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)
Hyblaea paulianii
Hyblaea paulianii
Hyblaea pusilla
Hyblaea pusilla
Hyblaea sanguinea
Hyblaea sanguinea
Hyblaea saturata
Hyblaea saturata
Hyblaea synaema
Hyblaea synaema
Hyblaea tenebrionis
Hyblaea tenebrionis
Hyblaea xanthia
Hyblaea xanthia
Hypolamprus ypsilon
Hypolamprus ypsilon
Idioglossa argodora
Idioglossa argodora
Idioglossa bigemma
Idioglossa bigemma
Idioglossa metallochrysa
Idioglossa metallochrysa
Idioglossa polliacola
Idioglossa polliacola
Idioglossa thailandica
Idioglossa thailandica
Idioglossa triacma
Idioglossa triacma
Idioglossa triumphalis
Idioglossa triumphalis
Incurvaria circulella
Incurvaria circulella
Incurvaria koerneriella
Incurvaria koerneriella
Incurvaria stangei
Incurvaria stangei
Incurvaria triglavensis
Incurvaria triglavensis
Incurvaria vetulella
Incurvaria vetulella
Infurcitinea atrifasciella
Infurcitinea atrifasciella
Infurcitinea finalis
Infurcitinea finalis
Infurcitinea ignicomella
Infurcitinea ignicomella
Infurcitinea roesslerella
Infurcitinea roesslerella
Infurcitinea rumelicella
Infurcitinea rumelicella
Infurcitinea teriolella
Infurcitinea teriolella
Labdia deliciosella
Labdia deliciosella
Lampronia rupella
Lampronia rupella
Leucoptera caffeina
Leucoptera caffeina
Leucoptera coffeella
Leucoptera coffeella
Leucoptera guettardella
Leucoptera guettardella
Leucoptera orobi
Leucoptera orobi
Leucoptera sinuella
Leucoptera sinuella
Lophoptera hemithyris
Lophoptera hemithyris
Lophoptera vittigera
Lophoptera vittigera
Lyonetia ledi
Lyonetia ledi
Lyonetia padifoliella
Lyonetia padifoliella
Mea undescribed-one
Mea undescribed-one
Megalopyge basalis
Megalopyge basalis
Mellirisa cervina
Mellirisa cervina
Mellirisa formosana
Mellirisa formosana
Micropterix aglaella
Micropterix aglaella
Micropterix allionella
Micropterix allionella
Micropterix cypriensis
Micropterix cypriensis
Micropterix herminiella
Micropterix herminiella
Micropterix ibericella
Micropterix ibericella
Micropterix rothenbachii
Micropterix rothenbachii
Micropterix schaefferi
Micropterix schaefferi
Morphomima fulvitacta
Morphomima fulvitacta
Nemophora aurifera
Nemophora aurifera
Nhanderu takua
Nhanderu takua
Nola desmotes
Nola desmotes
Ochromolopis ictella
Ochromolopis ictella
Ochromolopis staintonellus
Ochromolopis staintonellus
Ochromolopis zagulajevi
Ochromolopis zagulajevi
Odontodes seranensis
Odontodes seranensis
Oiketicus geyeri
Oiketicus geyeri
Oiketicus platensis
Oiketicus platensis
Olceclostera brama
Olceclostera brama
Olceclostera irrorata
Olceclostera irrorata
Olceclostera magniplaga
Olceclostera magniplaga
Olceclostera truncata
Olceclostera truncata
Opostega nubifera
Opostega nubifera
Opostega orestias
Opostega orestias
Opostega scoliozona
Opostega scoliozona
Opostega xenodoxa
Opostega xenodoxa
Opostegoides gephyraea
Opostegoides gephyraea
Opostegoides menthinella
Opostegoides menthinella
Orudiza protheclaria
Orudiza protheclaria
Oxycophina theorina
Oxycophina theorina
Pantelodes centralamericana
Pantelodes centralamericana
Paraclemensia caerulea
Paraclemensia caerulea
Paraclemensia cyanella
Paraclemensia cyanella
Paraclemensia incerta
Paraclemensia incerta
Periacma delegata
Periacma delegata
Phazaca decorata
Phazaca decorata
Philobota philostaura
Philobota philostaura
Pidorus atratus
Pidorus atratus
Prays autocasis
Prays autocasis
Prays beta
Prays beta
Prays delta
Prays delta
Prays epsilon
Prays epsilon
Prays fulvocanella
Prays fulvocanella
Prays galapagosella
Prays galapagosella
Prays gamma
Prays gamma
Prays liophaea
Prays liophaea
Prays parilis
Prays parilis
Prays peregrina
Prays peregrina
Pseudopostega chalcopepla
Pseudopostega chalcopepla
Pseudopostega saltatrix
Pseudopostega saltatrix
Pseudopostega texana
Pseudopostega texana
Pseudopostega zelopa
Pseudopostega zelopa
Quentalia chromana
Quentalia chromana
Quentalia excisa
Quentalia excisa
Quentalia numalia
Quentalia numalia
Roeslerstammia nitidella
Roeslerstammia nitidella
Schreckensteinia felicella
Schreckensteinia felicella
Schreckensteinia inferiorella
Schreckensteinia inferiorella
Schreckensteinia jocularis
Schreckensteinia jocularis
Scythris cuspidella
Scythris cuspidella