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)
Tobacco Budworm Moth
Chloridea virescens
Tobacco Hornworm Moth
Manduca sexta
Toltec Roadside-Skipper - Hodges#4098
Amblyscirtes tolteca
Tolype dayi - Hodges#7679
Tolype dayi
Tolype distincta - Hodges#7677
Tolype distincta
Tolype glenwoodii - Hodges#7676
Tolype glenwoodii
Tolype lowriei - Hodges#7680
Tolype lowriei
Toothed Apharetra - Hodges#10055
Sympistis dentata
Toothed Brown Carpet Moth
Xanthorhoe lacustrata
Toothed Phigalia Moth
Phigalia denticulata
Toripalpus breviornatalis - Hodges#5584
Toripalpus breviornatalis
Toripalpus trabalis - Hodges#5585
Toripalpus trabalis
Tornos erectarius - Hodges#6484
Tornos erectarius
Tornos punctata - Hodges#6481
Tornos punctata
Toronia luzena - Hodges#2696
Toronia luzena
Torquay Clothes Moth
Infurcitinea albicomella
Toxonprucha clientis - Hodges#8675
Toxonprucha clientis
Toxonprucha excavata - Hodges#8673.1
Toxonprucha excavata
Toxonprucha killamae - Hodges#8673.3
Toxonprucha killamae
Toxonprucha repentis - Hodges#8673
Toxonprucha repentis
Identification: Larva - white with brownish lines.
Toxonprucha strigalis - Hodges#8671
Toxonprucha strigalis
Trembling Sallow - Hodges#9949
Chaetaglaea tremula
Trichocerapoda comstocki - Hodges#10425
Trichocerapoda comstocki
Trichocerapoda harbisoni - Hodges#10425.1
Trichocerapoda harbisoni
Trichocerapoda oblita - Hodges#10427
Trichocerapoda oblita
Trichocerapoda oceanis - Hodges#10427.1
Trichocerapoda oceanis
Trichocerapoda strigata - Hodges#10426
Trichocerapoda strigata
Trichodezia californiata - Hodges#7432
Trichodezia californiata
Trichofeltia circumdata - Hodges#10621
Trichofeltia circumdata
Tricholita bisulca - Hodges#10632
Tricholita bisulca
Tricholita elsinora - Hodges#10626
Tricholita elsinora
Tricholita ferrisi - Hodges#10629.2
Tricholita ferrisi
Tricholita knudsoni - Hodges#10629.1
Tricholita knudsoni
Trichopolia antennata - Hodges#10558
Trichopolia antennata
Trichopolia dentatella - Hodges#10618
Trichopolia dentatella
Trichopolia eureka - Hodges#10549
Trichopolia eureka
Trichopolia perforata - Hodges#10556
Trichopolia perforata
Trichopolia texicana - Hodges#10566.1
Trichopolia texicana
Trichordestra beanii - Hodges#10306
Trichordestra beanii
Trichordestra dodii - Hodges#10305
Trichordestra dodii
Trichordestra liquida - Hodges#10308
Trichordestra liquida
Triclonella antidectis - Hodges#1526
Triclonella antidectis
Triclonella xuthocelis - Hodges#1525
Triclonella xuthocelis
Tricolored Acrobasis Moth - Hodges#5655
Acrobasis tricolorella
Tricose Dart - Hodges#10675
Feltia tricosa
Triprocris lustrans - Hodges#4620
Triprocris lustrans
Triprocris smithsoniana - Hodges#4631
Triprocris smithsoniana
Triprocris yampai - Hodges#4630
Triprocris yampai
Tripudia dimidata - Hodges#9007
Tripudia dimidata
Tripudia grapholithoides - Hodges#9004
Tripudia grapholithoides
Tripudia inquaesita - Hodges#9002
Tripudia inquaesita
Tripudia limbatus - Hodges#9011
Tripudia limbatus
Tripudia luda - Hodges#9006
Tripudia luda
Tripudia munna - Hodges#9002.1
Tripudia munna
Tripudia paraplesia - Hodges#9003.2
Tripudia paraplesia
Tripudia rectangula - Hodges#9003.1
Tripudia rectangula
Trischistognatha pyrenealis - Hodges#4933
Trischistognatha pyrenealis
Tristyla alboplagiata - Hodges#10053
Tristyla alboplagiata
Triton Dagger Moth - Hodges#9211
Acronicta tritona
Trocodima fuscipes - Hodges#8100
Trocodima fuscipes
Tropical Buckeye Butterfly
Junonia evarete
Tropical Least Skipper - Hodges#4005
Ancyloxypha arene
Tropical Morning Glory Plume Moth - Hodges#6159
Emmelina buscki
Trotorhombia metachromata - Hodges#7657.2
Trotorhombia metachromata
Truncaptera inopinata - Hodges#8027
Truncaptera inopinata
Trypanisma prudens - Hodges#1841
Trypanisma prudens
Tubeworm Moth
Acrolophus mortipennella
Tufted Bird Dropping Moth
Cerma cerintha
Tufted Thyatirin
Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides
Tulip-tree Beauty Moth
Epimecis hortaria
Tulip-tree Silkmoth
Callosamia angulifera
Tulsa finitella - Hodges#5809
Tulsa finitella
Tupelo Clearwing Moth - Hodges#2567
Synanthedon rubrofascia
Tupelo Leafminer - Hodges#0234
Antispila nysaefoliella
Turbulent Phosphila - Hodges#9618
Phosphila turbulenta
Turk's-Cap White-Skipper - Hodges#3973
Heliopetes macaira
Turquoise Longtail - Hodges#3888.1
Urbanus evona
Twin-spot Skipper - Hodges#4114
Oligoria maculata
Twin-spotted Sphinx Moth
Smerinthus jamaicensis
Two-lined Eucosma - Hodges#3100
Eucosma bilineana
Two-spot Dart Moth - Hodges#11008
Eueretagrotis perattentus
Two-spotted Forester Moth
Alypiodes bimaculata
Two-spotted Herpetogramma - Hodges#5272
Herpetogramma bipunctalis
Two-spotted Looper
Autographa bimaculata
Two-spotted Plume Moth - Hodges#6155
Adaina bipunctatus
Two-spotted Skipper - Hodges#4077
Euphyes bimacula
Two-streaked Sparganothis - Hodges#3698
Sparganothis bistriata
Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata
Two-toned Ancylis Moth - Hodges#3375
Ancylis divisana
Typhon Sphinx - Hodges#7863
Eumorpha typhon
Udea berberalis - Hodges#5089
Udea berberalis
Udea brevipalpis - Hodges#5093
Udea brevipalpis
Udea inquinatalis - Hodges#5086
Udea inquinatalis
Udea itysalis - Hodges#5099
Udea itysalis
Udea livida - Hodges#5097
Udea livida
Udea octosignalis - Hodges#5082
Udea octosignalis
Udea radiosalis - Hodges#5101
Udea radiosalis
Udea turmalis - Hodges#5098
Udea turmalis
Udea vacunalis - Hodges#5083
Udea vacunalis
Ufa lithosella - Hodges#5892
Ufa lithosella