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)
Bidens Borer Moth
Epiblema otiosana
Big Poplar Sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis
Bilobed Looper
Megalographa biloba
Bina Flower Moth - Hodges#11105
Schinia bina
Birch Epinotia - Hodges#3280
Epinotia trigonella
Birch Shoot Borer Moth - Hodges#3304
Epinotia solicitana
Birch Skeletonizer Moth - Hodges#0560
Bucculatrix canadensisella
Birch tubemaker moth - Hodges#5688
Acrobasis betulella
Bisected Honey Locust Moth - Hodges#7712
Syssphinx bisecta
Biston recisa - Hodges#6648
Biston recisa
Biston rigidaria - Hodges#6642
Biston rigidaria
Biston sinuaria - Hodges#6650
Biston sinuaria
Biston sonomensis - Hodges#6647
Biston sonomensis
Biturix venosata - Hodges#8256.3
Biturix venosata
Black Bit Moth
Celiptera frustulum
Black Dash - Hodges#4075
Euphyes conspicua
Black Fungus Moth - Hodges#8502
Metalectra tantillus
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
Black Witch
Ascalapha odorata
Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth
Lycomorpha pholus
Black-banded Brocade - Hodges#9404
Oligia modica
Black-banded Carpet - Hodges#7210
Antepirrhoe semiatrata
Black-banded Owlet Moth
Phalaenostola larentioides
Black-banded Wasp Moth - Hodges#8283
Syntomeida melanthus
Black-barred Brown
Plagiomimicus pityochromus
Black-blotched Prominent Moth
Schizura leptinoides
Black-bordered Lemon
Marimatha nigrofimbria
Black-dotted Birch Leaftier Moth - Hodges#0944
Nites betulella
Black-dotted Glyph
Maliattha synochitis
Black-dotted Hemeroplanis - Hodges#8471
Hemeroplanis habitalis
Black-dotted Ruddy Moth
Ilexia intractata
Black-dotted Spragueia Moth - Hodges#9126
Spragueia onagrus
Black-edged Dichomeris Moth
Dichomeris heirguronis
Black-marked Ancylis - Hodges#3359
Ancylis metamelana
Black-patched Graylet Moth - Hodges#9040
Hyperstrotia secta
Black-spotted Prominent - Hodges#7957
Dasylophia anguina
Black-waved Flannel Moth
Megalopyge crispata
Blackberry Leafminer Moth - Hodges#0149
Coptotriche aenea
Blackberry Looper
Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria
Blackened Bluewing - Hodges#4531
Myscelia cyananthe
Blastobasis yuccaecolella - Hodges#1154
Blastobasis yuccaecolella
Blastodacna bicristatella - Hodges#1460
Blastodacna bicristatella
Blazingstar Borer Moth - Hodges#2592
Carmenta anthracipennis
Blepharomastix n. sp - Hodges#5193.99
Blepharomastix undescribed-species
Identification: Forewing subterminal line dentate.
Blepharomastix potentalis - Hodges#5184
Blepharomastix potentalis
Blepharomastix pseudoranalis - Hodges#5183
Blepharomastix pseudoranalis
Blepharomastix schistisemalis - Hodges#5191
Blepharomastix schistisemalis
Bleptina extincta - Hodges#8370.1
Bleptina extincta
Bleptina flavivena - Hodges#8375
Bleptina flavivena
Bleptina minimalis - Hodges#8374
Bleptina minimalis
Bleptina sangamonia - Hodges#8372
Bleptina sangamonia
Bleptina verticalis - Hodges#8375.1
Bleptina verticalis
Blinded Sphinx Moth
Paonias excaecata
Blue Metalmark - Hodges#4397
Lasaia peninsularis
Blue Morpho
Morpho peleides
Blue-eyed Sailor - Hodges#4534
Dynamine dyonis
Blue-washed Goldenrod Borer - Hodges#3189
Epiblema obfuscana
Blueberry Leaftier - Hodges#3504
Acleris curvalana
Blueberry Tip Borer Moth - Hodges#3275
Hendecaneura shawiana
Bluish Spring Moth
Lomographa semiclarata
Blurry Chocolate Angle - Hodges#6339
Macaria transitaria
Bog Fritillary - Hodges#4463
Boloria eunomia
Boisduval's Blue - Hodges#4378
Plebejus icarioides
Bold Faceted-Skipper
Synapte syraces
Bold Medicine Moth
Chrysendeton medicinalis
Bold-feathered Grass Moth
Herpetogramma pertextalis
Bonchis munitalis - Hodges#5564
Bonchis munitalis
Bondia fidelis - Hodges#2322
Bondia fidelis
Booth's Sulphur - Hodges#4215
Colias tyche
Bordelon's Peridea - Hodges#7921.1
Peridea bordeloni
Bordered Fawn - Hodges#6672
Sericosema juturnaria
Bordered Patch Butterfly
Chlosyne lacinia
Borkhausenia cf. minutella - Hodges#1061.2
Borkhausenia cf-minutella
Bottimer's Mompha Moth - Hodges#1429
Mompha bottimeri
Bougainvillea Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#5267
Asciodes quietalis
Box-elder Tussock Moth - Hodges#8315
Orgyia leuschneri
Boxelder Leafroller Moth - Hodges#0615
Caloptilia negundella
Boxelder Twig Borer - Hodges#3232
Proteoteras willingana
Boxelder leafworm moth - Hodges#2099
Chionodes obscurusella
Boxwood Leaftier Moth
Galasa nigrinodis
Brachylomia algens - Hodges#9998
Brachylomia algens
Brachylomia discolor - Hodges#10001
Brachylomia discolor
Brachylomia elda - Hodges#9994
Brachylomia elda
Brachylomia populi - Hodges#9993
Brachylomia populi
Brachylomia rectifascia - Hodges#9995
Brachylomia rectifascia
Brachylomia thula - Hodges#9997
Brachylomia thula
Bracken Borer Moth - Hodges#9480
Papaipema pterisii
Bramble Bright
Lampronia flavimitrella
Brenda's Hypagyrtis Moth - Hodges#6657
Hypagyrtis brendae
Brickellbush Plume Moth - Hodges#6178
Hellinsia mizar
Briseis Underwing - Hodges#8817
Catocala briseis
Bristly Cutworm Moth
Lacinipolia renigera
Broad Ashen Pinion Moth - Hodges#9914
Lithophane laticinerea
Broad Sallow Moth - Hodges#9979
Xylotype capax
Broad-patch Cochylid Moth
Thyraylia nana
Broad-patched Eugnosta - Hodges#3764
Eugnosta sartana
Broad-winged Skipper - Hodges#4064
Poanes viator
Broken-lined Zomaria - Hodges#2750
Zomaria interruptolineana
Bromeliad Pod Borer - Hodges#5633.2
Epimorius testaceellus
Bronze Roadside-Skipper - Hodges#4092
Amblyscirtes aenus