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)
Xestia homogena - Hodges#10964
Xestia homogena
Xestia imperita - Hodges#10965
Xestia imperita
Xestia inuitica - Hodges#10980.1
Xestia inuitica
Xestia liquidaria - Hodges#10934
Xestia liquidaria
Xestia maculata - Hodges#10981
Xestia maculata
Xestia okakensis - Hodges#10939
Xestia okakensis
Xestia perquiritata - Hodges#10962
Xestia perquiritata
Xestia quieta - Hodges#10985
Xestia quieta
Xestia ursae - Hodges#10966.1
Xestia ursae
Xestia vernilis - Hodges#10973
Xestia vernilis
Xubida linearellus - Hodges#5499
Xubida linearellus
Xubida punctilineella - Hodges#5502
Xubida punctilineella
Xylena brucei - Hodges#9877
Xylena brucei
Xylena thoracica - Hodges#9875
Xylena thoracica
Xystrologa grenadella - Hodges#0426.1
Xystrologa grenadella
Yehl Skipper
Poanes yehl
Yellow Angled-Sulphur - Hodges#4227
Anteos maerula
Yellow Birch leaffolder moth - Hodges#3358
Ancylis discigerana
Yellow Ermel
Roeslerstammia pronubella
Yellow Featherfoot
Stathmopoda skelloni
Yellow Mocis Moth - Hodges#8746
Mocis disseverans
Yellow Slant-line Moth
Tetracis crocallata
Yellow Spragueia Moth - Hodges#9131
Spragueia apicalis
Yellow V Moth - Hodges#0434
Oinophila v-flava
Yellow Wave Moth
Hybroma servulella
Yellow-banded Underwing - Hodges#8802
Catocala cerogama
Yellow-based Tussock Moth
Dasychira basiflava
Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Cisseps fulvicollis
Yellow-collared Slug Moth
Apoda y-inversum
Yellow-dotted Alpine - Hodges#4597
Erebia pawloskii
Yellow-fringed Dolichomia
Hypsopygia olinalis
Yellow-haired Dagger Moth
Acronicta impleta
Yellow-headed Lichen Moth - Hodges#8053
Crambidia cephalica
Yellow-headed Looper Moth
Lambdina pellucidaria
Yellow-lined Owlet
Colobochyla interpuncta
Yellow-necked Caterpillar Moth
Datana ministra
Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth
Lithacodes fasciola
Yellow-spotted Graylet - Hodges#9039
Hyperstrotia flaviguttata
Yellow-spotted Webworm Moth
Anageshna primordialis
Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalli
Yellow-vested Moth
Rectiostoma xanthobasis
Yellow-washed Metarranthis Moth
Metarranthis obfirmaria
Yermoia glaucina - Hodges#6787
Yermoia glaucina
Yermoia perplexata - Hodges#6786
Yermoia perplexata
Ymeldia janae - Hodges#2216
Ymeldia janae
Yojoa Scrub-Hairstreak - Hodges#4341
Strymon yojoa
Yosemitia graciella - Hodges#5981
Yosemitia graciella
Ypsolopha arizonella - Hodges#2369
Ypsolopha arizonella
Ypsolopha barberella - Hodges#2370
Ypsolopha barberella
Ypsolopha cockerella - Hodges#2373
Ypsolopha cockerella
Ypsolopha delicatella - Hodges#2374
Ypsolopha delicatella
Ypsolopha dentiferella - Hodges#2376
Ypsolopha dentiferella
Ypsolopha falciferella - Hodges#2380
Ypsolopha falciferella
Ypsolopha gerdanella - Hodges#2383
Ypsolopha gerdanella
Ypsolopha leptaula - Hodges#2384
Ypsolopha leptaula
Ypsolopha querciella - Hodges#2390
Ypsolopha querciella
Ypsolopha schwarziella - Hodges#2393
Ypsolopha schwarziella
Ypsolopha striatella - Hodges#2394
Ypsolopha striatella
Ypsolopha undulatella - Hodges#2396
Ypsolopha undulatella
Ypsolopha unicipunctella - Hodges#2397
Ypsolopha unicipunctella
Ypsolopha vintrella - Hodges#2399
Ypsolopha vintrella
Yuma Skipper - Hodges#4057
Ochlodes yuma
Zaboba mitchelli - Hodges#5544
Zaboba mitchelli
Zaboba unicoloralis - Hodges#5545
Zaboba unicoloralis
Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon
Zale chisosensis - Hodges#8693.1
Zale chisosensis
Zale confusa - Hodges#8701
Zale confusa
Zale curema - Hodges#8709
Zale curema
Zale fictilis - Hodges#8687
Zale fictilis
Zale lafontainei - Hodges#8685
Zale lafontainei
Zale metata - Hodges#8708
Zale metata
Zale obliqua - Hodges#8699
Zale obliqua
Zale peruncta - Hodges#8684.1
Zale peruncta
Zale phaeocapna - Hodges#8698
Zale phaeocapna
Zale rubi - Hodges#8711
Zale rubi
Zale sabena - Hodges#8688
Zale sabena
Zale strigimacula - Hodges#8686
Zale strigimacula
Zale termina - Hodges#8712
Zale termina
Zamagiria arctella - Hodges#5740
Zamagiria arctella
Zamagiria australella - Hodges#5737
Zamagiria australella
Zamagiria laidion - Hodges#5739
Zamagiria laidion
Zanclognatha atrilineella - Hodges#8346
Zanclognatha atrilineella
Zebra Conchylodes Moth
Conchylodes ovulalis
Zebra Longwing
Heliconius charithonia
Zebra Swallowtail
Eurytides marcellus
Zela Metalmark - Hodges#4399
Apodemia zela
Zelleria arizonica - Hodges#2424
Zelleria arizonica
Zelleria ochroplagiata - Hodges#2428
Zelleria ochroplagiata
Zelleria pyri - Hodges#2430
Zelleria pyri
Zelleria retiniella - Hodges#2431
Zelleria retiniella
Zenodoxus canescens - Hodges#2514
Zenodoxus canescens
Zenodoxus heucherae - Hodges#2515
Zenodoxus heucherae
Zenodoxus maculipes - Hodges#2516
Zenodoxus maculipes
Zenodoxus mexicanus - Hodges#2517
Zenodoxus mexicanus
Zenodoxus palmii - Hodges#2518
Zenodoxus palmii
Zenodoxus rubens - Hodges#2519
Zenodoxus rubens
Zenophleps obscurata - Hodges#7409
Zenophleps obscurata
Zenophleps pallescens - Hodges#7407
Zenophleps pallescens
Zephyr Eyed Silkmoth
Automeris zephyria
Zerene Fritillary - Hodges#4456
Speyeria zerene