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)
Gretchena semialba - Hodges#3267
Gretchena semialba
Greya powelli - Hodges#0193.1
Greya powelli
Greya punctiferella - Hodges#0189
Greya punctiferella
Greya reticulatus - Hodges#0193
Greya reticulatus
Greya solenobiella - Hodges#0192
Greya solenobiella
Greya suffusca - Hodges#0192.1
Greya suffusca
Greya variata - Hodges#0190
Greya variata
Greylined Featherfoot
Stathmopoda plumbiflua
Grizzled Skipper - Hodges#3962
Pyrgus centaureae
Grossbeckia semimaculata - Hodges#7283
Grossbeckia semimaculata
Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867
Cautethia grotei
Grotella binda - Hodges#11221
Grotella binda
Grotella blanca - Hodges#11216
Grotella blanca
Grotella blanchardi - Hodges#11229
Grotella blanchardi
Grotella margueritaria - Hodges#11224
Grotella margueritaria
Grotella olivacea - Hodges#11226
Grotella olivacea
Grotella parvipuncta - Hodges#11218
Grotella parvipuncta
Grotella septempunctata - Hodges#11213
Grotella septempunctata
Grotella stretchi - Hodges#11219
Grotella stretchi
Grotella vagans - Hodges#11220
Grotella vagans
Groundsel Plume Moth - Hodges#6210
Hellinsia balanotes
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
Agraulis vanilliae
Gulf Scalloped Moth - Hodges#8553
Anomis editrix
Gymnandrosoma desotanum - Hodges#3496
Gymnandrosoma desotanum
Gymnandrosoma punctidiscanum - Hodges#3495
Gymnandrosoma punctidiscanum
Gynnidomorpha romonana - Hodges#3793
Gynnidomorpha romonana
Gypsonoma adjuncta - Hodges#3229
Gypsonoma adjuncta
Gypsonoma fasciolana - Hodges#3223
Gypsonoma fasciolana
Gypsonoma parryana - Hodges#3225
Gypsonoma parryana
Gypsonoma substitutionis - Hodges#3227
Gypsonoma substitutionis
Gypsy Moth
Lymantria dispar
Habeck's Plume Moth - Hodges#6202.1
Hellinsia habecki
Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis
Hadena amabilis - Hodges#10319
Hadena amabilis
Hadena circumvadis - Hodges#10322
Hadena circumvadis
Hadena lafontainei - Hodges#10317.1
Hadena lafontainei
Hadena maccabei - Hodges#10323.1
Hadena maccabei
Hadena siskiyou - Hodges#10323.3
Hadena siskiyou
Hadena variolata - Hodges#10326
Hadena variolata
Haematomis uniformis - Hodges#8093
Haematomis uniformis
Hag Moth
Phobetron pithecium
Hagen's Sphinx Moth
Ceratomia hageni
Hahncappsia coloradensis - Hodges#4970
Hahncappsia coloradensis
Hahncappsia mancalis - Hodges#4967
Hahncappsia mancalis
Hahncappsia neomarculenta - Hodges#4963
Hahncappsia neomarculenta
Hahncappsia pseudobliteralis - Hodges#4964
Hahncappsia pseudobliteralis
Hahncappsia ramsdenalis - Hodges#4971
Hahncappsia ramsdenalis
Haimbachia arizonensis - Hodges#5483
Haimbachia arizonensis
Haimbachia diminutalis - Hodges#5491
Haimbachia diminutalis
Haimbachia floridalis - Hodges#5487
Haimbachia floridalis
Haimbachia indistinctalis - Hodges#5485
Haimbachia indistinctalis
Harnessed Tiger Moth
Apantesis phalerata
Harris' Three-spot Moth
Harrisimemna trisignata
Harris's Checkerspot - Hodges#4491
Chlosyne harrisii
Harrow moth - Hodges#10101
Sympistis occata
Hayden's Ringlet - Hodges#4581
Coenonympha haydenii
Hayhurst's Scallopwing - Hodges#3932
Staphylus hayhurstii
Hebrew Sonia Moth - Hodges#3218.1
Sonia paraplesiana
Hecebolus skipper - Hodges#4120
Panoquina hecebolus
Hecla Sulphur - Hodges#4214
Colias hecla
Heinrichiessa sanpetella - Hodges#6018.2
Heinrichiessa sanpetella
Identification: Determined by Brian G. Scholtens .
Heliades huachucalis - Hodges#5574.1
Heliades huachucalis
Heliades lindae - Hodges#5574.2
Heliades lindae
Heliocheilus julia - Hodges#11075
Heliocheilus julia
Heliocheilus toralis - Hodges#11076
Heliocheilus toralis
Heliolonche carolus - Hodges#11208
Heliolonche carolus
Heliolonche celeris - Hodges#11209
Heliolonche celeris
Heliolonche joaquinensis - Hodges#11210.1
Heliolonche joaquinensis
Heliolonche modicella - Hodges#11207
Heliolonche modicella
Heliothelopsis costipunctalis - Hodges#4842
Heliothelopsis costipunctalis
Heliothelopsis unicoloralis - Hodges#4843
Heliothelopsis unicoloralis
Heliothis borealis - Hodges#11081
Heliothis borealis
Heliothodes diminutiva - Hodges#11058
Heliothodes diminutiva
Heliozela aesella - Hodges#0230
Heliozela aesella
Hellinsia angustus - Hodges#6206
Hellinsia angustus
Hellinsia arion - Hodges#6232
Hellinsia arion
Hellinsia poulini
Hellinsia poulini
Hellinsia stramineus - Hodges#6205
Hellinsia stramineus
Helvibotys freemani - Hodges#4982
Helvibotys freemani
Helvibotys pseudohelvialis - Hodges#4981
Helvibotys pseudohelvialis
Hemaris aethra - Hodges#7855.2
Hemaris aethra
Hemeroblemma mexicana - Hodges#8645.1
Hemeroblemma mexicana
Hemeroblemma opigena - Hodges#8645
Hemeroblemma opigena
Hemerophila Moth - Hodges#2655
Hemerophila diva
Hemeroplanis historialis - Hodges#8472
Hemeroplanis historialis
Hemeroplanis immaculalis - Hodges#8476
Hemeroplanis immaculalis
Hemeroplanis punitalis - Hodges#8468
Hemeroplanis punitalis
Hemeroplanis reversalis - Hodges#8470
Hemeroplanis reversalis
Hemeroplanis trilineosa - Hodges#8477.1
Hemeroplanis trilineosa
Hemibryomima chryselectra - Hodges#9597
Hemibryomima chryselectra
Hemigrotella argenteostriata - Hodges#11230
Hemigrotella argenteostriata
Hemileuca burnsi - Hodges#7737
Hemileuca burnsi
Hemileuca electra - Hodges#7736
Hemileuca electra
Hemileuca magnifica - Hodges#7742
Hemileuca magnifica
Hemileuca neumoegeni - Hodges#7738
Hemileuca neumoegeni
Hemileuca nuttalli - Hodges#7743
Hemileuca nuttalli
Hemileuca oliviae - Hodges#7729
Hemileuca oliviae
Hemileuca stonei - Hodges#7744.5
Hemileuca stonei
Hemileuca tricolor - Hodges#7727
Hemileuca tricolor
Hemimorina dissociata - Hodges#6775
Hemimorina dissociata