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)
Chionodes acrina - Hodges#2058
Chionodes acrina
Chionodes aristella - Hodges#2062
Chionodes aristella
Chionodes aruns - Hodges#2066.1
Chionodes aruns
Chionodes baro - Hodges#2058.5
Chionodes baro
Chionodes bibo - Hodges#2110.1
Chionodes bibo
Chionodes braunella - Hodges#2065
Chionodes braunella
Chionodes cacula - Hodges#2065.1
Chionodes cacula
Chionodes canor - Hodges#2094.2
Chionodes canor
Chionodes continuella - Hodges#2069
Chionodes continuella
Chionodes dammersi - Hodges#2070
Chionodes dammersi
Chionodes dentella - Hodges#2071
Chionodes dentella
Chionodes donatella - Hodges#2072.1
Chionodes donatella
Chionodes elainae - Hodges#2112.1
Chionodes elainae
Chionodes fondella - Hodges#2076
Chionodes fondella
Chionodes fructuaria - Hodges#2078
Chionodes fructuaria
Chionodes hapsus - Hodges#2061.1
Chionodes hapsus
Chionodes hibiscella - Hodges#2084
Chionodes hibiscella
Chionodes imber - Hodges#2084.1
Chionodes imber
Chionodes landryi - Hodges#2071.1
Chionodes landryi
Chionodes latro - Hodges#2087.1
Chionodes latro
Chionodes lugubrella - Hodges#2090
Chionodes lugubrella
Chionodes macor - Hodges#2086.1
Chionodes macor
Chionodes morus - Hodges#2098.1
Chionodes morus
Chionodes munifex - Hodges#2095.9
Chionodes munifex
Chionodes naevus - Hodges#2097.2
Chionodes naevus
Chionodes nanodella - Hodges#2095
Chionodes nanodella
Chionodes obex - Hodges#2095.8
Chionodes obex
Chionodes occidentella - Hodges#2100
Chionodes occidentella
Chionodes ochreostrigella - Hodges#2102
Chionodes ochreostrigella
Chionodes phalacra - Hodges#2108
Chionodes phalacra
Chionodes powelli - Hodges#2109.1
Chionodes powelli
Chionodes praeclarella - Hodges#2075
Chionodes praeclarella
Chionodes praeco - Hodges#2124.7
Chionodes praeco
Chionodes pseudofondella - Hodges#2110
Chionodes pseudofondella
Chionodes rectifex - Hodges#2081.5
Chionodes rectifex
Chionodes rhombus - Hodges#2102.1
Chionodes rhombus
Chionodes sabinianae - Hodges#2113
Chionodes sabinianae
Chionodes sanator - Hodges#2118.4
Chionodes sanator
Chionodes sattleri - Hodges#2069.1
Chionodes sattleri
Chionodes sevir - Hodges#2115.1
Chionodes sevir
Chionodes sistrella - Hodges#2116
Chionodes sistrella
Chionodes tessa - Hodges#2118
Chionodes tessa
Chionodes xanthophilella - Hodges#2125
Chionodes xanthophilella
Chiricahua lichenaria - Hodges#6641.1
Chiricahua lichenaria
Chisos Banded Skipper - Hodges#3903.1
Autochton cincta
Chisos Giant-Skipper
Agathymus chisosensis
Chlamydastis habrolepis - Hodges#1031.1
Chlamydastis habrolepis
Chloraspilates minima - Hodges#6701
Chloraspilates minima
Identification: ♀ ♂
Chloropteryx nordicaria - Hodges#7076
Chloropteryx nordicaria
Chloropteryx paularia - Hodges#7077
Chloropteryx paularia
Chlorosea banksaria - Hodges#7013
Chlorosea banksaria
Chlorosea roseitacta - Hodges#7015
Chlorosea roseitacta
Chocolate Prominent - Hodges#7921
Peridea ferruginea
Choristoneura albaniana - Hodges#3636
Choristoneura albaniana
Choristoneura argentifasciata - Hodges#3635.1
Choristoneura argentifasciata
Choristoneura obsoletana - Hodges#3631
Choristoneura obsoletana
Choristoneura orae - Hodges#3642
Choristoneura orae
Choristoneura spaldingiana - Hodges#3646
Choristoneura spaldingiana
Choristostigma leucosalis - Hodges#5134
Choristostigma leucosalis
Choristostigma perpulchralis - Hodges#5131
Choristostigma perpulchralis
Choristostigma roseopennalis - Hodges#5130
Choristostigma roseopennalis
Choristostigma zephyralis - Hodges#5129
Choristostigma zephyralis
Chorrera extrincica - Hodges#5899.4
Chorrera extrincica
Chosen Sallow
Psaphida electilis
Chrysanthemum Flower Borer Moth - Hodges#3803
Lorita scarificata
Chrysaster ostensackenella - Hodges#0842
Chrysaster ostensackenella
Chrysendeton nigrescens - Hodges#4746.1
Chrysendeton nigrescens
Chrysoclista cambiella - Hodges#1462
Chrysoclista cambiella
Chrysoclista villella - Hodges#1464
Chrysoclista villella
Chrysoecia albipuncta - Hodges#9772.1
Chrysoecia albipuncta
Chrysoecia atrolinea - Hodges#9764
Chrysoecia atrolinea
Chrysoecia scira - Hodges#9761
Chrysoecia scira
Cinnamon Tussock Moth - Hodges#8300
Dasychira cinnamomea
Cirrhophanus dyari - Hodges#9765
Cirrhophanus dyari
Cissuvora ampelopsis - Hodges#2521
Cissuvora ampelopsis
Cisthene coronado - Hodges#8077
Cisthene coronado
Cisthene deserta - Hodges#8063
Cisthene deserta
Cisthene faustinula - Hodges#8064
Cisthene faustinula
Cisthene juanita - Hodges#8076
Cisthene juanita
Cisthene liberomacula - Hodges#8062
Cisthene liberomacula
Citrine Sallow - Hodges#9930
Pyreferra citrombra
Citrus Flower Moth
Prays citri
Citrus Flower Moth
Prays nephelomima
Citrus Peelminer - Hodges#0718.1
Marmara gulosa
Civil Rustic - Hodges#9656
Caradrina montana
Clandestine Dart - Hodges#10926
Spaelotis clandestina
Clark's Day Sphinx - Hodges#7876
Proserpinus clarkiae
Clavipes Sphinx - Hodges#7848
Aellopos clavipes
Clear Dart - Hodges#10755
Euxoa declarata
Clearwing Borer Moth - Hodges#2538
Eichlinia snowii
Clemen's Clepsis Moth
Clepsis clemensiana
Clemen's Grass Tubeworm Moth
Acrolophus popeanella
Clemensia ochreata - Hodges#8098.1
Clemensia ochreata
Clemensia umbrata - Hodges#8098.2
Clemensia umbrata
Clepsis anderslaneyii - Hodges#3687.1
Clepsis anderslaneyii
Clepsis danilevskyi - Hodges#3685.1
Clepsis danilevskyi
Clepsis flavidana - Hodges#3687
Clepsis flavidana
Clepsis fucana - Hodges#3680
Clepsis fucana
Clepsis kearfotti - Hodges#3681
Clepsis kearfotti
Clepsis moeschleriana - Hodges#3685
Clepsis moeschleriana