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)
Euceratia securella - Hodges#2352
Euceratia securella
Euchaetes albicosta - Hodges#8243
Euchaetes albicosta
Euchaetes antica - Hodges#8242
Euchaetes antica
Euchaetes fusca - Hodges#8234
Euchaetes fusca
Euchaetes helena - Hodges#8235
Euchaetes helena
Euclea obliqua - Hodges#4690
Euclea obliqua
Euclemensia barksdalensis - Hodges#1467.1
Euclemensia barksdalensis
Euclemensia schwarziella - Hodges#1468
Euclemensia schwarziella
Eucoloneura fragilis - Hodges#0451.1
Eucoloneura fragilis
Eucopina franclemonti - Hodges#3070
Eucopina franclemonti
Eucopina ponderosa - Hodges#3068
Eucopina ponderosa
Eucoptocnemis canescens - Hodges#10643.1
Eucoptocnemis canescens
Eucoptocnemis dapsilis - Hodges#10696
Eucoptocnemis dapsilis
Eucoptocnemis elingua - Hodges#10697
Eucoptocnemis elingua
Eucosma alabamae - Hodges#3005.3
Eucosma alabamae
Eucosma albertana - Hodges#2909
Eucosma albertana
Eucosma artemisiana - Hodges#2984
Eucosma artemisiana
Eucosma autumnana - Hodges#2925
Eucosma autumnana
Eucosma awemeana - Hodges#2911
Eucosma awemeana
Eucosma baggetti - Hodges#3110.1
Eucosma baggetti
Eucosma browni - Hodges#2941.1
Eucosma browni
Eucosma bucephaloides - Hodges#3006
Eucosma bucephaloides
Eucosma convergana - Hodges#2940
Eucosma convergana
Eucosma corculana - Hodges#2918
Eucosma corculana
Eucosma crassana - Hodges#2966
Eucosma crassana
Eucosma donahuei - Hodges#2960.1
Eucosma donahuei
Eucosma elongana - Hodges#2952
Eucosma elongana
Eucosma essexana - Hodges#2910
Eucosma essexana
Eucosma ferruginana - Hodges#2915
Eucosma ferruginana
Eucosma fertoriana - Hodges#2965
Eucosma fertoriana
Eucosma fulvotegulana - Hodges#2971.1
Eucosma fulvotegulana
Eucosma gomonana - Hodges#3110
Eucosma gomonana
Eucosma grindeliana - Hodges#3002
Eucosma grindeliana
Eucosma griseocapitana - Hodges#2996
Eucosma griseocapitana
Eucosma hodgesi - Hodges#2997.1
Eucosma hodgesi
Eucosma implicata - Hodges#2974
Eucosma implicata
Eucosma indagatricana - Hodges#2969
Eucosma indagatricana
Eucosma indeterminana - Hodges#2912
Eucosma indeterminana
Eucosma infimbriana - Hodges#2985
Eucosma infimbriana
Eucosma knudsoni - Hodges#2999.1
Eucosma knudsoni
Eucosma litorea - Hodges#2920.2
Eucosma litorea
Eucosma mayelisana - Hodges#2944.1
Eucosma mayelisana
Eucosma migratana - Hodges#2961
Eucosma migratana
Eucosma minimana - Hodges#2978
Eucosma minimana
Eucosma modernana - Hodges#2938
Eucosma modernana
Eucosma modicellana - Hodges#2977
Eucosma modicellana
Eucosma monogrammana - Hodges#3046
Eucosma monogrammana
Eucosma mormonensis - Hodges#2941
Eucosma mormonensis
Eucosma paragemellana - Hodges#3052.2
Eucosma paragemellana
Eucosma parvana - Hodges#2964
Eucosma parvana
Eucosma patagoniana - Hodges#2976.1
Eucosma patagoniana
Eucosma rusticana - Hodges#3125
Eucosma rusticana
Eucosma setonana - Hodges#2988
Eucosma setonana
Eucosma spectana - Hodges#2959
Eucosma spectana
Eucosma spiculana - Hodges#2971
Eucosma spiculana
Eucosma tarandana - Hodges#2956
Eucosma tarandana
Eucosma tenuiana - Hodges#2960
Eucosma tenuiana
Eucosma umbrastriana - Hodges#2913
Eucosma umbrastriana
Eucosma viridis - Hodges#2998.1
Eucosma viridis
Eucosmophora manilkarae - Hodges#0696.1
Eucosmophora manilkarae
Eucosmophora sideroxylonella - Hodges#0696
Eucosmophora sideroxylonella
Eudactylota iobapta - Hodges#1913
Eudactylota iobapta
Eudonia albertalis - Hodges#4727
Eudonia albertalis
Eudonia commortalis - Hodges#4723
Eudonia commortalis
Eudonia expallidalis - Hodges#4724
Eudonia expallidalis
Eudonia spenceri - Hodges#4730
Eudonia spenceri
Eudonia torniplagalis - Hodges#4726
Eudonia torniplagalis
Eudonia vivida - Hodges#4728
Eudonia vivida
Eufala Skipper
Lerodea eufala
Eufernaldia cadarellus - Hodges#5338
Eufernaldia cadarellus
Eugnosta willettana - Hodges#3792
Eugnosta willettana
Eulathosea obtusa - Hodges#10189
Eulathosea obtusa
Eulepidotis addens - Hodges#8569.1
Eulepidotis addens
Eulepidotis electa - Hodges#8570.2
Eulepidotis electa
Eulepidotis micca - Hodges#8571
Eulepidotis micca
Eulepidotis persimilis - Hodges#8570.4
Eulepidotis persimilis
Eulepidotis rectimargo - Hodges#8570.1
Eulepidotis rectimargo
Eulepte anticostalis - Hodges#5195
Eulepte anticostalis
Eulithis destinata - Hodges#7204
Eulithis destinata
Eulithis flavibrunneata - Hodges#7205
Eulithis flavibrunneata
Eulithis propulsata - Hodges#7199
Eulithis propulsata
Eulithis xylina - Hodges#7207
Eulithis xylina
Eulithosia composita - Hodges#9773
Eulithosia composita
Eulithosia discistriga - Hodges#9769
Eulithosia discistriga
Eulithosia papago - Hodges#9768
Eulithosia papago
Eumacrodes yponomeutaria - Hodges#7086
Eumacrodes yponomeutaria
Eumysia fuscatella - Hodges#5906
Eumysia fuscatella
Eumysia idahoensis - Hodges#5908
Eumysia idahoensis
Eumysia mysiella - Hodges#5904
Eumysia mysiella
Eumysia pallidipennella - Hodges#5908.1
Eumysia pallidipennella
Eumysia semicana - Hodges#5907
Eumysia semicana
Eupatorium Plume Moth - Hodges#6168
Oidaematophorus eupatorii
Euphyia implicata - Hodges#7400
Euphyia implicata
Euphyia minima - Hodges#7401
Euphyia minima
Euphyia swetti - Hodges#7398
Euphyia swetti
Eupinivora ponderosae - Hodges#3801.5
Eupinivora ponderosae
Eupithecia acutipennis - Hodges#7586
Eupithecia acutipennis
Eupithecia albicapitata - Hodges#7574
Eupithecia albicapitata
Eupithecia albimontanata - Hodges#7452
Eupithecia albimontanata
Eupithecia alpinata - Hodges#7505
Eupithecia alpinata