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)
Dichomeris aglaia - Hodges#2302.4
Dichomeris aglaia
Dichomeris agonia - Hodges#2305
Dichomeris agonia
Dichomeris crepida - Hodges#2305.2
Dichomeris crepida
Dichomeris delotella - Hodges#2294
Dichomeris delotella
Dichomeris euprepes - Hodges#2299.2
Dichomeris euprepes
Dichomeris fistuca - Hodges#2295.1
Dichomeris fistuca
Dichomeris furia - Hodges#2291.4
Dichomeris furia
Dichomeris gleba - Hodges#2294.1
Dichomeris gleba
Dichomeris glenni - Hodges#2278
Dichomeris glenni
Dichomeris gnoma - Hodges#2303.2
Dichomeris gnoma
Dichomeris hirculella - Hodges#2279
Dichomeris hirculella
Dichomeris hypochloa - Hodges#2280
Dichomeris hypochloa
Dichomeris juncidella - Hodges#2298
Dichomeris juncidella
Dichomeris laetitia - Hodges#2294.3
Dichomeris laetitia
Dichomeris leuconotella - Hodges#2299
Dichomeris leuconotella
Dichomeris mercatrix - Hodges#2299.1
Dichomeris mercatrix
Dichomeris mulsa - Hodges#2302.2
Dichomeris mulsa
Dichomeris nenia - Hodges#2284.1
Dichomeris nenia
Dichomeris nonstrigella - Hodges#2307
Dichomeris nonstrigella
Dichomeris offula - Hodges#2305.1
Dichomeris offula
Dichomeris siren - Hodges#2279.3
Dichomeris siren
Dichomeris solatrix - Hodges#2282.1
Dichomeris solatrix
Dichomeris ventrellus - Hodges#2287
Dichomeris ventrellus
Dichomeris vindex - Hodges#2302.1
Dichomeris vindex
Dichomeris washingtoniella - Hodges#2306
Dichomeris washingtoniella
Dichrorampha bittana - Hodges#3406
Dichrorampha bittana
Dichrorampha broui - Hodges#3414.3
Dichrorampha broui
Dichrorampha caribe - Hodges#3414.21
Dichrorampha caribe
Dichrorampha flinti - Hodges#3414.8
Dichrorampha flinti
Dichrorampha leopardana - Hodges#3414
Dichrorampha leopardana
Dichrorampha manilkara - Hodges#3414.2
Dichrorampha manilkara
Dicogaster coronada - Hodges#7692
Dicogaster coronada
Dicymolomia grisea - Hodges#4893
Dicymolomia grisea
Dicymolomia metalophota - Hodges#4890
Dicymolomia metalophota
Didasys belae - Hodges#8281
Didasys belae
Diedra calocedrana - Hodges#3630.4
Diedra calocedrana
Diedra leuschneri - Hodges#3630.3
Diedra leuschneri
Diedra wielgusi - Hodges#3630.1
Diedra wielgusi
Digitivalva clarkei - Hodges#2489.1
Digitivalva clarkei
Digrammia aliciata - Hodges#6387
Digrammia aliciata
Digrammia burneyata - Hodges#6376
Digrammia burneyata
Digrammia cinereola - Hodges#6363.2
Digrammia cinereola
Digrammia delectata - Hodges#6374
Digrammia delectata
Digrammia denticulata - Hodges#6373
Digrammia denticulata
Digrammia extenuata - Hodges#6377.1
Digrammia extenuata
Digrammia indeterminata - Hodges#6392
Digrammia indeterminata
Digrammia minuta - Hodges#6403
Digrammia minuta
Digrammia modocata - Hodges#6368.1
Digrammia modocata
Digrammia muscariata - Hodges#6377
Digrammia muscariata
Digrammia pallorata - Hodges#6363.1
Digrammia pallorata
Digrammia palodurata - Hodges#6371.1
Digrammia palodurata
Digrammia pervolata - Hodges#6383
Digrammia pervolata
Digrammia pictipennata - Hodges#6372
Digrammia pictipennata
Digrammia terramalata - Hodges#6372.1
Digrammia terramalata
Digrammia ubiquitata - Hodges#6374.1
Digrammia ubiquitata
Digrammia yavapai - Hodges#6393
Digrammia yavapai
Diminutive Wave
Idaea scintillularia
Dimorphic Macalla
Epipaschia superatalis
Dimorphic Sitochroa Moth - Hodges#4987
Sitochroa chortalis
Dimorphic Tosale Moth
Tosale oviplagalis
Dingy Cutworm Moth
Felita jaculifera
Dingy Fritillary - Hodges#4467
Boloria improba
Dinumma deponens
Dinumma deponens
Dion Skipper - Hodges#4072
Euphyes dion
Dioryctria albovittella - Hodges#5859
Dioryctria albovittella
Dioryctria baumhoferi - Hodges#5860
Dioryctria baumhoferi
Dioryctria delectella - Hodges#5852.1
Dioryctria delectella
Dioryctria hodgesi - Hodges#5851.1
Dioryctria hodgesi
Dioryctria pentictonella - Hodges#5861
Dioryctria pentictonella
Dioryctria pseudotsugella - Hodges#5844
Dioryctria pseudotsugella
Dioryctria sierra - Hodges#5863.3
Dioryctria sierra
Dioryctria subtracta - Hodges#5863
Dioryctria subtracta
Dioryctria westerlandi - Hodges#5859.1
Dioryctria westerlandi
Diploschizia lanista - Hodges#2345
Diploschizia lanista
Diploschizia minimella - Hodges#2345.1
Diploschizia minimella
Diptychophora harlequinalis - Hodges#5458
Diptychophora harlequinalis
Disa Alpine - Hodges#4593
Erebia disa
Discolored Renia Moth
Renia discoloralis
Dishkeya bifurcata - Hodges#0170
Dishkeya bifurcata
Distinct Quaker
Achatia distincta
Divided Olethreutes Moth
Olethreutes bipartitana
Dodia tarandus - Hodges#8128.3
Dodia tarandus
Dogbane Saucrobotys - Hodges#4936
Saucrobotys futilalis
Dogwood Borer
Synanthedon scitula
Dogwood Thyatirin Moth
Euthyatira pudens
Doleromorpha porphyria - Hodges#0276
Doleromorpha porphyria
Doll's Sphinx - Hodges#7813
Sphinx dollii
Dolocucullia minor - Hodges#10193
Dolocucullia minor
Donacaula albicostellus - Hodges#5316.2
Donacaula albicostellus
Donacaula maximellus - Hodges#5324
Donacaula maximellus
Donacaula melinellus - Hodges#5316
Donacaula melinellus
Donacaula pallulellus - Hodges#5318
Donacaula pallulellus
Donacaula roscidellus - Hodges#5321
Donacaula roscidellus
Donacaula sordidellus - Hodges#5313
Donacaula sordidellus
Donacaula tripunctellus - Hodges#5315
Donacaula tripunctellus
Donacaula undescribed-one
Donacaula undescribed-one
Donacaula unipunctellus - Hodges#5314
Donacaula unipunctellus
Donacaula uxorialis - Hodges#5323
Donacaula uxorialis
Doris' Pinemoth - Hodges#7725
Coloradia doris
Dorithia semicirculana - Hodges#3581
Dorithia semicirculana