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)
Anorthodes triquetra - Hodges#9651
Anorthodes triquetra
Antaeotricha agrioschista - Hodges#1020
Antaeotricha agrioschista
Antaeotricha baboquivariensis - Hodges#1025.4
Antaeotricha baboquivariensis
Antaeotricha decorosella - Hodges#1016
Antaeotricha decorosella
Antaeotricha floridella - Hodges#1024.1
Antaeotricha floridella
Antaeotricha fuscorectangulata - Hodges#1023
Antaeotricha fuscorectangulata
Antaeotricha haesitans - Hodges#1022
Antaeotricha haesitans
Antaeotricha irene - Hodges#1018
Antaeotricha irene
Antaeotricha manzanitae - Hodges#1025
Antaeotricha manzanitae
Antaeotricha osseella - Hodges#1015
Antaeotricha osseella
Antaeotricha thomasi - Hodges#1021
Antaeotricha thomasi
Antaeotricha unipunctella - Hodges#1013
Antaeotricha unipunctella
Antepione imitata - Hodges#6990
Antepione imitata
Anthophila alpinella - Hodges#2628
Anthophila alpinella
Anthophila plenicarinata - Hodges#2628.2
Anthophila plenicarinata
Antiblemma carolae - Hodges#8579.1
Antiblemma carolae
Antiblemma perva - Hodges#8579
Antiblemma perva
Anticlea switzeraria - Hodges#7331
Anticlea switzeraria
Antispila aurirubra - Hodges#0239
Antispila aurirubra
Antispila cf-isabella - Hodges#0236
Antispila cf-isabella
Antispila freemani - Hodges#0233
Antispila freemani
Anurapteryx crenulata - Hodges#7657
Anurapteryx crenulata
Apache Skipper - Hodges#4021
Hesperia woodgatei
Apamea albina - Hodges#9347
Apamea albina
Apamea alia - Hodges#9351
Apamea alia
Apamea antennata - Hodges#9334
Apamea antennata
Apamea auranticolor - Hodges#9339
Apamea auranticolor
Apamea cariosa - Hodges#9329
Apamea cariosa
Apamea centralis - Hodges#9354
Apamea centralis
Apamea cuculliformis - Hodges#9325
Apamea cuculliformis
Apamea lutosa - Hodges#9372
Apamea lutosa
Apamea perpensa - Hodges#9345
Apamea perpensa
Apamea walshi - Hodges#9348.1
Apamea walshi
Apamea wikeri - Hodges#9332.1
Apamea wikeri
Apamea xylodes - Hodges#9351.1
Apamea xylodes
Apamea zeta - Hodges#9385
Apamea zeta
Apantesis allectans - Hodges#8186.1
Apantesis allectans
Apantesis anna - Hodges#8176
Apantesis anna
Apantesis behrii - Hodges#8179.3
Apantesis behrii
Apantesis blakei - Hodges#8185
Apantesis blakei
Apantesis bolanderi - Hodges#8183
Apantesis bolanderi
Apantesis edwardsii - Hodges#8177.1
Apantesis edwardsii
Apantesis elongata - Hodges#8184
Apantesis elongata
Apantesis favorita - Hodges#8193
Apantesis favorita
Apantesis hewletti - Hodges#8178
Apantesis hewletti
Apantesis margo - Hodges#8172.1
Apantesis margo
Apantesis placentia - Hodges#8191
Apantesis placentia
Apantesis ursina - Hodges#8186.2
Apantesis ursina
Apantesis yavapai - Hodges#8184.1
Apantesis yavapai
Aphelia gregalis - Hodges#3677.1
Aphelia gregalis
Aphelia koebelei - Hodges#3676
Aphelia koebelei
Aphelia septentrionalis - Hodges#3677
Aphelia septentrionalis
Aphomia fulminalis - Hodges#5630.1
Aphomia fulminalis
Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly
Speyeria aphrodite
Apilocrocis brumalis - Hodges#5112
Apilocrocis brumalis
Apodrepanulatrix litaria - Hodges#6694
Apodrepanulatrix litaria
Apogeshna acestealis - Hodges#5177.1
Apogeshna acestealis
Apomyelois bistriatella - Hodges#5721
Apomyelois bistriatella
Apotolype blanchardi - Hodges#7682
Apotolype blanchardi
Apotolype brevicrista - Hodges#7681
Apotolype brevicrista
Apotomis albeolana - Hodges#2763
Apotomis albeolana
Apotomops texasana - Hodges#3589.1
Apotomops texasana
Appalachian Brown Butterfly
Lethe appalachia
Apple Leaf Trumpet Miner Moth - Hodges#0145
Coptotriche malifoliella
Apple Skeletonizer - Hodges#0577
Bucculatrix pomifoliella
Aproaerema palpilineella - Hodges#2222
Aproaerema palpilineella
Arachne Checkerspot - Hodges#4514
Poladryas arachne
Arachnis aulaea - Hodges#8155
Arachnis aulaea
Arachnis citra - Hodges#8151.1
Arachnis citra
Arachnis zuni - Hodges#8150
Arachnis zuni
Aralia Shoot Borer Moth - Hodges#9470
Papaipema araliae
Aramos ramosa - Hodges#2697
Aramos ramosa
Arched Hooktip
Drepana arcuata
Archips Leafroller
Adoxophyes furcatana
Archips alberta - Hodges#3665
Archips alberta
Archips eleagnana - Hodges#3651
Archips eleagnana
Archips georgiana - Hodges#3656
Archips georgiana
Archips goyerana - Hodges#3648.1
Archips goyerana
Archips magnoliana - Hodges#3657
Archips magnoliana
Archips myricana - Hodges#3652
Archips myricana
Archips nigriplagana - Hodges#3648.2
Archips nigriplagana
Archips oporana - Hodges#3663
Archips oporana
Archips tsuganus - Hodges#3668
Archips tsuganus
Archirhoe associata - Hodges#7297
Archirhoe associata
Archirhoe indefinata - Hodges#7296
Archirhoe indefinata
Archirhoe multipunctata - Hodges#7298
Archirhoe multipunctata
Archirhoe neomexicana - Hodges#7295
Archirhoe neomexicana
Arcigera Flower Moth
Schinia arcigera
Arcobara multilineata - Hodges#7128
Arcobara multilineata
Arctia alpina - Hodges#8164
Arctia alpina
Arctia lapponica - Hodges#8165
Arctia lapponica
Arctic Blue Butterfly
Plebejus glandon
Arctic Fritillary - Hodges#4470
Boloria polaris
Arctic Skipper
Carterocephalus palaemon
Arctioptera cavillator - Hodges#9187
Arctioptera cavillator
Arcutelphusa talladega - Hodges#1874.1
Arcutelphusa talladega
Arefacta flower moth - Hodges#11178
Schinia arefacta
Ares Metalmark - Hodges#4400
Apodemia ares
Arge Moth
Apantesis arge
Argillophora furcilla - Hodges#9060
Argillophora furcilla