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)
African Archaic Sun Moth
Acanthopteroctetes nepticuloides
Afrida exegens - Hodges#8103.1
Afrida exegens
Agapema dyari - Hodges#7754.2
Agapema dyari
Agapema homogena - Hodges#7756
Agapema homogena
Aglaonice otignatha - Hodges#8390.1
Aglaonice otignatha
Aglossa cacamica - Hodges#5514
Aglossa cacamica
Aglossa costiferalis - Hodges#5511
Aglossa costiferalis
Aglossa electalis - Hodges#5513
Aglossa electalis
Aglossa furva - Hodges#5522
Aglossa furva
Aglossa gigantalis - Hodges#5521
Aglossa gigantalis
Agnippe abdita - Hodges#1768
Agnippe abdita
Agnippe biscolorella - Hodges#1772
Agnippe biscolorella
Agnippe leuconota - Hodges#1770
Agnippe leuconota
Agonopterix argillacea - Hodges#0889
Agonopterix argillacea
Agonopterix atrodorsella - Hodges#0864
Agonopterix atrodorsella
Agonopterix cajonensis - Hodges#0874
Agonopterix cajonensis
Agonopterix clarkei - Hodges#0863
Agonopterix clarkei
Agonopterix costimacula - Hodges#0868.1
Agonopterix costimacula
Agonopterix cratia - Hodges#0883
Agonopterix cratia
Agonopterix dammersi - Hodges#0873
Agonopterix dammersi
Agonopterix dimorphella - Hodges#0887
Agonopterix dimorphella
Agonopterix eupatoriiella - Hodges#0866
Agonopterix eupatoriiella
Agonopterix flavicomella - Hodges#0880
Agonopterix flavicomella
Agonopterix hyperella - Hodges#0856
Agonopterix hyperella
Agonopterix lecontella - Hodges#0886
Agonopterix lecontella
Agonopterix nebulosa - Hodges#0894
Agonopterix nebulosa
Agonopterix nubiferella - Hodges#0858
Agonopterix nubiferella
Agonopterix paulae - Hodges#0868.2
Agonopterix paulae
Agonopterix psoraliella - Hodges#0891
Agonopterix psoraliella
Agonopterix rosaciliella - Hodges#0876
Agonopterix rosaciliella
Agonopterix sabulella - Hodges#0872
Agonopterix sabulella
Agonopterix senicionella - Hodges#0881
Agonopterix senicionella
Agriphila attenuatus - Hodges#5404
Agriphila attenuatus
Agriphila biarmicus - Hodges#5395
Agriphila biarmicus
Agriphila undatus - Hodges#5400
Agriphila undatus
Agrippina Underwing - Hodges#8787
Catocala agrippina
Agrotis apicalis - Hodges#10662
Agrotis apicalis
Agrotis arenarius - Hodges#10658.1
Agrotis arenarius
Agrotis buchholzi - Hodges#10654
Agrotis buchholzi
Agrotis daedalus - Hodges#10642
Agrotis daedalus
Agrotis gravis - Hodges#10653
Agrotis gravis
Agrotis obliqua - Hodges#10660
Agrotis obliqua
Agrotis rileyana - Hodges#10669
Agrotis rileyana
Agrotis stigmosa - Hodges#10658
Agrotis stigmosa
Agrotis striata - Hodges#10642.1
Agrotis striata
Agrotisia evelinae - Hodges#9586
Agrotisia evelinae
Ahmosia galbinea - Hodges#2730
Ahmosia galbinea
Aholibah Underwing - Hodges#8800
Catocala aholibah
Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea
Alana White-Skipper - Hodges#3974.1
Heliopetes alana
Alberada parabates - Hodges#5974
Alberada parabates
Alberta Arctic - Hodges#4608
Oeneis alberta
Alberta Fritillary - Hodges#4472
Boloria alberta
Alberta Lutestring Moth
Ceranemota albertae
Alberta Pale Plume Moth - Hodges#6116
Gillmeria albertae
Albu's Plume Moth - Hodges#6127.1
Paraplatyptilia albui
Albuna beutenmuelleri - Hodges#2533.2
Albuna beutenmuelleri
Alcathoe pepsioides - Hodges#2624
Alcathoe pepsioides
Alcathoe verrugo - Hodges#2625
Alcathoe verrugo
Alder Tubemaker Moth - Hodges#5690
Acrobasis rubrifasciella
Aleptina arenaria - Hodges#9072.2
Aleptina arenaria
Aleptina inca - Hodges#9071
Aleptina inca
Aleptina junctimacula - Hodges#9071.1
Aleptina junctimacula
Aleptinoides ochrea - Hodges#9839
Aleptinoides ochrea
Alfalfa Looper Moth
Autographa californica
Alkali Skipper - Hodges#4016
Pseudocopaeodes eunus
Alkali blite borer moth - Hodges#2680
Comadia suaedivora
Alligatorweed Stem Borer Moth - Hodges#5914.5
Arcola malloi
Alluring Schinia Moth - Hodges#11115
Schinia siren
Almita portalia - Hodges#5451.3
Almita portalia
Almodes terraria - Hodges#6260
Almodes terraria
Alpheias querula - Hodges#5647
Alpheias querula
Alpheias transferens - Hodges#5646
Alpheias transferens
Alpheioides parvulalis - Hodges#5649
Alpheioides parvulalis
Alypia mariposa - Hodges#9320
Alypia mariposa
Alypiodes flavilinguis - Hodges#9312.1
Alypiodes flavilinguis
Ambesa walsinghami - Hodges#5760
Ambesa walsinghami
Ambiguous Moth
Lascoria ambigualis
American Angle Shades - Hodges#9545
Euplexia benesimilis
American Bird's-Wing Moth
Dypterygia rozmani
American Dagger Moth
Acronicta americana
American Dun-bar Moth
Cosmia calami
American Ermine Moth
Yponomeuta multipunctella
American Idia
Idia americalis
American Lady Butterfly
Vanessa virginiensis
American Lappet Moth
Phyllodesma americana
American Snout Butterfly
Libytheana carinenta
American Swordgrass Moth - Hodges#9873
Xylena nupera
Americerura candida - Hodges#7943
Americerura candida
Amolita roseola - Hodges#9821
Amolita roseola
Amorbia concavana - Hodges#3750.3
Amorbia concavana
Amorbia emigratella - Hodges#3750.1
Amorbia emigratella
Amorbia synneurana - Hodges#3750
Amorbia synneurana
Amorbia vero - Hodges#3750.2
Amorbia vero
Amorophaga cryptophori - Hodges#0309
Amorophaga cryptophori
Amphipoea pacifica - Hodges#9457.1
Amphipoea pacifica
Amphipoea senilis - Hodges#9459
Amphipoea senilis
Amydria arizonella - Hodges#0328
Amydria arizonella
Amydria brevipennella - Hodges#0329
Amydria brevipennella
Amydria curvistrigella - Hodges#0332
Amydria curvistrigella