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)
Spirea Leaftier - Hodges#2866
Evora hemidesma
Splendid Dagger Moth
Acronicta superans
Splendid Palpita
Palpita magniferalis
Splendid Royal Moth - Hodges#7707
Citheronia splendens
Splotched Groundling - Hodges#9713
Condica cupentia
Spodolepis danbyi - Hodges#6799.1
Spodolepis danbyi
Spodoptera hipparis - Hodges#9674
Spodoptera hipparis
Spot-edged Dyspyralis Moth - Hodges#8427
Dyspyralis puncticosta
Spotted Apatelodes
Apatelodes torrefacta
Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
Hymenia perspectalis
Spotted Datana Moth
Datana perspicua
Spotted Dichomeris - Hodges#2283
Dichomeris punctidiscellus
Spotted Fireworm Moth - Hodges#3633
Choristoneura parallela
Spotted Grass Moth
Rivula propinqualis
Spotted Oleander Caterpillar Moth
Empyreuma pugione
Spotted Peppergrass Moth
Eustixia pupula
Spotted Phosphila Moth
Phosphila miselioides
Spotted Polygon
Polygonus pardus
Spotted Tussock Moth
Lophocampa maculata
Sprague's Pygarctia moth - Hodges#8254
Pygarctia spraguei
Spragueia funeralis - Hodges#9129
Spragueia funeralis
Spragueia jaguaralis - Hodges#9128
Spragueia jaguaralis
Spragueia magnifica - Hodges#9121
Spragueia magnifica
Spragueia margana - Hodges#9132
Spragueia margana
Spring Azure
Celestrina ladon
Spring Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6662
Paleacrita vernata
Spring White Butterfly
Pontia sisymbrii
Spruce Cone Looper - Hodges#7575
Eupithecia mutata
Spruce False Looper - Hodges#8929
Syngrapha viridisigma
Spruce Needleworm Moth - Hodges#5529
Hypsopygia thymetusalis
Spun Glass Slug Moth
Isochaetes beutenmuelleri
Square-eyed Dagger - Hodges#9224
Acronicta quadrata
Square-spotted Blue - Hodges#4366
Euphilotes battoides
Squash Vine Borer Moth
Melittia cucurbitae
Sriferia cockerella - Hodges#1919
Sriferia cockerella
Sriferia fulmenella - Hodges#1920
Sriferia fulmenella
Sriferia oxymeris - Hodges#1921
Sriferia oxymeris
St. Thomas Island Plume - Hodges#6156.1
Adaina thomae
Staghorn Cholla Moth - Hodges#9308
Euscirrhopterus cosyra
Stained Lophosis Moth
Lophosis labeculata
Stained-back Leafroller - Hodges#3543
Acleris maculidorsana
Stalk Borer - Hodges#9496
Papaipema nebris
Stamnoctenis morrisata - Hodges#7356
Stamnoctenis morrisata
Stamnoctenis pearsalli - Hodges#7357
Stamnoctenis pearsalli
Stamnoctenis rubrosuffusa - Hodges#7358
Stamnoctenis rubrosuffusa
Stamnodes affiliata - Hodges#7337
Stamnodes affiliata
Stamnodes animata - Hodges#7366
Stamnodes animata
Stamnodes annellata - Hodges#7340
Stamnodes annellata
Stamnodes apollo - Hodges#7345
Stamnodes apollo
Stamnodes cassinoi - Hodges#7352
Stamnodes cassinoi
Stamnodes costimacula - Hodges#7360
Stamnodes costimacula
Stamnodes marmorata
Stamnodes marmorata
Stamnodes modocata - Hodges#7351
Stamnodes modocata
Stamnodes tessellata - Hodges#7364
Stamnodes tessellata
Stamnodes ululata - Hodges#7359
Stamnodes ululata
Stathmopoda aenea - Hodges#1070.1
Stathmopoda aenea
Stathmopoda elyella - Hodges#1070
Stathmopoda elyella
Statira Sulphur Butterfly
Aphrissa statira
Stegea eripalis - Hodges#4864
Stegea eripalis
Stegea simplicialis - Hodges#4861
Stegea simplicialis
Stenaspilatodes antidiscaria - Hodges#6746
Stenaspilatodes antidiscaria
Steniodes mendica - Hodges#5178
Steniodes mendica
Stenopaschia trichopteris - Hodges#5621.2
Stenopaschia trichopteris
Stenoporpia anastomosaria - Hodges#6462
Stenoporpia anastomosaria
Stenoporpia anellula - Hodges#6468
Stenoporpia anellula
Stenoporpia asymmetra - Hodges#6457
Stenoporpia asymmetra
Stenoporpia dissonaria - Hodges#6461
Stenoporpia dissonaria
Stenoporpia excelsaria - Hodges#6474
Stenoporpia excelsaria
Stenoporpia glaucomarginaria - Hodges#6472
Stenoporpia glaucomarginaria
Stenoporpia graciella - Hodges#6476
Stenoporpia graciella
Stenoporpia insipidaria - Hodges#6467
Stenoporpia insipidaria
Stenoporpia lea - Hodges#6477
Stenoporpia lea
Stenoporpia pulchella - Hodges#6455
Stenoporpia pulchella
Stenoporpia purpuraria - Hodges#6464
Stenoporpia purpuraria
Stenoporpia vernalella - Hodges#6466
Stenoporpia vernalella
Stenoporpia vernata - Hodges#6465
Stenoporpia vernata
Stenoptinea auriferella - Hodges#0296
Stenoptinea auriferella
Stephensia major
Stephensia major
Stibaera curvilineata - Hodges#9715
Stibaera curvilineata
Stictocompe suffusa - Hodges#8149
Stictocompe suffusa
Stigmella apicialbella - Hodges#0081
Stigmella apicialbella
Stigmella braunella - Hodges#0104
Stigmella braunella
Stigmella ceanothi - Hodges#0071
Stigmella ceanothi
Stigmella centifoliella
Stigmella centifoliella
Stigmella diffasciae - Hodges#0075
Stigmella diffasciae
Stigmella fuscotibiella - Hodges#0082
Stigmella fuscotibiella
Stigmella heteromelis - Hodges#0076.2
Stigmella heteromelis
Stigmella juglandifoliella - Hodges#0095
Stigmella juglandifoliella
Stigmella longisacca - Hodges#0095.1
Stigmella longisacca
Stigmella myricafoliella - Hodges#0094
Stigmella myricafoliella
Stigmella nigriverticella - Hodges#0089
Stigmella nigriverticella
Stigmella ostryaefoliella - Hodges#0093
Stigmella ostryaefoliella
Stigmella populetorum - Hodges#0084
Stigmella populetorum
Stigmella resplendensella - Hodges#0111
Stigmella resplendensella
Stigmella rhoifoliella - Hodges#0073
Stigmella rhoifoliella
Stigmella saginella - Hodges#0087
Stigmella saginella
Stigmella sclerostylota - Hodges#0091.1
Stigmella sclerostylota
Stigmella tiliella - Hodges#0098
Stigmella tiliella
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-alnus
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-alnus
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-frangula-purshiana
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-frangula-purshiana