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)
Crambus alienellus - Hodges#5341
Crambus alienellus
Crambus angustexon - Hodges#5377
Crambus angustexon
Crambus awemellus - Hodges#5347
Crambus awemellus
Crambus braunellus - Hodges#5368
Crambus braunellus
Crambus cypridalis - Hodges#5358
Crambus cypridalis
Crambus cyrilellus - Hodges#5373
Crambus cyrilellus
Crambus gausapalis - Hodges#5351
Crambus gausapalis
Crambus hamella - Hodges#5340
Crambus hamella
Crambus johnsoni - Hodges#5375
Crambus johnsoni
Crambus leuconotus - Hodges#5371
Crambus leuconotus
Crambus occidentalis - Hodges#5359
Crambus occidentalis
Crambus rickseckerellus - Hodges#5360
Crambus rickseckerellus
Crambus sargentellus - Hodges#5376
Crambus sargentellus
Crambus sperryellus - Hodges#5370
Crambus sperryellus
Crambus tutillus - Hodges#5346
Crambus tutillus
Cranberry Blue - Hodges#4383
Plebejus optilete
Cranberry Spanworm Moth - Hodges#6436
Ematurga amitaria
Cream-bordered Dichomeris
Dichomeris flavocostella
Creamy Stripe-streak - Hodges#4330
Arawacus jada
Cremastobombycia chromolaenae - Hodges#0720.1
Cremastobombycia chromolaenae
Creosote Bush Bagworm - Hodges#0455
Thyridopteryx meadii
Crescent-marked Bondia - Hodges#2319
Bondia crescentella
Crescent-marked Notocelia - Hodges#3211
Notocelia culminana
Crescent-winged Caudellia - Hodges#6012
Caudellia apyrella
Crimona pallimedia - Hodges#10175
Crimona pallimedia
Crinodes biedermani - Hodges#8028
Crinodes biedermani
Crocidocnemis pellucidalis - Hodges#5153
Crocidocnemis pellucidalis
Crocidophora pustuliferalis - Hodges#4943
Crocidophora pustuliferalis
Crocidosema perplexana - Hodges#3287
Crocidosema perplexana
Crocidosema unica - Hodges#3330
Crocidosema unica
Crocus Geometer
Xanthotype sospeta
Cropia ruthaea - Hodges#9622.1
Cropia ruthaea
Cross-lined Wave
Timandra amaturaria
Cross-striped Cabbageworm Moth
Evergestis rimosalis
Crossline Skipper - Hodges#4042
Polites origenes
Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula
Cryphia albipuncta - Hodges#9297
Cryphia albipuncta
Cryphia fascia - Hodges#9288
Cryphia fascia
Cryphia flavidior - Hodges#9289
Cryphia flavidior
Cryphia nana - Hodges#9291
Cryphia nana
Cryphia oaklandiae - Hodges#9290
Cryphia oaklandiae
Cryphia pallidioides - Hodges#9293
Cryphia pallidioides
Cryptic Oak Dagger - Hodges#9249.1
Acronicta cryptica
Cryptobotys zoilusalis - Hodges#5282
Cryptobotys zoilusalis
Cryptolectica strigosa - Hodges#0697
Cryptolectica strigosa
Cryptophobetron oropeso - Hodges#4674
Cryptophobetron oropeso
Cuban Crescent - Hodges#4478
Anthanassa frisia
Cuban Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7780
Manduca brontes
Cuban spanworm moth - Hodges#6968
Oxydia cubana
Cucullia basipuncta - Hodges#10207
Cucullia basipuncta
Cucullia charon - Hodges#10191.2
Cucullia charon
Cucullia eucaena - Hodges#10201.1
Cucullia eucaena
Cucullia eurekae - Hodges#10206.1
Cucullia eurekae
Cucullia heinrichi - Hodges#10213
Cucullia heinrichi
Cucullia incresa - Hodges#10212
Cucullia incresa
Cucullia luna - Hodges#10205
Cucullia luna
Cucullia oribac - Hodges#10203
Cucullia oribac
Cucullia serraticornis - Hodges#10184
Cucullia serraticornis
Cucullia similaris - Hodges#10195
Cucullia similaris
Cucullia styx - Hodges#10190.1
Cucullia styx
Culver's Root Borer Moth - Hodges#9506
Papaipema sciata
Cuniberta subtinctella - Hodges#5707
Cuniberta subtinctella
Cupid Dart - Hodges#11043
Abagrotis cupida
Currant Shoot Borer Moth
Lampronia capitella
Currant Spanworm Moth
Macaria ribearia
Curve-lined Looper - Hodges#6894
Lambdina fervidaria
Curve-lined Owlet Moth
Phyprosopus callitrichoides
Curve-toothed Geometer
Eutrapela clemataria
Cybilla hubbardana - Hodges#3850
Cybilla hubbardana
Cyclica frondaria - Hodges#7282
Cyclica frondaria
Cyclophora benjamini - Hodges#7138
Cyclophora benjamini
Cyclophora culicaria - Hodges#7134
Cyclophora culicaria
Cycloplasis panicifoliella - Hodges#2493
Cycloplasis panicifoliella
Cydia americana - Hodges#3481
Cydia americana
Cydia bracteatana - Hodges#3448
Cydia bracteatana
Cydia candana - Hodges#3469
Cydia candana
Cydia confusana - Hodges#3453
Cydia confusana
Cydia gallaesaliciana - Hodges#3479
Cydia gallaesaliciana
Cydia ingrata - Hodges#3460
Cydia ingrata
Cydia inopiosa - Hodges#3452
Cydia inopiosa
Cydia lacustrina - Hodges#3464
Cydia lacustrina
Cydia membrosa - Hodges#3458
Cydia membrosa
Cydia ninana - Hodges#3483
Cydia ninana
Cydia obnisa - Hodges#3454
Cydia obnisa
Cydia palmetum - Hodges#3462
Cydia palmetum
Cydia prosperana - Hodges#3476
Cydia prosperana
Cydia tana - Hodges#3474
Cydia tana
Cydia timara - Hodges#3448.3
Cydia timara
Cydia youngana - Hodges#3466
Cydia youngana
Cydosia majuscula - Hodges#8999.1
Cydosia majuscula
Cylindrifrons succandidalis - Hodges#4924
Cylindrifrons succandidalis
Cymbopteryx unilinealis - Hodges#4805
Cymbopteryx unilinealis
Cyphacma tragiae - Hodges#1073
Cyphacma tragiae
Cypress Looper - Hodges#8728
Cutina albopunctella
Cypress bark moth - Hodges#3475
Cydia cupressana
Dahlica walshella - Hodges#0435
Dahlica walshella
Dainty Sulphur Butterfly
Nathalis iole
Dargida grammivora - Hodges#10429
Dargida grammivora
Dargida tetera - Hodges#10433
Dargida tetera
Dark Buckeye - Hodges#4441
Junonia nigrosuffusa