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)
Western Blackheaded Budworm - Hodges#3547
Acleris gloveranus
Western Boxelder Twig Borer Moth - Hodges#3236
Proteoteras arizonae
Western Branded Skipper - Hodges#4020.2
Hesperia colorado
Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
Harrisina metallica
Western Lawn Moth - Hodges#5453
Tehama bonifatella
Western Legume Prominent - Hodges#7959
Dasylophia melanopa
Western Oakgall Clearwing - Hodges#2609
Carmenta querci
Western Pero - Hodges#6761
Pero occidentalis
Western Pine Shoot Borer Moth - Hodges#3065
Eucopina sonomana
Western Pygmy-Blue Butterfly
Brephidium exile
Western Red-humped Caterpillar - Hodges#8010.1
Oedemasia salicis
Western Skiff Moth - Hodges#4670
Prolimacodes trigona
Western Tailed-Blue - Hodges#4362
Cupido amyntula
Western Tent Moth
Malacosoma californicum
Western Tentiform Leafminer - Hodges#0750.2
Phyllonorycter elmaella
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus
Western White Butterfly
Pontia occidentalis
Wheat Head Armyworm - Hodges#10431
Dargida diffusa
White Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus albescens
White Flannel Moth
Norape ovina
White Furcula Moth
Furcula borealis
White M Hairstreak Butterfly
Parrhasius m-album
White Peacock Butterfly
Anartia jatrophae
White Pine Barkminer Moth - Hodges#0708
Marmara fasciella
White Scrub-Hairstreak - Hodges#4342
Strymon albata
White Slant-line Moth
Tetracis cachexiata
White Spring Moth
Lomographa vestaliata
White Triangle Tortrix - Hodges#3682
Clepsis persicana
White Underwing Moth
Catocala relicta
White fir needleminer - Hodges#3340
Epinotia meritana
White-Barred Skipper - Hodges#4085
Atrytonopsis pittacus
White-banded Black Moth - Hodges#7294
Rheumaptera subhastata
White-banded Plume Moth - Hodges#6115
Platyptilia albicans
White-banded Toothed Carpet Moth
Epirrhoe alternata
White-blotched Heterocampa
Heterocampa umbrata
White-dotted Cattleheart - Hodges#4156.1
Parides alopius
White-dotted Groundling Moth
Condica videns
White-dotted Prominent
Nadata gibbosa
White-edged Coleotechnites Moth - Hodges#1787
Coleotechnites albicostata
White-fringed Emerald Moth
Nemoria mimosaria
White-lined Graylet - Hodges#9035
Hyperstrotia nana
White-lined Leafroller - Hodges#3748
Amorbia humerosana
White-lined Sphinx Moth
Hyles lineata
no rights reservedWhite-lobed Plume Moth - Hodges#6185
Hellinsia albilobata
White-marked Cydia - Hodges#3461
Cydia albimaculana
White-marked Tussock Moth
Orgyia leucostigma
White-rayed Metalmark Butterfly
Melanis cephise
White-ribboned Carpet Moth
Mesoleuca ruficillata
White-spotted Midget Moth - Hodges#11062
Eutricopis nexilis
White-spotted Satyr - Hodges#4613.89
Manataria hercyna
White-streaked Looper - Hodges#8953
Plusia venusta
White-striped Black Moth
Trichodezia albovittata
White-striped Longtail Skipper
Chioides albofasciatus
White-tailed Diver - Hodges#9523
Bellura gortynoides
White-tailed fruitworm - Hodges#3721
Cenopis mesospila
White-tipped Black Moth
Melanchroia chephise
White-tipped Metalmark
Melanis acroleuca
White-veined Arctic - Hodges#4610
Oeneis bore
Whitney's Underwing Moth - Hodges#8843
Catocala whitneyi
Wielgus' Ghost Moth - Hodges#0029.1
Gazoryctra wielgusi
Wikle's Dagger Moth - Hodges#9255.2
Acronicta wiklei
Wild Cherry Sphinx - Hodges#7812
Sphinx drupiferarum
Wild Forget-me-not Moth
Gnophaela latipennis
Williams' Tiger Moth - Hodges#8186
Apantesis williamsii
Willow Dart - Hodges#10996
Cerastis salicarum
Willow Gall Inquiline Moth - Hodges#5798
Sciota carneella
Willow Ghost Moth - Hodges#0021
Sthenopis thule
Willow Leafblotch Miner - Hodges#0647
Micrurapteryx salicifoliella
Witch Hazel Dagger - Hodges#9248
Acronicta hamamelis
Witch-hazel Olethreutes - Hodges#2804
Olethreutes hamameliana
Wood Leopard Moth
Zeuzera pyrina
Wood Tiger Moth - Hodges#8127
Arctia plantaginis
Woodland Chocolate Moth - Hodges#8760
Argyrostrotis sylvarum
Woody Angle - Hodges#6335
Macaria aequiferaria
Woolly Gray Moth
Lycia ypsilon
Woolly-backed Moth - Hodges#2776
Olethreutes furfuranum
Wormwood Plume Moth - Hodges#6171
Oidaematophorus grisescens
Wretched Olethreutes Moth - Hodges#2791
Olethreutes exoletum
Wrinkled Trichordestra - Hodges#10302
Trichordestra rugosa
Wyatt's Stagmatophora - Hodges#1509
Eteobalea wyattella
Xami Hairstreak - Hodges#4320
Callophrys xami
Xanthorhoe abrasaria - Hodges#7370
Xanthorhoe abrasaria
Xanthorhoe columelloides - Hodges#7393
Xanthorhoe columelloides
Xanthorhoe decoloraria - Hodges#7384
Xanthorhoe decoloraria
Xanthorhoe dentilinea - Hodges#7391
Xanthorhoe dentilinea
Xanthorhoe iduata - Hodges#7371
Xanthorhoe iduata
Xanthorhoe mirabilata - Hodges#7392
Xanthorhoe mirabilata
Xanthorhoe pontiaria - Hodges#7379
Xanthorhoe pontiaria
Xanthostege roseiterminalis
Xanthostege roseiterminalis
Xanthothrix neumoegeni - Hodges#9771
Xanthothrix neumoegeni
Xanthothrix ranunculi - Hodges#9772
Chrysoecia ranunculi
Xenolechia aethiops - Hodges#1875
Xenolechia aethiops
Xenolechia ceanothiella - Hodges#1780
Xenolechia ceanothiella
Xenolechia velatella - Hodges#1880
Xenolechia velatella
Xerochlora inveterascaria - Hodges#7079
Xerochlora inveterascaria
Xerochlora martinaria - Hodges#7080
Xerochlora martinaria
Xerochlora masonaria - Hodges#7081
Xerochlora masonaria
Xerochlora mesotheides - Hodges#7082
Xerochlora mesotheides
Xestia cinerascens - Hodges#10949
Xestia cinerascens
Xestia colorado - Hodges#10982
Xestia colorado