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)
Edia semiluna - Hodges#4807
Edia semiluna
Edith's Fabiola Moth - Hodges#1053
Fabiola edithella
Edwards Glassy Wing
Pseudohemihyalea edwardsii
Edwards' Skipperling - Hodges#4008
Oarisma edwardsii
Effective Euchlaena - Hodges#6728
Euchlaena effecta
Egira baueri - Hodges#10503
Egira baueri
Egira dolosa - Hodges#10513
Egira dolosa
Egira purpurea - Hodges#10516
Egira purpurea
Eichlinia calabaza - Hodges#2537
Eichlinia calabaza
Eichlinia magnifica - Hodges#2541
Eichlinia magnifica
Eidophasia dammersi - Hodges#2359
Eidophasia dammersi
Eight-barred Conchylodes - Hodges#5251
Conchylodes octonalis
Eight-spotted Forester Moth
Alypia octomaculata
Elachista acenteta - Hodges#1091
Elachista acenteta
Elachista adianta - Hodges#1090.1
Elachista adianta
Elachista aristoteliella - Hodges#1118.2
Elachista aristoteliella
Elachista beorella - Hodges#1129.1
Elachista beorella
Elachista calusella - Hodges#1124.1
Elachista calusella
Elachista ciliigera - Hodges#1128.7
Elachista ciliigera
Elachista controversa - Hodges#1087
Elachista controversa
Elachista cucullata - Hodges#1124
Elachista cucullata
Elachista dagnirella - Hodges#1088.6
Elachista dagnirella
Elachista galadella - Hodges#1130.3
Elachista galadella
Elachista glenni - Hodges#1123.1
Elachista glenni
Elachista granosa - Hodges#1094.2
Elachista granosa
Elachista herbigrada - Hodges#1130
Elachista herbigrada
Elachista hololeuca - Hodges#1092
Elachista hololeuca
Elachista huron - Hodges#1128.4
Elachista huron
Elachista ibunella - Hodges#1118.1
Elachista ibunella
Elachista illectella - Hodges#1129
Elachista illectella
Elachista irrorata - Hodges#1100
Elachista irrorata
Elachista ischnella - Hodges#1084.1
Elachista ischnella
Elachista leucosticta - Hodges#1126
Elachista leucosticta
Elachista maculoscella - Hodges#1105
Elachista maculoscella
Elachista madarella - Hodges#1121
Elachista madarella
Elachista morwenella - Hodges#1107.1
Elachista morwenella
Elachista neithanella - Hodges#1130.1
Elachista neithanella
Elachista pelaena - Hodges#1128.9
Elachista pelaena
Elachista rianella - Hodges#1130.4
Elachista rianella
Elachista subalbidella - Hodges#1098.1
Elachista subalbidella
Elachista telcharella - Hodges#1107.3
Elachista telcharella
Elachista tuorella - Hodges#1130.2
Elachista tuorella
Elaphria agrotina - Hodges#9677
Elaphria agrotina
Elaphria cyanympha - Hodges#9297.2
Elaphria cyanympha
Elaphria fuscimacula - Hodges#9675
Elaphria fuscimacula
Elasmia mandela - Hodges#7950.1
Elasmia mandela
Elasmia packardii - Hodges#7949
Elasmia packardii
Elatobia carbonella - Hodges#0425
Elatobia carbonella
Elatobia montelliella - Hodges#0425.1
Elatobia montelliella
Elder Shoot Borer
Achatodes zeae
Elegant Prominent - Hodges#7924
Pheosidea elegans
Elephant Hawk Moth
Deilephila elpenor
Elf - Hodges#4510
Microtia elva
Elissa Roadside-Skipper - Hodges#4095
Amblyscirtes elissa
Ellabella bayensis - Hodges#2349.1
Ellabella bayensis
Ellabella editha - Hodges#2348
Ellabella editha
Elm Sphinx
Ceratomia amyntor
Elophila atlantica - Hodges#4756
Elophila atlantica
Elophila faulalis - Hodges#4749
Elophila faulalis
Elophila occidentalis - Hodges#4757
Elophila occidentalis
Elousa albicans - Hodges#8661.1
Elousa albicans
Emariannia cucullidea - Hodges#10217
Emariannia cucullidea
Embola powelli - Hodges#2500.1
Embola powelli
Emerald Aguna - Hodges#3877
Aguna claxon
Emerald Moth
Nemoria pistaciaria
Enchoria herbicolata (Hulst, 1896) - Hodges#7404
Enchoria herbicolata
Enchoria lacteata - Hodges#7403
Enchoria lacteata
Enchrysa dissectella - Hodges#1721
Enchrysa dissectella
Endothenia affiliana - Hodges#2737
Endothenia affiliana
Endothenia heinrichi - Hodges#2733
Endothenia heinrichi
Endothenia microptera - Hodges#2741
Endothenia microptera
Endothenia rubipunctana - Hodges#2734
Endothenia rubipunctana
Entephria bradorata - Hodges#7300.2
Entephria bradorata
Entephria inventaraia - Hodges#7305
Entephria inventaraia
Entephria lynda - Hodges#7303.1
Entephria lynda
Entephria multivagata - Hodges#7301
Entephria multivagata
Entephria separata - Hodges#7306.2
Entephria separata
Entephria takuata - Hodges#7302
Entephria takuata
Enteucha basidactyla - Hodges#0117
Enteucha basidactyla
Enteucha gilvafascia - Hodges#0118
Enteucha gilvafascia
Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852
Enyo ocypete
Enypia coolidgi - Hodges#7008
Enypia coolidgi
Eoparargyractis floridalis - Hodges#4786
Eoparargyractis floridalis
Epargyreus huachuca - Hodges#3870.1
Epargyreus huachuca
Epermenia albapunctella - Hodges#2328
Epermenia albapunctella
Epermenia cicutaella - Hodges#2329
Epermenia cicutaella
Epermenia falcata - Hodges#2325.1
Epermenia falcata
Epermenia infracta - Hodges#2332
Epermenia infracta
Epermenia pimpinella - Hodges#2330
Epermenia pimpinella
Epermenia stolidota - Hodges#2326
Epermenia stolidota
Ephestiodes infimella - Hodges#6001
Ephestiodes infimella
Ephestiodes mignonella - Hodges#6003
Ephestiodes mignonella
Ephestiodes monticolus - Hodges#6001.1
Ephestiodes monticolus
Ephyrodes cacata - Hodges#8582
Ephyrodes cacata
Epiblema chromata - Hodges#3174.2
Epiblema chromata
Epiblema cimarronensis - Hodges#3180.1
Epiblema cimarronensis
Epiblema desertana - Hodges#3190
Epiblema desertana
Epiblema discretivana - Hodges#3188
Epiblema discretivana
Epiblema dorsisuffusana - Hodges#3206
Epiblema dorsisuffusana
Epiblema grossbecki - Hodges#3175
Epiblema grossbecki