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)
Gnorimoschema huffmanellum - Hodges#2001.5
Gnorimoschema huffmanellum
Gnorimoschema nr-septentrionella-one
Gnorimoschema nr-septentrionella-one
Gnorimoschema nr-septentrionella-two
Gnorimoschema nr-septentrionella-two
Gnorimoschema salinaris - Hodges#1997
Gnorimoschema salinaris
Gnorimoschema semicyclionella - Hodges#1999
Gnorimoschema semicyclionella
Gnorimoschema serratipalpella - Hodges#2001
Gnorimoschema serratipalpella
Gnorimoschema shepherdiae - Hodges#2001.6
Gnorimoschema shepherdiae
Gnorimoschema subterranea - Hodges#2004
Gnorimoschema subterranea
Gnorimoschema terracottella - Hodges#2005
Gnorimoschema terracottella
Gnorimoschema triocellella - Hodges#2006
Gnorimoschema triocellella
Goat Sallow - Hodges#9881
Homoglaea hircina
Goatweed Leafwing Butterfly
Anaea andria
Goditha bumeliana - Hodges#3400
Goditha bumeliana
Gold Moth
Basilodes pepita
Gold-banded Cydosia - Hodges#8999
Cydosia aurivitta
Gold-costa Skipper - Hodges#3924
Cogia caicus
Gold-hunter's Hairstreak - Hodges#4286
Satyrium auretorum
Gold-lined Melanomma Moth - Hodges#8412
Melanomma auricinctaria
Gold-spotted Aguna - Hodges#3876
Aguna asander
Gold-stripe Grass-veneer - Hodges#5419
Microcrambus biguttellus
Goldcap Moss-eater Moth
Epimartyria auricrinella
Golden Borer Moth - Hodges#9464
Papaipema cerina
Golden Hairstreak - Hodges#4267
Habrodais grunus
Golden Looper - Hodges#8885
Argyrogramma verruca
Golden-banded Skipper - Hodges#3902
Autochton cellus
Golden-headed Scallopwing - Hodges#3930
Staphylus ceos
Goldenrod Hooded Owlet Moth
Cucullia asteroides
Goldenrod Leaf Miner - Hodges#0723
Cremastobombycia solidaginis
Goldenrod Stowaway
Cirrhophanus triangulifer
Gondysia similis - Hodges#8725
Gondysia similis
Goniapteryx servia - Hodges#8544
Goniapteryx servia
Gonodes liquida - Hodges#9687
Gonodes liquida
Gonodonta bidens - Hodges#8542.1
Gonodonta bidens
Gonodonta incurva - Hodges#8542
Gonodonta incurva
Gonodonta nitidimacula - Hodges#8542.3
Gonodonta nitidimacula
Gonodonta pyrgo - Hodges#8539
Gonodonta pyrgo
Gonodonta sicheas - Hodges#8537
Gonodonta sicheas
Gonodonta unica - Hodges#8541
Gonodonta unica
Goodson's Greenstreak - Hodges#4309
Cyanophrys goodsoni
Gopher Tortoise Moth - Hodges#0414
Ceratophaga vicinella
Gorgon Copper - Hodges#4255
Lycaena gorgon
Gorgone Checkerspot - Hodges#4489
Chlosyne gorgone
Goya stictella - Hodges#6073
Goya stictella
Graceful Grass-veneer Moth - Hodges#5450
Parapediasia decorellus
Gracile Palpita Moth
Palpita atrisquamalis
Granite Moth
Macaria granitata
Granitose Fern Moth - Hodges#9632
Callopistria granitosa
Grape Leaffolder
Desmia funeralis
Grape Plume Moth
Geina periscelidactylus
Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
Harrisina americana
Grapevine Epimenis Moth
Psychomorpha epimenis
Grapholita caeruleana - Hodges#3431
Ephippiphora caeruleana
Grapholita conversana - Hodges#3435
Ephippiphora conversana
Grapholita edwardsiana - Hodges#3440
Grapholita edwardsiana
Grapholita hieroglyphana - Hodges#3441.1
Grapholita hieroglyphana
Grapholita imitativa - Hodges#3436
Ephippiphora imitativa
Grapholita thermopsidis - Hodges#3438.2
Ephippiphora thermopsidis
Gray Copper Butterfly
Lycaena dione
Gray Hairstreak Butterfly
Strymon melinus
Gray Looper Moth - Hodges#8895
Rachiplusia ou
Gray Marble - Hodges#4208
Anthocharis lanceolata
Gray Marvel - Hodges#9284
Anterastria teratophora
Gray Ministreak Butterfly
Ministrymon azia
Gray Rough-wing Moth - Hodges#3552
Acleris scabrana
Gray Sallow - Hodges#10013
Psaphida grandis
Gray Scoopwing Moth
Callizzia amorata
Gray Spring Moth
Lomographa glomeraria
Gray Spring Zale - Hodges#8702
Zale submediana
Gray-banded Zale Moth - Hodges#8700
Zale squamularis
Gray-blotched Epiblema - Hodges#3192
Epiblema carolinana
Gray-edged Hypena
Hypena madefactalis
Gray-patched Prominent Moth
Dasylophia thyatiroides
Grayish Zanclognatha Moth
Zanclognatha pedipilalis
Greasewood Silkmoth - Hodges#7754.1
Agapema anona
Great Arctic - Hodges#4604
Oeneis nevadensis
Great Ash Sphinx Moth
Sphinx chersis
Great Basin Wood-Nymph Butterfly
Cercyonis sthenele
Great Copper - Hodges#4253
Lycaena xanthoides
Great Mormon
Papilio agenor
Great Purple Hairstreak
Atlides halesus
Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele
Great Tiger Moth
Arctia caja
Greater Grapevine Looper
Eulithis gracilineata
Greater Oak Dagger
Acronicta lobeliae
Greater Red Dart - Hodges#11029
Abagrotis alternata
Green Arches
Anaplectoides prasina
Green Cloverworm Moth
Hypena scabra
Green Comma Butterfly
Polygonia faunus
Green Cutworm Moth
Anicla infecta
Green Hemlock Needleminer Moth - Hodges#1789
Coleotechnites apicitripunctella
Green Leuconycta
Leuconytca diphteroides
Green Marvel - Hodges#9281
Acronicta fallax
Green Oslaria - Hodges#9791
Oslaria viridifera
Green Pug Moth
Pasiphila rectangulata
Green Skipper - Hodges#4028
Hesperia viridis
Green-dusted Zale - Hodges#8694
Zale aeruginosa
Greenish Blue - Hodges#4376
Plebejus saepiolus
Gretchena concitatricana - Hodges#3268
Gretchena concitatricana
Gretchena concubitana - Hodges#3260
Gretchena concubitana
Gretchena dulciana - Hodges#3262
Gretchena dulciana