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)
Euxoa comosa - Hodges#10780
Euxoa comosa
Euxoa cona - Hodges#10779
Euxoa cona
Euxoa cryptica - Hodges#10722
Euxoa cryptica
Euxoa dargo - Hodges#10836
Euxoa dargo
Euxoa difformis - Hodges#10845
Euxoa difformis
Euxoa dodi - Hodges#10849
Euxoa dodi
Euxoa edictalis - Hodges#10704
Euxoa edictalis
Euxoa excogita - Hodges#10787.1
Euxoa excogita
Euxoa flavicollis - Hodges#10864
Euxoa flavicollis
Euxoa foeminalis - Hodges#10828
Euxoa foeminalis
Euxoa franclemonti - Hodges#10743.1
Euxoa franclemonti
Euxoa guadalupensis - Hodges#10784.1
Euxoa guadalupensis
Euxoa henrietta - Hodges#10806
Euxoa henrietta
Euxoa immixta - Hodges#10753
Euxoa immixta
Euxoa inconcinna - Hodges#10732
Euxoa inconcinna
Euxoa infracta - Hodges#10850
Euxoa infracta
Euxoa intrita - Hodges#10749
Euxoa intrita
Euxoa leuschneri - Hodges#10722.1
Euxoa leuschneri
Euxoa lillooet - Hodges#10808
Euxoa lillooet
Euxoa luctuosa - Hodges#10775
Euxoa luctuosa
Euxoa macleani - Hodges#10712
Euxoa macleani
Euxoa maderensis - Hodges#10773
Euxoa maderensis
Euxoa melana - Hodges#10767
Euxoa melana
Euxoa moerens - Hodges#10847
Euxoa moerens
Euxoa munis - Hodges#10855
Euxoa munis
Euxoa nevada - Hodges#10769
Euxoa nevada
Euxoa niveilinea - Hodges#10831
Euxoa niveilinea
Euxoa oberfoelli - Hodges#10818
Euxoa oberfoelli
Euxoa occidentalis - Hodges#10781.1
Euxoa occidentalis
Euxoa pestula - Hodges#10728
Euxoa pestula
Euxoa pimensis - Hodges#10752
Euxoa pimensis
Euxoa piniae - Hodges#10791
Euxoa piniae
Euxoa plagigera - Hodges#10804
Euxoa plagigera
Euxoa punctigera - Hodges#10759
Euxoa punctigera
Euxoa quadridentata - Hodges#10830
Euxoa quadridentata
Euxoa quebecensis - Hodges#10714
Euxoa quebecensis
Euxoa rufula - Hodges#10750
Euxoa rufula
Euxoa serotina - Hodges#10771
Euxoa serotina
Euxoa serricornis - Hodges#10744
Euxoa serricornis
Euxoa shasta - Hodges#10735
Euxoa shasta
Euxoa siccata - Hodges#10811
Euxoa siccata
Euxoa stigmatalis - Hodges#10764
Euxoa stigmatalis
Euxoa subandera - Hodges#10820.1
Euxoa subandera
Euxoa teleboa - Hodges#10843
Euxoa teleboa
Euxoa terrealis - Hodges#10733
Euxoa terrealis
Euxoa terrenus - Hodges#10742
Euxoa terrenus
Euxoa tocoyae - Hodges#10745
Euxoa tocoyae
Euxoa trifasciata - Hodges#10717
Euxoa trifasciata
Euxoa tronellus - Hodges#10842
Euxoa tronellus
Euxoa ustulata - Hodges#10814
Euxoa ustulata
Euzophera vinnulella - Hodges#5995.3
Euzophera vinnulella
Evans's Skipper - Hodges#4122
Panoquina evansi
Even-lined Sallow - Hodges#9555
Ipimorpha pleonectusa
Evergestis angustalis - Hodges#4905
Evergestis angustalis
Evergestis aridalis - Hodges#4900
Evergestis aridalis
Evergestis consimilis - Hodges#4899
Evergestis consimilis
Evergestis funalis - Hodges#4909
Evergestis funalis
Evergestis lunulalis - Hodges#4902
Evergestis lunulalis
Evergestis nolentis - Hodges#4903
Evergestis nolentis
Evergestis palousalis - Hodges#4907
Evergestis palousalis
Evergestis simulatilis - Hodges#4904
Evergestis simulatilis
Evergestis subterminalis - Hodges#4910
Evergestis subterminalis
Evergestis vinctalis - Hodges#4906
Evergestis vinctalis
Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis
Everlasting Bud Moth - Hodges#9076
Eublemma minima
Everlasting Tebenna Moth
Tebenna gnaphaliella
Eviridemas minuta - Hodges#9848
Eviridemas minuta
Exaeretia canella - Hodges#0899
Exaeretia canella
Exaeretia ciniflonella - Hodges#0908
Exaeretia ciniflonella
Exaeretia nivalis - Hodges#0906
Exaeretia nivalis
Exaeretia scabella - Hodges#0909
Exaeretia scabella
Exaeretia sordidella - Hodges#0901
Exaeretia sordidella
Exasperating Epiblema - Hodges#3183
Epiblema exacerbatricana
Exelis dicolus - Hodges#6479
Exelis dicolus
Exelis ophiurus - Hodges#6480
Exelis ophiurus
Exoteleia chillcotti - Hodges#1799
Exoteleia chillcotti
Exoteleia graphicella - Hodges#1838
Exoteleia graphicella
Exoteleia pinifoliella complex - Hodges#1840
Exoteleia pinifoliella
Explicit Arches
Lacinipolia explicata
Exposed Lipocosma - Hodges#4885
Lipocosma septa
Exyra ridingsii - Hodges#9023
Exyra ridingsii
Eyed Baileya
Baileya opthalmica
Eyed Brown Butterfly
Lethe eurydice
Eyed Dysodia Moth
Dysodia oculatana
Eyed Paectes Moth
Paectes oculatrix
Fabiola lucidella - Hodges#1052
Fabiola lucidella
Fabiola tecta - Hodges#1051
Fabiola tecta
Faculta synthetica - Hodges#2206.1
Faculta synthetica
Faded Gray - Hodges#6459
Stenoporpia polygrammaria
Faint-spotted Angle Moth
Digrammia ocellinata
Faint-spotted Palthis
Palthis asopialis
Fala ptychophora - Hodges#9788
Fala ptychophora
Falcate Metalmark - Hodges#4401.1
Emesis tenedia
Falcate Orangetip
Anthocharis midea
Fall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperda
Fall Webworm
Hyphantria cunea
False Crocus Geometer
Xanthotype urticaria
False Duskywing - Hodges#3943
Gesta invisus
False Fig Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7842
Pachylioides resumens
False Underwing
Allotria elonympha