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)
Dark Grey Fishia - Hodges#9972
Fishia yosemitae
Dark Marathyssa
Marathyssa inficita
Dark Stoneroot borer moth - Hodges#9499
Papaipema duplicatus
Dark-banded Geometer
Ecliptopera atricolorata
Dark-brown Scoparia Moth - Hodges#4717
Scoparia penumbralis
Dark-edged Eusarca - Hodges#6933
Eusarca fundaria
Dark-headed Aspen Leafroller Moth
Anacampsis innocuella
Dark-spotted Looper - Hodges#8896
Diachrysia aereoides
Darling Underwing - Hodges#8832
Catocala cara
Dart Moth
Agnorisma bolii
Dart Moth
Euxoa recula
Dashed Gray Pinion - Hodges#9892
Lithophane disposita
Dasyblemma straminea - Hodges#8425
Dasyblemma straminea
Dasychira atrivenosa - Hodges#8299
Dasychira atrivenosa
Dasychira dominickaria - Hodges#8303
Dasychira dominickaria
Dasychira grisefacta - Hodges#8306
Dasychira grisefacta
Dasychira leucophaea - Hodges#8301
Dasychira leucophaea
Dasychira mescalera - Hodges#8295
Dasychira mescalera
Dasychira tephra - Hodges#8292
Dasychira tephra
Dasylophia saturata - Hodges#7957.2
Dasylophia saturata
Dasypyga alternosquamella - Hodges#5730
Dasypyga alternosquamella
Dasypyga salmocolor - Hodges#5731
Dasypyga salmocolor
Datana californica - Hodges#7902.1
Datana californica
Datana cochise - Hodges#7907.1
Datana cochise
Datana modesta - Hodges#7910
Datana modesta
Datana neomexicana - Hodges#7913
Datana neomexicana
Datana robusta - Hodges#7909
Datana robusta
Daviscardia coloradella - Hodges#0312
Daviscardia coloradella
Decantha stecia - Hodges#1043
Decantha stecia
Decantha stonda - Hodges#1045
Decantha stonda
Decantha tistra - Hodges#1044
Decantha tistra
Deceptive Apotomis - Hodges#2765
Apotomis deceptana
Deceptive Hypena - Hodges#8446
Hypena deceptalis
Deceptive Plume Moth - Hodges#6220
Hellinsia falsus
Decodes asapheus - Hodges#3580.3
Decodes asapheus
Decodes basiplagana - Hodges#3573
Decodes basiplagana
Decodes macdunnoughi - Hodges#3580.1
Decodes macdunnoughi
Decodes nr. horariana - Hodges#3580.11
Decodes nr-horariana
Decorated Owlet
Pangrapta decoralis
Deep Yellow Euchlaena
Euchlaena amoenaria
Definite Patch - Hodges#4500
Chlosyne definita
Definite Tussock Moth
Orgyia definita
Deinopa angitia - Hodges#8590.2
Deinopa angitia
Dejected Underwing - Hodges#8790
Catocala dejecta
Delaware Skipper - Hodges#4051
Anatrytone logan
Delicate Cycnia
Cycnia tenera
Delicate Silver Y - Hodges#8913
Autographa pseudogamma
Delightful Dagger - Hodges#9225
Acronicta vinnula
Deltophora duplicata - Hodges#1926
Deltophora duplicata
Deltophora sella - Hodges#1928
Deltophora sella
Denisia haydenella - Hodges#1056
Denisia haydenella
Denisia yukonella - Hodges#1056.1
Denisia yukonella
Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1
Catocala desdemona
Desert Cloudywing - Hodges#3905
Achalarus casica
Desert Elfin - Hodges#4323
Callophrys fotis
Desert Orangetip - Hodges#4204
Anthocharis cethura
Desmia deploralis - Hodges#5166
Desmia deploralis
Desmia desmialis - Hodges#5168
Desmia desmialis
Desmia tages - Hodges#5164
Desmia tages
Desmia ufeus - Hodges#5162
Desmia ufeus
Destutia excelsa - Hodges#6883
Destutia excelsa
Destutia flumenata - Hodges#6880
Destutia flumenata
Deuterophysa fernaldi - Hodges#5123
Deuterophysa fernaldi
Deva Skipper - Hodges#4081
Atrytonopsis deva
Diachorisia velatella - Hodges#0279
Diachorisia velatella
Dialectica cordiella - Hodges#0697.1
Dialectica cordiella
Diamondback Epinotia - Hodges#3351
Epinotia lindana
Diana Fritillary
Speyeria diana
Diaphania costata
Diaphania costata
Diaphania lualis - Hodges#5208
Diaphania lualis
Diarsia calgary - Hodges#10916
Diarsia calgary
Diarsia esurialis - Hodges#10920
Diarsia esurialis
Diarsia rosaria - Hodges#10921
Diarsia rosaria
Diasemiodes janassialis
Diasemiodes janassialis
Diasemiopsis leodocusalis - Hodges#5171
Diasemiopsis leodocusalis
Diastema chuza - Hodges#9068.1
Diastema chuza
Diastictis sperryorum - Hodges#5260
Diastictis sperryorum
Diataga leptosceles - Hodges#0315
Diataga leptosceles
Diatraea Moth - Hodges#5481
Diatraea lisetta
Dichagyris acclivis - Hodges#10870
Dichagyris acclivis
Dichagyris arabella - Hodges#10873.1
Dichagyris arabella
Dichagyris capota - Hodges#10876
Dichagyris capota
Dichagyris cataclivis - Hodges#10870.1
Dichagyris cataclivis
Dichagyris cyminopristes - Hodges#10887
Dichagyris cyminopristes
Dichagyris dubitata - Hodges#10700
Dichagyris dubitata
Dichagyris grandipennis - Hodges#10890
Dichagyris grandipennis
Dichagyris grotei - Hodges#10869
Dichagyris grotei
Dichagyris larga - Hodges#10886
Dichagyris larga
Dichagyris longidens - Hodges#10699
Dichagyris longidens
Dichagyris mizteca - Hodges#10876.1
Dichagyris mizteca
Dichagyris neoclivis - Hodges#10872
Dichagyris neoclivis
Dichagyris polycala - Hodges#10875
Dichagyris polycala
Dichagyris ruckesi - Hodges#10701
Dichagyris ruckesi
Dichagyris salina - Hodges#10873
Dichagyris salina
Dichagyris socorro - Hodges#10874
Dichagyris socorro
Dichagyris triphaenoides - Hodges#10667
Dichagyris triphaenoides
Dichelia histrionana - Hodges#3678.5
Dichelia histrionana
Dichogama colotha - Hodges#4792
Dichogama colotha
Dichogama redtenbacheri - Hodges#4790
Dichogama redtenbacheri
Dichomeris acuminatus - Hodges#2284
Dichomeris acuminatus