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)
Epiblema infelix - Hodges#3201
Epiblema infelix
Epiblema iowana - Hodges#3198
Epiblema iowana
Epiblema numerosana - Hodges#3174
Epiblema numerosana
Epiblema praesumptiosa - Hodges#3176
Epiblema praesumptiosa
Epiblema radicana - Hodges#3195
Epiblema radicana
Epiblema resumptana - Hodges#3205
Epiblema resumptana
Epiblema rudei - Hodges#3191
Epiblema rudei
Epiblema separationis - Hodges#3177
Epiblema separationis
Epiblema sosana - Hodges#3180
Epiblema sosana
Epiblema vargoana - Hodges#3186.1
Epiblema vargoana
Epidemas cinerea - Hodges#10002
Epidemas cinerea
Epigaea Looper - Hodges#8927
Syngrapha epigaea
Epiglaea apiata - Hodges#9947
Epiglaea apiata
Epilechia catalinella - Hodges#2259
Epilechia catalinella
Epimecis matronaria - Hodges#6601
Epimecis matronaria
Epinotia albangulana - Hodges#3308
Epinotia albangulana
Epinotia arctostaphylana - Hodges#3328
Epinotia arctostaphylana
Epinotia biangulana - Hodges#3353
Epinotia biangulana
Epinotia bigemina - Hodges#3326
Epinotia bigemina
Epinotia castaneana - Hodges#3288
Epinotia castaneana
Epinotia cercocarpana - Hodges#3325
Epinotia cercocarpana
Epinotia cinereana - Hodges#3307
Epinotia cinereana
Epinotia columbia - Hodges#3324
Epinotia columbia
Epinotia digitana - Hodges#3317
Epinotia digitana
Epinotia ephemerana - Hodges#3289.1
Epinotia ephemerana
Epinotia fumoviridana - Hodges#3299
Epinotia fumoviridana
Epinotia improvisana - Hodges#3301
Epinotia improvisana
Epinotia johnsonana - Hodges#3289
Epinotia johnsonana
Epinotia kasloana - Hodges#3350
Epinotia kasloana
Epinotia lomonana - Hodges#3342
Epinotia lomonana
Epinotia madderana - Hodges#3290
Epinotia madderana
Epinotia medioplagata - Hodges#3344
Epinotia medioplagata
Epinotia plumbolineana - Hodges#3346
Epinotia plumbolineana
Epinotia pulsatillana - Hodges#3285
Epinotia pulsatillana
Epinotia rectiplicana - Hodges#3302
Epinotia rectiplicana
Epinotia seorsa - Hodges#3349
Epinotia seorsa
Epinotia septemberana - Hodges#3347
Epinotia septemberana
Epinotia signiferana - Hodges#3350.1
Epinotia signiferana
Epinotia subplicana - Hodges#3300
Epinotia subplicana
Epinotia subviridis - Hodges#3298
Epinotia subviridis
Epinotia terracoctana - Hodges#3313
Epinotia terracoctana
Epinotia trossulana - Hodges#3352
Epinotia trossulana
Epinotia vagana - Hodges#3348
Epinotia vagana
Epinotia vertumnana - Hodges#3292
Epinotia vertumnana
Epinotia wrighti - Hodges#3340.1
Epinotia wrighti
Epinotia xandana - Hodges#3295
Epinotia xandana
Epirrhoe medeifascia - Hodges#7397
Epirrhoe medeifascia
Epirrhoe sperryi - Hodges#7396
Epirrhoe sperryi
Epirrita undulata - Hodges#7434
Epirrita undulata
Episcepsis inornata - Hodges#8275
Episcepsis inornata
Episemasia solitaria - Hodges#6713
Episemasia solitaria
Episimus kimballi - Hodges#2702.2
Episimus kimballi
Episimus lagunculariae - Hodges#2702.4
Episimus lagunculariae
Episimus transferrana - Hodges#2701.2
Episimus transferrana
Eralea albalineella - Hodges#1501
Eralea albalineella
Erannis vancouverensis - Hodges#6665.1
Erannis vancouverensis
Erasa Chocolate - Hodges#8761
Argyrostrotis erasa
Erastria decrepitaria - Hodges#6702
Erastria decrepitaria
Erastria viridirufaria - Hodges#6703
Erastria viridirufaria
Erato Heliconian - Hodges#4419
Heliconius erato
Erechthias zebrina - Hodges#0303
Erechthias zebrina
Eremberga leuconips - Hodges#5984
Eremberga leuconips
Eremobina unicincta - Hodges#9399
Eremobina unicincta
Erinnyis yucatana - Hodges#7839.1
Erinnyis yucatana
Eriococcus Caterpillar
Stathmopoda melanochra
Eriocraniella variegata - Hodges#0011
Eriocraniella variegata
Eriocraniella xanthocara - Hodges#0008
Eriocraniella xanthocara
Eriplatymetra coloradaria - Hodges#6852
Eriplatymetra coloradaria
Eriplatymetra lentifluata - Hodges#6853
Eriplatymetra lentifluata
Ernestine's Moth - Hodges#8480
Phytometra ernestinana
Ersephila indistincta - Hodges#7279
Ersephila indistincta
Erythrina borer - Hodges#5239
Terastia meticulosalis
Escaria clauda - Hodges#9831
Escaria clauda
Escaria homogena - Hodges#9832
Escaria homogena
Essex Bent-wing
Opostega spatulella
Estelle's Giant Skipper - Hodges#4141
Agathymus estelleae
Etainia thoraceleuca
Etainia thoraceleuca
Eteobalea iridella - Hodges#1510
Eteobalea iridella
Eteobalea sexnotella - Hodges#1508
Eteobalea sexnotella
Ethelgoda texanana - Hodges#3424
Ethelgoda texanana
Ethmia angustalatella - Hodges#1007.1
Ethmia angustalatella
Ethmia brevistriga - Hodges#0967
Ethmia brevistriga
Ethmia burnsella - Hodges#0991
Ethmia burnsella
Ethmia davisella - Hodges#0993.1
Ethmia davisella
Ethmia lassenella - Hodges#0963
Ethmia lassenella
Ethmia mimihagenella - Hodges#0990
Ethmia mimihagenella
Ethmia monachella - Hodges#0965
Ethmia monachella
Ethmia sphenisca - Hodges#1006
Ethmia sphenisca
Ethmia submissa - Hodges#0994.2
Ethmia submissa
Ethmia tricula - Hodges#0971
Ethmia tricula
Ethmia umbrimarginella - Hodges#0962
Ethmia umbrimarginella
Euacidalia brownsvillea - Hodges#7090
Euacidalia brownsvillea
Euacidalia quakerata - Hodges#7089
Euacidalia quakerata
Euamiana torniplaga - Hodges#9809
Euamiana torniplaga
Euaontia clarki - Hodges#8568
Euaontia clarki
Euaspilates spinataria - Hodges#6917
Euaspilates spinataria
Eubaphe helveta - Hodges#7442
Eubaphe helveta
Eubaphe medea - Hodges#7440.1
Eubaphe medea
Eubaphe meridiana - Hodges#7441
Eubaphe meridiana
Eucaterva bonniwelli - Hodges#6919
Eucaterva bonniwelli