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)
Acleris nigrolinea - Hodges#3556
Acleris nigrolinea
Acleris okanagana - Hodges#3528
Acleris okanagana
Acleris oxycoccana - Hodges#3529
Acleris oxycoccana
Acleris ptychogrammos - Hodges#3509
Acleris ptychogrammos
Acleris santacrucis - Hodges#3515
Acleris santacrucis
Acleris semiannula - Hodges#3521
Acleris semiannula
Acoloithus novaricus - Hodges#4628
Acoloithus novaricus
Acontia behrii - Hodges#9164
Acontia behrii
Acontia chea - Hodges#9160
Acontia chea
Acontia coquillettii - Hodges#9163
Acontia coquillettii
Acontia jaliscana - Hodges#9160.1
Acontia jaliscana
Acopa perpallida - Hodges#9826
Acopa perpallida
Acratodes suavata - Hodges#7148
Acratodes suavata
Acritogramma metaleuca - Hodges#8682
Acritogramma metaleuca
Acrobasis amplexella - Hodges#5654
Acrobasis amplexella
Acrobasis aurorella - Hodges#5670
Acrobasis aurorella
Acrobasis betulivorella - Hodges#5689
Acrobasis betulivorella
Acrobasis blanchardorum - Hodges#5694
Acrobasis blanchardorum
Acrobasis caliginella - Hodges#5695
Acrobasis caliginella
Acrobasis cirroferella - Hodges#5684
Acrobasis cirroferella
Acrobasis comptella - Hodges#5656
Acrobasis comptella
Acrobasis minimella - Hodges#5657
Acrobasis minimella
Acrobasis normella - Hodges#5677
Acrobasis normella
Acrobasis ostryella - Hodges#5680
Acrobasis ostryella
Acrobasis pallicornella - Hodges#5703
Acrobasis pallicornella
Acrobasis tumidulella - Hodges#5693
Acrobasis tumidulella
Acrocercops albinatella - Hodges#0689
Acrocercops albinatella
Acrocercops albomarginatum - Hodges#695.1
Genus-undetermined albomarginatum
Acrocercops arbutella - Hodges#0690
Acrocercops arbutella
Acrocercops pnosmodiella - Hodges#0693
Acrocercops pnosmodiella
Acrolepiopsis californica - Hodges#2490.2
Acrolepiopsis californica
Acrolepiopsis leucoscia - Hodges#2491
Acrolepiopsis leucoscia
Acrolepiopsis reticulosa - Hodges#2492
Acrolepiopsis reticulosa
Acrolophus arizonellus - Hodges#0341
Acrolophus arizonellus
Acrolophus crescentella - Hodges#0346
Acrolophus crescentella
Acrolophus davisellus - Hodges#0348
Acrolophus davisellus
Acrolophus furcatus - Hodges#0354
Acrolophus furcatus
Acrolophus kearfotti - Hodges#0357
Acrolophus kearfotti
Acrolophus macrophallus - Hodges#0363
Acrolophus macrophallus
Acrolophus minor - Hodges#0365
Acrolophus minor
Acrolophus parvipalpus - Hodges#0369
Acrolophus parvipalpus
Acrolophus quadrellus - Hodges#0378
Acrolophus quadrellus
Acrolophus simulatus - Hodges#0381
Acrolophus simulatus
Acroncosa albiflavella - Hodges#5897
Acroncosa albiflavella
Acroncosa minima - Hodges#5897.1
Acroncosa minima
Acronicta australis - Hodges#9275.1
Acronicta australis
Acronicta browni - Hodges#9231.1
Acronicta browni
Acronicta cyanescens - Hodges#9205.1
Acronicta cyanescens
Acronicta dolli - Hodges#9277
Acronicta dolli
Acronicta extricata - Hodges#9265
Acronicta extricata
Acronicta falcula - Hodges#9214
Acronicta falcula
Acronicta liturata - Hodges#9255.1
Acronicta liturata
Acronicta lupini - Hodges#9275
Acronicta lupini
Acronicta mansueta - Hodges#9218
Acronicta mansueta
Acronicta othello - Hodges#9270
Acronicta othello
Acronicta parallela - Hodges# 9215
Acronicta parallela
Acronicta rapidan - Hodges#9220
Acronicta rapidan
Acronicta sagittata - Hodges#9273
Acronicta sagittata
Acronicta tota - Hodges#9210
Acronicta tota
Acroplectis haemanthes - Hodges#3590
Acroplectis haemanthes
Acsala anomala - Hodges#8104.1
Acsala anomala
Adana Tip Moth - Hodges#2877
Rhyacionia adana
Adanarsa intransitella - Hodges#5708
Adanarsa intransitella
Adela astrella - Hodges#0229.1
Adela astrella
Adela punctiferella - Hodges#0219
Adela punctiferella
Adela purpurea - Hodges#0229
Adela purpurea
Adelphagrotis carissima - Hodges#10991.1
Adelphagrotis carissima
Adelphagrotis indeterminata - Hodges#10991
Adelphagrotis indeterminata
Adjutant Wainscot Moth
Leucania adjuta
Admetovis oxymorus - Hodges#10269
Admetovis oxymorus
Admetovis similaris - Hodges#10270
Admetovis similaris
Adoneta pygmaea - Hodges#4683
Adoneta pygmaea
Aethes baloghi - Hodges#3755
Aethes baloghi
Aethes floccosana - Hodges#3756.1
Aethes floccosana
Aethes heleniana - Hodges#3756.2
Aethes heleniana
Aethes louisiana - Hodges#3757.2
Aethes louisiana
Aethes matheri - Hodges#3757.3
Aethes matheri
Aethes mymara - Hodges#3758.2
Aethes mymara
Aethes olibra - Hodges#3760.4
Aethes olibra
Aethes patricia - Hodges#3759
Aethes patricia
Aethes rana - Hodges#3759.2
Aethes rana
Aethes sexdentata - Hodges#3760.2
Aethes sexdentata
Aethes terriae - Hodges#3761.2
Aethes terriae
Aethes triassumenta - Hodges#3761.5
Aethes triassumenta
Aethiophysa delicata - Hodges#4875
Aethiophysa delicata
Aethiophysa dualis - Hodges#4876
Aethiophysa dualis
Aethiophysa extorris - Hodges#5325
Aethiophysa extorris
Aetole bella - Hodges#2497
Aetole bella
Aetole cera - Hodges#2497.3
Aetole cera
Aetole extraneella - Hodges#2499
Aetole extraneella
Aetole prenticei - Hodges#2497.1
Aetole prenticei
Aetole schulzella - Hodges#2497.2
Aetole schulzella
Aetole tripunctella - Hodges#2505
Aetole tripunctella
Aetole unipunctella - Hodges#2506
Aetole unipunctella
Afflicted Dagger Moth
Acronticta afflicta
Afflicted Dagger Moth - Hodges#9254
Acronicta afflicta
Afilia luma - Hodges#7962.1
Afilia luma
Afilia walshi - Hodges#7962.2
Afilia walshi
Afotella cylindrica - Hodges#9841
Afotella cylindrica
Afranius Duskywing - Hodges#3960
Erynnis afranius