046
Polites otho
Southern Chocolate Angle Moth
Macaria distribuaria
Southern Cloudywing - Hodges#3909
Thorybes bathyllus
Southern Cornstalk Borer - Hodges#5476
Diatraea crambidoides
Southern Cyan Tiger Moth - Hodges#8273
Macrocneme chrysitis
Southern Dogface Sulphur Butterfly
Zerene cesonia
Southern Emerald Moth
Synchlora frondaria
Southern Eudeilinea Moth - Hodges#6254
Eudeilinia luteifera
Southern Flannel Moth
Megalopyge opercularis
Southern Hayworm Moth - Hodges#5531
Hypsopygia nostralis
Southern Longhorn Moth
Adela caeruleella
Southern Nepytia Moth
Nepytia semiclusaria
Southern Pine Sphinx
Lapara coniferarum
Southern Pink-striped Oakworm Moth
Anisota pellucida
Southern Ptichodis - Hodges#8751
Ptichodis bistrigata
Southern Tolype moth - Hodges#7675
Tolype minta
Southern Tussock Moth
Dasychira meridionalis
Southern Variable Dart - Hodges#10967
Xestia elimata
Southern oak looper - Hodges#6889
Lambdina pultaria
Southwestern Corn Borer Moth
Diatraea grandiosella
Southwestern Orangetip - Hodges#4206.2
Anthocharis thoosa
Southwestern Squash Vine Borer Moth
Melittia calabaza
Soybean Looper
Chrysodeixis includens
Spaelotis bicava - Hodges#10926.1
Spaelotis bicava
Spaelotis havilae - Hodges#10927
Spaelotis havilae
Spaelotis quadricava - Hodges#10927.2
Spaelotis quadricava
Spaelotis velicava - Hodges#10927.1
Spaelotis velicava
Spalding's Blue - Hodges#4369.1
Euphilotes spaldingi
Spanish Moth
Xanthopastis timais
Spargania aurata - Hodges#7310
Spargania aurata
Spargania bellipicta - Hodges#7311
Spargania bellipicta
Sparganothis azulispecca - Hodges#3702.4
Sparganothis azulispecca
Sparganothis boweri - Hodges#3706.1
Sparganothis boweri
Sparganothis caryae - Hodges#3700
Sparganothis caryae
Sparganothis demissana - Hodges#3703
Sparganothis demissana
Sparganothis distincta - Hodges#3704
Sparganothis distincta
Sparganothis flavibasana - Hodges#3717
Sparganothis flavibasana
Sparganothis lindalinea - Hodges#3702.2
Sparganothis lindalinea
Sparganothis mcguinnessi - Hodges#3702.3
Sparganothis mcguinnessi
Sparganothis minimetallica - Hodges#3697.1
Sparganothis minimetalica
Sparganothis niteolinea - Hodges#3702.5
Sparganothis niteolinea
Sparganothis praecana - Hodges#3705.1
Sparganothis praecana
Sparganothis robinsonana - Hodges#3700.1
Sparganothis robinsonana
Sparganothis rubicundana - Hodges#3705
Sparganothis rubicundana
Sparganothis sullivani - Hodges#3702.1
Sparganothis sullivani
Sparganothis tessellata - Hodges#3700.2
Sparganothis tessellata
Sparganothis umbrana - Hodges#3715
Sparganothis umbrana
Sparganothis vocaridorsana - Hodges#3712
Sparganothis vocaridorsana
Sparganothoides hydeana - Hodges#3730
Sparganothoides hydeana
Speckled Eucosma Moth - Hodges#2926
Eucosma verna
Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth
Orthosia hibisci
Speckled Sereda - Hodges#3425
Sereda tautana
Speckled Talponia Moth - Hodges#3417
Talponia plummeriana
Speranza coloradensis - Hodges#6289
Macaria coloradensis
Speranza decorata - Hodges#6306
Macaria decorata
Speranza denticulodes - Hodges#6305
Macaria denticulodes
Speranza guenearia - Hodges#6301
Macaria guenearia
Speranza helena - Hodges#6277
Macaria helena
Speranza inextricata - Hodges#6285
Macaria inextricata
Speyer's Hooded Owlet - Hodges#10190
Cucullia speyeri
Sphingicampa blanchardi - Hodges#7713
Syssphinx blanchardi
Sphinx Moth
Smerinthus opthalmica
Sphinx asellus - Hodges#7806
Sphinx asellus
Sphinx oslari - Hodges#7810.2
Sphinx oslari
Sphinx vanbuskirki - Hodges#7813.1
Sphinx vanbuskirki
Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio troilus
Spinipogon resthavenensis - Hodges#3852.3
Spinipogon resthavenensis
Spinose Flower Moth - Hodges#11104
Schinia spinosae
Spiny Oak Slug Moth
Euclea delphinii
Spiny Oakworm Moth
Anisota stigma