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)
Eupithecia anticaria - Hodges#7594
Eupithecia anticaria
Eupithecia appendiculata - Hodges#7554
Eupithecia appendiculata
Eupithecia behrensata - Hodges#7535
Eupithecia behrensata
Eupithecia biedermanata - Hodges#7514
Eupithecia biedermanata
Eupithecia borealis - Hodges#7485
Eupithecia borealis
Eupithecia carneata - Hodges#7597
Eupithecia carneata
Eupithecia castellata - Hodges#7462
Eupithecia castellata
Eupithecia catalinata - Hodges#7465
Eupithecia catalinata
Eupithecia cestata - Hodges#7603
Eupithecia cestata
Eupithecia cimicifugata - Hodges#7524
Eupithecia cimicifugata
Eupithecia columbrata - Hodges#7577
Eupithecia columbrata
Eupithecia cretaceata - Hodges#7533
Eupithecia cretaceata
Eupithecia edna - Hodges#7466
Eupithecia edna
Eupithecia flavigutta - Hodges#7568
Eupithecia flavigutta
Eupithecia gelidata - Hodges#7538
Eupithecia gelidata
Eupithecia harrisonata - Hodges#7490
Eupithecia harrisonata
Eupithecia hohokamae - Hodges#7584
Eupithecia hohokamae
Eupithecia huachuca - Hodges#7562
Eupithecia huachuca
Eupithecia indistincta - Hodges#7531
Eupithecia indistincta
Eupithecia insolabilis - Hodges#7464
Eupithecia insolabilis
Eupithecia joanata - Hodges#7567
Eupithecia joanata
Eupithecia lafontaineata - Hodges#7548.1
Eupithecia lafontaineata
Eupithecia litoris - Hodges#7498
Eupithecia litoris
Eupithecia macfarlandi - Hodges#7523.1
Eupithecia macfarlandi
Eupithecia matheri - Hodges#7509.1
Eupithecia matheri
Eupithecia misturata - Hodges#7476
Eupithecia misturata
Eupithecia monacheata - Hodges#7456
Eupithecia monacheata
Eupithecia multistrigata - Hodges#7539
Eupithecia multistrigata
Eupithecia mystiata - Hodges#7580
Eupithecia mystiata
Eupithecia nabokovi - Hodges#7513
Eupithecia nabokovi
Eupithecia neomexicana - Hodges#7504
Eupithecia neomexicana
Eupithecia nevadata - Hodges#7601
Eupithecia nevadata
Eupithecia nimbicolor - Hodges#7522
Eupithecia nimbicolor
Eupithecia nimbosa - Hodges#7534
Eupithecia nimbosa
Eupithecia niveifascia - Hodges#7566
Eupithecia niveifascia
Eupithecia olivacea - Hodges#7546
Eupithecia olivacea
Eupithecia ornata - Hodges#7455
Eupithecia ornata
Eupithecia owenata - Hodges#7467
Eupithecia owenata
Eupithecia perfusca - Hodges#7540
Eupithecia perfusca
Eupithecia phyllisae - Hodges#7560
Eupithecia phyllisae
Eupithecia piccata - Hodges#7502
Eupithecia piccata
Eupithecia pinata - Hodges#7558
Eupithecia pinata
Eupithecia placidata - Hodges#7471
Eupithecia placidata
Eupithecia pretansata - Hodges#7503
Eupithecia pretansata
Eupithecia prostrata - Hodges#7506
Eupithecia prostrata
Eupithecia quakerata - Hodges#7499
Eupithecia quakerata
Eupithecia redingtonia - Hodges#7590
Eupithecia redingtonia
Eupithecia rotundopuncta - Hodges#7496
Eupithecia rotundopuncta
Eupithecia russeliata - Hodges#7526
Eupithecia russeliata
Eupithecia scabrogata - Hodges#7583
Eupithecia scabrogata
Eupithecia sharronata - Hodges#7537.1
Eupithecia sharronata
Eupithecia sierrae - Hodges#7497
Eupithecia sierrae
Eupithecia sinuata - Hodges#7589
Eupithecia sinuata
Eupithecia sonora - Hodges#7568.1
Eupithecia sonora
Eupithecia sperryi - Hodges#7569
Eupithecia sperryi
Eupithecia stellata - Hodges#7564
Eupithecia stellata
Eupithecia subcolorata - Hodges#7553
Eupithecia subcolorata
Eupithecia tricolorata - Hodges#7596
Eupithecia tricolorata
Eupithecia vargoi - Hodges#7501.1
Eupithecia vargoi
Eupithecia vitreotata - Hodges#7556
Eupithecia vitreotata
Eupithecia zelmira - Hodges#7555
Eupithecia zelmira
Eupragia hospita - Hodges#0953
Eupragia hospita
Euprora argentiliniella - Hodges#0461
Euprora argentiliniella
Eupseudomorpha brillians - Hodges#9311
Eupseudomorpha brillians
Eurasian Straw-colored Plume Moth
Hellinsia pectodactylus
Eurhinosea flavaria - Hodges#7209
Eurhinosea flavaria
Eurois astricta - Hodges#10930
Eurois astricta
European Corn Borer Moth
Ostrinia nubilalis
European Grain Moth - Hodges#0266
Nemapogon granella
European Grapevine Moth - Hodges#2729.1
Lobesia botrana
Euros cervina - Hodges#9421
Euros cervina
Euros proprius - Hodges#9422
Euros proprius
Eurythmia furnella - Hodges#6033
Eurythmia furnella
Eurythmia yavapaella - Hodges#6031.2
Eurythmia yavapaella
Eusarca falcata - Hodges#6927
Eusarca falcata
Eusarca galbanaria - Hodges#6930
Eusarca galbanaria
Eusarca geniculata - Hodges#6939
Eusarca geniculata
Eusarca lutzi - Hodges#6932
Eusarca lutzi
Eusarca subflavaria - Hodges#6934
Eusarca subflavaria
Eusarca terraria - Hodges#6928
Eusarca terraria
Eusarca tibiaria - Hodges#6940
Eusarca tibiaria
Eustroma atrifasciata - Hodges#7212
Antepirrhoe atrifasciata
Euterpe Sphinx - Hodges#7881
Euproserpinus euterpe
Eutrepsia inconstans - Hodges#7284
Eutrepsia inconstans
Euxoa absona - Hodges#10743.2
Euxoa absona
Euxoa albipennis - Hodges#10807
Euxoa albipennis
Euxoa antica - Hodges#10743
Euxoa antica
Euxoa auripennis - Hodges#10852
Euxoa auripennis
Euxoa aurulenta - Hodges#10716
Euxoa aurulenta
Euxoa bicollaris - Hodges#10788
Euxoa bicollaris
Euxoa bifasciata - Hodges#10796
Euxoa bifasciata
Euxoa biformata - Hodges#10736
Euxoa biformata
Euxoa brunneigera - Hodges#10787
Euxoa brunneigera
Euxoa camalpa - Hodges#10772
Euxoa camalpa
Euxoa catenula - Hodges#10809
Euxoa catenula
Euxoa churchillensis - Hodges#10711
Euxoa churchillensis
Euxoa cicatricosa - Hodges#10839
Euxoa cicatricosa
Euxoa cincta - Hodges#10823
Euxoa cincta
Euxoa cinnabarina - Hodges#10797
Euxoa cinnabarina
Euxoa clausa - Hodges#10827
Euxoa clausa