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)
Dorithia trigonana - Hodges#3582.1
Dorithia trigonana
Dorset Tineid Moth
Eudarcia richardsoni
Doryodes acta - Hodges#8767.11
Doryodes acta
Doryodes broui - Hodges#8767.3
Doryodes broui
Doryodes fusselli - Hodges#8767.1
Doryodes fusselli
Doryodes latistriga - Hodges#8767.2
Doryodes latistriga
Doryodes reineckei - Hodges#8767.4
Doryodes reineckei
Doryodes tenuistriga - Hodges#8768
Doryodes tenuistriga
Dot-and-Dash Swordgrass - Hodges#9874
Xylena curvimacula
Dot-lined White
Artace cribrarius
Dotted Blue - Hodges#4367
Euphilotes enoptes
Dotted Carteris Moth - Hodges#8391
Carteris oculatalis
Dotted Gray
Glena cribrataria
Dotted Graylet Moth - Hodges#9037
Hyperstrotia pervertens
Dotted Roadside-Skipper - Hodges#4104
Amblyscirtes eos
Double Lobed Moth
Lateroligia ophiogramma
Double-humped Pococera Moth - Hodges#5608
Pococera expandens
Double-lined Brown - Hodges#8488
Hormoschista latipalpis
Double-lined Doryodes Moth - Hodges#8765
Doryodes bistrialis
Double-lined Prominent
Lochmaeus bilineata
Double-striped Scoparia Moth
Scoparia biplagialis
Double-toothed Prominent
Nerice bidentata
Doubleday's Baileya Moth
Baileya doubledayi
Douglas Fir Tussock - Hodges#8312
Orgyia pseudotsugata
Douglas-fir bud moth - Hodges#3244
Zeiraphera hesperiana
Drab Brown Wave Moth
Lobocleta ossularia
Drab Prominent
Misogada unicolor
Draco Skipper - Hodges#4039
Polites draco
Drasteria biformata - Hodges#8625
Drasteria biformata
Drasteria convergens - Hodges#8630.1
Drasteria convergens
Drasteria edwardsii - Hodges#8627
Drasteria edwardsii
Drasteria hastingsii - Hodges#8616.1
Drasteria hastingsii
Drasteria howlandii - Hodges#8639
Drasteria howlandii
Drasteria maculosa - Hodges#8634
Drasteria maculosa
Drasteria pallescens - Hodges#8628
Drasteria pallescens
Drasteria parallela - Hodges#8630.3
Drasteria parallela
Drasteria pulchra - Hodges#8638
Drasteria pulchra
Drasteria sabulosa - Hodges#8623
Drasteria sabulosa
Drasteria scrupulosa - Hodges#8621
Drasteria scrupulosa
Drasteria stretchii - Hodges#8637
Drasteria stretchii
Drasteria walshi - Hodges#8630.2
Drasteria walshi
Dreamy Duskywing
Erynnis icelus
Drepanulatrix bifilata - Hodges#6684
Drepanulatrix bifilata
Drepanulatrix falcataria - Hodges#6689
Drepanulatrix falcataria
Drepanulatrix garneri - Hodges#6686.1
Drepanulatrix garneri
Drepanulatrix hulstii - Hodges#6683
Drepanulatrix hulstii
Drepanulatrix monicaria - Hodges#6692
Drepanulatrix monicaria
Drepanulatrix nevadaria - Hodges#6687
Drepanulatrix nevadaria
Drepanulatrix quadraria - Hodges#6685
Drepanulatrix quadraria
Drexel's Datana Moth
Datana drexelii
Drunk Apamea - Hodges#9327
Apamea inebriata
Drusius Cloudywing - Hodges#3914
Thorybes drusius
Drymoana blanchardi - Hodges#2336.2
Drymoana blanchardi
Dukes's Skipper - Hodges#4074
Euphyes dukesi
Dull Doryodes Moth - Hodges#8767
Doryodes spadaria
Dull Reddish Dart - Hodges#10969
Xestia dilucida
Dun Skipper
Euphyes vestris
Dune Sympistis - Hodges#10135
Sympistis riparia
Duospina trichella - Hodges#1420
Duospina trichella
Duponchel's Sphinx - Hodges#7773
Cocytius duponchel
Durango Skipper
Notamblyscirtes durango
Dusky Apamea - Hodges#9344
Apamea plutonia
Dusky-backed Filatima - Hodges#2169
Filatima pseudacaciella
Dusted Skipper - Hodges#4080
Atrytonopsis hianna
Dusty Lined Matigramma - Hodges#8679
Matigramma pulverilinea
Dypterygia dolens - Hodges#9562
Dypterygia dolens
Dypterygia ligata - Hodges#9560.1
Dypterygia ligata
Dysodia granulata - Hodges#6079
Dysodia granulata
Dyspyralis ocala - Hodges#8429.1
Dyspyralis ocala
Dysstroma brunneata - Hodges#7194
Dysstroma brunneata
Dysstroma hewlettaria - Hodges#7183
Dysstroma hewlettaria
Dysstroma pseudimmanata - Hodges#7188.1
Dysstroma pseudimmanata
Dysstroma rectiflavata - Hodges#7193
Dysstroma rectiflavata
Dysstroma rutlandia - Hodges#7190
Dysstroma rutlandia
Dysstroma sobria - Hodges#7184
Dysstroma sobria
Eana georgiella - Hodges#3569
Eana georgiella
Early Hairstreak - Hodges#4349
Erora laeta
Early Zanclognatha - Hodges#8351
Zanclognatha cruralis
Eastern Black-headed Budworm - Hodges#3548
Acleris variana
Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma
Eastern Lineodes Moth - Hodges#5106
Lineodes fontella
Eastern Pine Elfin Butterfly
Callophryus niphon
Eastern Pygmy-Blue - Hodges#4354
Brephidium pseudofea
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
(c) Kristy Morley, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Eastern-tailed Blue Butterfly
Cupido comyntas
Ecdytolopha coloradana - Hodges#3495.1
Ecdytolopha coloradana
Ecdytolopha occidentana - Hodges#3495.2
Ecdytolopha occidentana
Echinocereta strigalis - Hodges#5991
Echinocereta strigalis
Echo Azure Butterfly
Celastrina echo
Echo Moth
Seirarctia echo
Eclipsed Oak Dagger - Hodges#9249
Acronicta increta
Ectoedemia clemensella - Hodges#0044
Ectoedemia clemensella
Ectoedemia quadrinotata - Hodges#0051
Ectoedemia quadrinotata
Ectoedemia rubifoliella - Hodges#0048
Ectoedemia rubifoliella
Ectoedemia trinotata - Hodges#0041
Ectoedemia trinotata
Ectoedemia ulmella - Hodges#0049
Ectoedemia ulmella
Ectoedemia virgulae - Hodges#0046
Ectoedemia virgulae
Ectypia bivittata - Hodges#8247
Ectypia bivittata
Edia minutissima - Hodges#4808
Edia minutissima