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)
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-mahonia
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-mahonia
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-rhus-aromatica
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-rhus-aromatica
Stigmella variella - Hodges#0100
Stigmella variella
Stigmella villosella - Hodges#0080
Stigmella villosella
Stilbosis quadricustatella - Hodges#1597
Stilbosis quadricustatella
Stilbosis tesquella - Hodges#1609
Stilbosis tesquella
Stilbosis venifica - Hodges#1594
Stilbosis venifica
Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth
Parasa indetermina
Stippled Sigela Moth - Hodges#8433
Sigela penumbrata
Stiria brava - Hodges#9786.1
Stiria brava
Stiria consuela - Hodges#9784
Stiria consuela
Stiria satana - Hodges#9787.1
Stiria satana
Straight-lined Looper - Hodges#8899
Pseudeva purpurigera
Straight-lined Plagodis Moth
Plagodis phlogosaria
Straight-lined Wave Moth - Hodges#7097
Lobocleta plemyraria
Straw-coloured Tubic
Agnoea subochreella
Strawberry Crown Moth
Synanthedon bibionipennis
Strawberry Tortrix - Hodges#3507
Acleris comariana
Streaked Aethes - Hodges#3761
Aethes sonorae
Streaked Calidota - Hodges#8224
Calidota laqueata
Streaked Dagger - Hodges#9266
Acronicta lithospila
Streaked Sparganothis - Hodges#3709
Sparganothis striata
Streaked Sphinx Moth
Protambulyx strigilis
Strecker's Giant-skipper - Hodges#4149
Megathymus streckeri
Stretchia muricina - Hodges#10473
Stretchia muricina
Stretchia pacifica - Hodges#10474
Stretchia pacifica
Stretchia pictipennis - Hodges#10472
Stretchia pictipennis
Stretchia plusiaeformis - Hodges#10471
Stretchia plusiaeformis
Striated Eucosma - Hodges#2973
Eucosma striatana
Striated Tortrix - Hodges#3664
Archips strianus
Striped Birch Pyralid - Hodges#5783
Ortholepis pasadamia
Striped Eucosma - Hodges#2968
Eucosma clavana
Striped Sumac Leafroller - Hodges#5789
Sciota subfuscella
Strophius Hairstreak - Hodges#4329.1
Allosmaitia strophius
Stylopoda cephalica - Hodges#10163
Stylopoda cephalica
Stylopoda groteana - Hodges#10165
Stylopoda groteana
Stylopoda modestella - Hodges#10166
Stylopoda modestella
Subflexus Straw Moth - Hodges#11070
Chloridea subflexa
Subgothic Dart - Hodges#10674
Feltia subgothica
Sufetula carbonalis - Hodges#5120.1
Sufetula carbonalis
Sufetula diminutalis - Hodges#5120
Sufetula diminutalis
Suleima skinnerana - Hodges#3214
Suleima skinnerana
Sulphur Plume Moth - Hodges#6216
Hellinsia sulphureodactylus
Summer Azure
Celastrina neglecta
Sunflower Borer Moth - Hodges#9497
Papaipema necopina
Sunira decipiens - Hodges#9958
Sunira decipiens
Sunrise Skipper - Hodges#4011
Adopaeoides prittwitzi
Supralathosea solastella - Hodges#10024.1
Supralathosea solastella
Supralathosea yavapai - Hodges#10024.2
Supralathosea yavapai
Sutrina Moth - Hodges#10324
Hada sutrina
Swamp Metalmark - Hodges#4391
Calephelis muticum
Sweet underwing moth - Hodges#8871
Catocala dulciola
Sweetfern Leaf Casebearer - Hodges#5691
Acrobasis comptoniella
Sycamore Tussock Moth
Halysidota harrisii
Sycamore Webworm Moth - Hodges#5604
Pococera militella
Syllectra erycata - Hodges#8584
Syllectra erycata
Syllepis hortalis - Hodges#5283
Syllepis hortalis
Sylvan Hairstreak - Hodges#4280
Satyrium sylvinum
Symmerista schmidti - Hodges#7954.1
Symmerista schmidti
Symmerista solistella - Hodges#7954.2
Symmerista solistella
Symmetrischema lavernella - Hodges#2035
Symmetrischema lavernella
Symmetrischema lectulifera - Hodges#2036
Symmetrischema lectulifera
Symmetrischema striatella - Hodges#2039
Symmetrischema striatella
Sympistis acheron - Hodges#10077.1
Sympistis acheron
Sympistis albifasciata - Hodges#10076
Sympistis albifasciata
Sympistis amenthes - Hodges#10124.1
Sympistis amenthes
Sympistis amun - Hodges#10135.2
Sympistis amun
Sympistis anweileri - Hodges#10055.1
Sympistis anweileri
Sympistis apis - Hodges#10102.1
Sympistis apis
Sympistis arizonensis - Hodges#10106
Sympistis arizonensis
Sympistis aterrima - Hodges#10164
Sympistis aterrima
Sympistis atricollaris - Hodges#10128
Sympistis atricollaris
Sympistis augustus - Hodges#10096
Sympistis augustus
Sympistis bakeri - Hodges#10115
Sympistis bakeri
Sympistis baloghi - Hodges#10082.2
Sympistis baloghi
Sympistis behrensi - Hodges#10155
Sympistis behrensi
Sympistis benjamini - Hodges#10087
Sympistis benjamini
Sympistis bes - Hodges#10150.1
Sympistis bes
Sympistis buto - Hodges#10113.4
Sympistis buto
Sympistis californiae - Hodges#10058
Sympistis californiae
Sympistis chalybdis - Hodges#10123.1
Sympistis chalybdis
Sympistis chandleri - Hodges#10140
Sympistis chandleri
Sympistis chons - Hodges#10135.7
Sympistis chons
Sympistis chorda - Hodges#10113
Sympistis chorda
Sympistis cibalis - Hodges#10124
Sympistis cibalis
Sympistis ciliata - Hodges#10138
Sympistis ciliata
Sympistis cocytus - Hodges#10077.2
Sympistis cocytus
Sympistis coprocolor - Hodges#10085.1
Sympistis coprocolor
Sympistis deceptiva - Hodges#10088
Sympistis deceptiva
Sympistis definita - Hodges#10151.1
Sympistis definita
Sympistis dinalda - Hodges#10066.1
Sympistis dinalda
Sympistis dischorda - Hodges#10113.3
Sympistis dischorda
Sympistis disfigurata - Hodges#10130.1
Sympistis disfigurata
Sympistis dunbari - Hodges#10151
Sympistis dunbari
Sympistis duplex - Hodges#10093.2
Sympistis duplex
Sympistis extranea - Hodges#10145
Sympistis extranea
Sympistis fasciata - Hodges#10100
Sympistis fasciata
Sympistis ferrirena - Hodges#10151.2
Sympistis ferrirena
Sympistis fifia - Hodges#10066
Sympistis fifia
Sympistis franclemonti - Hodges#10042
Sympistis franclemonti