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)
Bronzy Macrochilo - Hodges#8360
Macrochilo orciferalis
Brower's Vitula - Hodges#6011
Vitula broweri
Brown Angle Shades
Phlogophora periculosa
Brown Bark Carpet Moth
Horisme intestinata
Brown Longtail - Hodges#3893
Spicauda procne
Brown Panopoda Moth
Panopoda carneicosta
Brown Pine Looper - Hodges#6867
Caripeta angustiorata
Brown-banded Skipper - Hodges#3941
Timochares ruptifasciata
Brown-collared Dart - Hodges#11006
Protolampra brunneicollis
Brown-hooded Owlet
Cucullia convexipennis
Brown-lined Owlet - Hodges#8358
Macrochilo litophora
Brown-shaded Carpet - Hodges#7428
Venusia comptaria
Brown-shaded Gray
Iridopsis defectaria
Bruce's Plume Moth - Hodges#6184
Hellinsia brucei
Bruceia hubbardi - Hodges#8095
Bruceia hubbardi
Bryolymnia biformata - Hodges#9683.1
Bryolymnia biformata
Bryolymnia viridimedia - Hodges#9685
Bryolymnia viridimedia
Bryotropha branella - Hodges#1922
Bryotropha branella
Bryotropha galbanella - Hodges#1922.2
Bryotropha galbanella
Bryotropha hodgesi - Hodges#1923.1
Bryotropha hodgesi
Bryotropha similis - Hodges#1923
Bryotropha similis
Bucculatrix adelpha - Hodges#0523
Bucculatrix adelpha
Bucculatrix agnella - Hodges#0515
Bucculatrix agnella
Bucculatrix ambrosiaefoliella - Hodges#0518
Bucculatrix ambrosiaefoliella
Bucculatrix carolinae - Hodges#521
Bucculatrix carolinae
Bucculatrix copeuta - Hodges#0570
Bucculatrix copeuta
Bucculatrix coronatella - Hodges#0559
Bucculatrix coronatella
Bucculatrix enceliae - Hodges#0546
Bucculatrix enceliae
Bucculatrix ericameriae - Hodges#0504
Bucculatrix ericameriae
Bucculatrix eurotiella - Hodges#0502
Bucculatrix eurotiella
Bucculatrix locuples - Hodges#0571
Bucculatrix locuples
Bucculatrix montana - Hodges#0486
Bucculatrix montana
Bucculatrix needhami
Bucculatrix needhami
Bucculatrix ochrisuffusa - Hodges#0553
Bucculatrix ochrisuffusa
Bucculatrix packardella - Hodges#0549
Bucculatrix packardella
Bucculatrix polymniae - Hodges#0526
Bucculatrix polymniae
Bucculatrix recognita - Hodges#0564
Bucculatrix recognita
Bucculatrix separabilis - Hodges#0506
Bucculatrix separabilis
Bucculatrix sexnotata - Hodges#0529
Bucculatrix sexnotata
Bucculatrix simulans - Hodges#0490
Bucculatrix simulans
Bucculatrix solidaginiella - Hodges#0485
Bucculatrix solidaginiella
Bucculatrix sororcula - Hodges#0543
Bucculatrix sororcula
Bucculatrix speciosa - Hodges#0527
Bucculatrix speciosa
Bucculatrix spectabilis - Hodges#0539
Bucculatrix spectabilis
Bucculatrix sphaeralceae - Hodges#0581
Bucculatrix sphaeralceae
Bucculatrix staintonella - Hodges#0513
Bucculatrix staintonella
Bucculatrix taeniola - Hodges#0520
Bucculatrix taeniola
Bucculatrix thurberiella - Hodges#0582
Bucculatrix thurberiella
Bucculatrix transversata - Hodges#0533
Bucculatrix transversata
Bucculatrix trifasciella - Hodges#0554
Bucculatrix trifasciella
Buck Moth
Hemileuca maia
Buckeye Petiole Borer - Hodges#3238
Zeiraphera claypoleana
Buckthorn Bent-wing
Bucculatrix frangutella
Buckwheat root borer - Hodges#2581
Synanthedon polygoni
Buddleia Budworm - Hodges#0961.1
Pyramidobela angelarum
Buff-tipped Eucosma - Hodges#2929
Eucosma ochroterminana
Bugloss Spear-wing
Tinagma ocnerostomella
Bulia similaris - Hodges#8615
Bulia similaris
Bunchberry Leaffolder Moth - Hodges#2787
Olethreutes connectum
Burdock Borer Moth
Papaipema cataphracta
Bycombia verdugoensis - Hodges#6250
Bycombia verdugoensis
Cabbage Looper Moth
Trichoplusia ni
Cacocharis cymotoma - Hodges#2704
Cacocharis cymotoma
Cacotherapia angulalis - Hodges#5637
Cacotherapia angulalis
Cacotherapia bilinealis - Hodges#5636
Cacotherapia bilinealis
Cacotherapia flexilinealis - Hodges#5642
Cacotherapia flexilinealis
Cacotherapia interalbicalis - Hodges#5635
Cacotherapia interalbicalis
Cacotherapia leucocope - Hodges#5643
Cacotherapia leucocope
Cacotherapia ponda - Hodges#5640
Cacotherapia ponda
Cacotherapia unipuncta - Hodges#5639
Cacotherapia unipuncta
Cacozelia elegans - Hodges#5587
Cacozelia elegans
Cacozelia pemphusalis - Hodges#5578
Cacozelia pemphusalis
Caenurgia togataria - Hodges#8734
Caenurgia togataria
Caenurgina annexa - Hodges#8735
Caenurgina annexa
Caenurgina caerulea - Hodges#8736
Caenurgina caerulea
Cagiva cephalanthana - Hodges#3818
Cagiva cephalanthana
Calasesia coccinea - Hodges#2544
Calasesia coccinea
Calendula Plume Moth - Hodges#6112
Platyptilia williamsii
Calephelis wrighti - Hodges#4390
Calephelis wrighti
California Crescent - Hodges#4486
Phyciodes orseis
California Dogface - Hodges#4225
Zerene eurydice
California Hairstreak - Hodges#4279
Satyrium californicum
California Marble - Hodges#4203
Euchloe hyantis
California Patch - Hodges#4498
Chlosyne californica
California Sister Butterfly
Adelpha californica
California Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Nymphalis californica
Calleta Silkmoth
Eupackardia calleta
Callippe Fritillary - Hodges#4457
Speyeria callippe
Calliprora sexstrigella - Hodges#2212
Calliprora sexstrigella
Callisto denticulella - Hodges#0664
Callisto denticulella
Callizzia certiorata - Hodges#7651
Callizzia certiorata
Caloptilia agrifoliella - Hodges#0585
Caloptilia agrifoliella
Caloptilia alnivorella - Hodges#0587
Caloptilia alnivorella
Caloptilia atomosella - Hodges#0591
Caloptilia atomosella
Caloptilia belfragella - Hodges#0594
Caloptilia belfragella
Caloptilia burgessiella - Hodges#0597
Caloptilia burgessiella
Caloptilia burserella - Hodges#0598
Caloptilia burserella
Caloptilia canadensisella - Hodges#0599
Caloptilia canadensisella
Caloptilia cornusella - Hodges#0600
Caloptilia cornusella
Caloptilia coroniella - Hodges#0601
Caloptilia coroniella