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)
Funereal Duskywing Butterfly
Erynnis funeralis
Furcula cinereoides - Hodges#7937.1
Furcula cinereoides
Furcula gigans - Hodges#7939.1
Furcula gigans
Furcula nivea - Hodges#7938
Furcula nivea
Gabara distema - Hodges#8523
Gabara distema
Gabara gigantea - Hodges#8519
Gabara gigantea
Gabara new species - Hodges#8523.97
Gabara n-species
Gabara pulverosalis - Hodges#8524
Gabara pulverosalis
Gabara subnivosella - Hodges#8522
Gabara subnivosella
Gabb's Checkerspot - Hodges#4495
Chlosyne gabbii
Gabriola minima - Hodges#6783
Gabriola minima
Galasa nigripunctalis - Hodges#5553
Galasa nigripunctalis
Galenara lallata - Hodges#6628
Galenara lallata
Galenara lixarioides - Hodges#6631
Galenara lixarioides
Galenara olivacea - Hodges#6633
Galenara olivacea
Galium Sphinx Moth
Hyles gallii
Garden Webworm Moth
Achyra rantalis
Gardinia anopla - Hodges#8058
Gardinia anopla
Garita Skipperling - Hodges#4007
Oarisma garita
Garman's Quaker
Orthosia garmani
Gaudy Sphinx Moth
Eumorpha labruscae
Gazoryctra confusus - Hodges#0024
Gazoryctra confusus
Gazoryctra hyperboreus - Hodges#0023
Gazoryctra hyperboreus
Gazoryctra mathewi - Hodges#0028
Gazoryctra mathewi
Gazoryctra pulcher - Hodges#0026
Gazoryctra pulcher
Gelechia albisparsella - Hodges#1929
Gelechia albisparsella
Gelechia bianulella - Hodges#1933
Gelechia bianulella
Gelechia desiliens - Hodges#1938
Gelechia desiliens
Gelechia dyariella - Hodges#1941
Gelechia dyariella
Gelechia lynceella - Hodges#1946
Gelechia lynceella
Genista Broom Moth
Uresiphita reversalis
Gentry's Giant-Skipper
Agathymus gentryi
Genus-undetermined quinquistrigella - Hodges#0694
Genus-undetermined quinquistrigella
Genus-unknown navia - Hodges#9751
Genus-unknown navia
George's Carpet - Hodges#7216
Plemyria georgii
George's Midget Moth
Elaphria georgei
George's Pinion Moth - Hodges#9913
Lithophane georgii
Gerra radicalis - Hodges#9302
Gerra radicalis
Ghost Moth
Gazoryctra novigannus
Giant Eucosma - Hodges#3098
Eucosma giganteana
Giant Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia
Giant Sphinx - Hodges#7772
Cocytius antaeus
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio cresphontes
Gilbert's Giant-Skipper
Agathymus gilberti
Gillett's Checkerspot - Hodges#4521
Euphydryas gillettii
Gisilia armigera - Hodges#1645.5
Gisilia armigera
Givira cleopatra - Hodges#2673
Givira cleopatra
Givira cornelia - Hodges#2665
Givira cornelia
Givira ethela - Hodges#2667
Givira ethela
Givira francesca - Hodges#2671
Givira francesca
Givira lucretia - Hodges#2666
Givira lucretia
Givira marga - Hodges#2669
Givira marga
Givira mucidus - Hodges#2660
Givira mucidus
Givira theodori - Hodges#2662
Givira theodori
Glaphyria peremptalis - Hodges#4872
Glaphyria peremptalis
Glaser's Dichomeris Moth - Hodges#2297.2
Dichomeris bolize
Glaucina ampla - Hodges#6500
Glaucina ampla
Glaucina baea - Hodges#6494
Glaucina baea
Glaucina biartata - Hodges#6489
Glaucina biartata
Glaucina denticularia - Hodges#6511
Glaucina denticularia
Glaucina dispersa - Hodges#6510
Glaucina dispersa
Glaucina elongata - Hodges#6497
Glaucina elongata
Glaucina epiphysaria - Hodges#6493
Glaucina epiphysaria
Glaucina eureka - Hodges#6515
Glaucina eureka
Glaucina gonia - Hodges#6504
Glaucina gonia
Glaucina ignavaria - Hodges#6508
Glaucina ignavaria
Glaucina interruptaria - Hodges#6502
Glaucina interruptaria
Glaucina loxa - Hodges#6517
Glaucina loxa
Glaucina nephos - Hodges#6506
Glaucina nephos
Glaucina nota - Hodges#6514
Glaucina nota
Glaucina ochrofuscaria - Hodges#6516
Glaucina ochrofuscaria
Glaucina utahensis - Hodges#6490
Glaucina utahensis
Glaucodontia pyraustoides - Hodges#4845
Glaucodontia pyraustoides
Glaucon Blue - Hodges#4366.1
Euphilotes glaucon
Glena arcana - Hodges#6447
Glena arcana
Glenn's Plume Moth - Hodges#6214
Hellinsia glenni
Glittering Magdalena Moth - Hodges#5295
Daulia magdalena
Gloanna grisescens - Hodges#9844
Gloanna grisescens
Glover's Silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia gloveri
Glover's Silkmoth - Hodges#7769
Hyalophora gloveri
Gloveria howardi - Hodges#7693
Gloveria howardi
Gloveria medusa - Hodges#7694
Gloveria medusa
Gluphisia lintneri - Hodges#7934
Gluphisia lintneri
Glympis concors - Hodges#8478
Glympis concors
Glyphidocera floridanella - Hodges#1138
Glyphidocera floridanella
Glyphipterix arizonensis - Hodges#2342.4
Glyphipterix arizonensis
Glyphipterix californiae - Hodges#2342
Glyphipterix californiae
Glyphipterix circumscriptella - Hodges#2337
Glyphipterix circumscriptella
Glyphipterix feniseca - Hodges#2342.1
Glyphipterix feniseca
Glyphipterix montisella - Hodges#2344
Glyphipterix montisella
Glyphipterix powelli - Hodges#2338.1
Glyphipterix powelli
Glyphipterix quadragintapunctata - Hodges#2338
Glyphipterix quadragintapunctata
Gnophaela discreta - Hodges#8036
Gnophaela discreta
Gnophos macguffini - Hodges#6596
Gnophos macguffini
Gnorimoschema alaricella - Hodges#1968
Gnorimoschema alaricella
Gnorimoschema baccariselloides - Hodges#1971.4
Gnorimoschema bacchariselloides
Gnorimoschema busckiella - Hodges#1975
Gnorimoschema busckiella
Gnorimoschema compsomorpha - Hodges#1977
Gnorimoschema compsomorpha
Gnorimoschema coquillettella - Hodges#1979
Gnorimoschema coquillettella
Gnorimoschema gallaediplopappi - Hodges#1985.1
Gnorimoschema gallaediplopappi