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)
Bedellia yasumatsui
Bedellia yasumatsui
Blastobasis divulgata
Blastobasis divulgata
Bondia nigella
Bondia nigella
Bucculatrix alaternella
Bucculatrix alaternella
Canaea hyalospila
Canaea hyalospila
Carcina ingridmariae
Carcina ingridmariae
Carposina gracillima
Carposina gracillima
Carposina neurophorella
Carposina neurophorella
Carposina scirrhosella
Carposina scirrhosella
Carposina taractis
Carposina taractis
Cecile pandara
Cecile pandara
Cecile pandarioides
Cecile pandarioides
Chezala privatella
Chezala privatella
Choreutis amethystodes
Choreutis amethystodes
Cicinnus solvens
Cicinnus solvens
Coelopoeta aprica
Coelopoeta aprica
Coelopoeta aurora
Coelopoeta aurora
Coelopoeta glutinosi
Coelopoeta glutinosi
Coptodisca undescribed-species-on-morella
Coptodisca undescribed-species-on-morella
Coptotriche splendida
Coptotriche splendida
Distagmos ledereri
Distagmos ledereri
Diurnea issikii
Diurnea issikii
Doa cubana
Doa cubana
Doa dora
Doa dora
Doa translucida
Doa translucida
Dryadaula advena
Dryadaula advena
Dryadaula anthracorma
Dryadaula anthracorma
Dryadaula castanea
Dryadaula castanea
Dryadaula caucasica
Dryadaula caucasica
Dryadaula epischista
Dryadaula epischista
Dryadaula germana
Dryadaula germana
Dryadaula heindeli
Dryadaula heindeli
Dryadaula hellenica
Dryadaula hellenica
Dryadaula irinae
Dryadaula irinae
Dryadaula minuta
Dryadaula minuta
Dryadaula myrrhina
Dryadaula myrrhina
Dryadaula nedae
Dryadaula nedae
Dryadaula trapezoides
Dryadaula trapezoides
Dryadaula zygodes
Dryadaula zygodes
Dryadaula zygoterma
Dryadaula zygoterma
Dysaethria flavistriga
Dysaethria flavistriga
Eidophasia hufnagelii
Eidophasia hufnagelii
Eidophasia syenitella
Eidophasia syenitella
Elachista contaminatella
Elachista contaminatella
Elachista gerasmia
Elachista gerasmia
Elachista ombrodoca
Elachista ombrodoca
Elachista pollinariella
Elachista pollinariella
Elachista thallophora
Elachista thallophora
Epermenia commonella
Epermenia commonella
Epermenia exilis
Epermenia exilis
Epermenia illigerella
Epermenia illigerella
Epermenia pontificella
Epermenia pontificella
Epermenia scurella
Epermenia scurella
Episcythris triangulella
Episcythris triangulella
Eriocraniella falcata
Eriocraniella falcata
Eudarcia coemeteriiella
Eudarcia coemeteriiella
Eudarcia dentata
Eudarcia dentata
Eudarcia glaseri
Eudarcia glaseri
Eudarcia haliplancta
Eudarcia haliplancta
Eudarcia hedemanni
Eudarcia hedemanni
Eudarcia kasyi
Eudarcia kasyi
Eudarcia pagenstecherella
Eudarcia pagenstecherella
Eudarcia undescribed-meessiidae-two
Eudarcia undescribed-meessiidae-two
Eulechria marmorata
Eulechria marmorata
Eupterote discrepans
Eupterote discrepans
Eutelia iberiatrix
Eutelia iberiatrix
Fulgoraecia bowringii
Fulgoraecia bowringii
Fulgoraecia cucullata
Fulgoraecia cucullata
Fulgoraecia melanoleuca
Fulgoraecia melanoleuca
Gisilia thoracista
Gisilia thoracista
Glanycus insolitus
Glanycus insolitus
Glyphipterix bergstraesserella
Glyphipterix bergstraesserella
Glyphipterix chrysoplanetis
Glyphipterix chrysoplanetis
Glyphipterix tungella
Glyphipterix tungella
Greya obscura
Greya obscura
Heliodines roesella
Heliodines roesella
Heliozela catoptrias
Heliozela catoptrias
Herdonia hainanensis
Herdonia hainanensis
Herimba pyrrhata
Herimba pyrrhata
Homadaula albida
Homadaula albida
Homadaula calamitosa
Homadaula calamitosa
Homadaula coscinopa
Homadaula coscinopa
Homadaula lasiochroa
Homadaula lasiochroa
Homadaula myriospila
Homadaula myriospila
Homadaula ravula
Homadaula ravula
Homadaula submontana
Homadaula submontana
Homadaula watamomaritima
Homadaula watamomaritima
Homadaula wieseri
Homadaula wieseri
Hoplostega ochroma
Hoplostega ochroma
Hyblaea apricans
Hyblaea apricans
Hyblaea constellata
Hyblaea constellata
Hyblaea firmamentum
Hyblaea firmamentum
Hyblaea fontainei
Hyblaea fontainei
Hyblaea fortissima
Hyblaea fortissima
Hyblaea ibidias
Hyblaea ibidias
Hyblaea madagascariensis
Hyblaea madagascariensis
Hyblaea maldivesa
Hyblaea maldivesa
Hyblaea mauricea
Hyblaea mauricea
Hyblaea meifenga
Hyblaea meifenga
Hyblaea occidentalium
Hyblaea occidentalium