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)
Hemina Pinion Moth
Lithophane hemina
Hemioslaria pima - Hodges#9824
Hemioslaria pima
Hemiplatytes parallela - Hodges#5509
Hemiplatytes parallela
Hemiplatytes prosenes - Hodges#5508
Hemiplatytes prosenes
Hemlock Angle - Hodges#6348
Macaria fissinotata
Henricus cognata - Hodges#3794
Henricus cognata
Henricus comes - Hodges#3795
Henricus comes
Henricus fuscodorsana - Hodges#3798
Henricus fuscodorsana
Henry's Elfin Butterfly
Callophrys henrici
Hepburn's Metalmark - Hodges#4404
Apodemia hepburni
Hera Buck Moth
Hemileuca hera
Herald Moth
Scoliopteryx libatrix
Hereford's Eupithecia - Hodges#7509
Eupithecia herefordaria
Hermes Copper - Hodges#4265
Lycaena hermes
Herminocala stigmaphiles - Hodges#8564
Herminocala stigmaphiles
Hermit Skipper - Hodges#3940
Grais stigmaticus
Herpetogramma abdominalis Moth
Herpetogramma abdominalis
Herpetogramma fraxinalis - Hodges#5277.2
Herpetogramma fraxinalis
Herpetogramma nymphalis - Hodges#5279.2
Herpetogramma nymphalis
Herpetogramma theseusalis - Hodges#5279
Herpetogramma theseusalis
Herreshoffia gracea - Hodges#7418
Herreshoffia gracea
Hesperis Fritillary Butterfly
Speyeria hesperis
Heterocampa amanda - Hodges#7992
Heterocampa amanda
Heterocampa astarte - Hodges#7977
Heterocampa astarte
Heterocampa averna - Hodges#7991
Heterocampa averna
Heterocampa rufinans - Hodges#7980
Heterocampa rufinans
Hexorthodes agrotiformis - Hodges#10596
Hexorthodes agrotiformis
Hexorthodes catalina - Hodges#10603
Hexorthodes catalina
Hexorthodes citeria - Hodges#10603.1
Hexorthodes citeria
Hexorthodes emendata - Hodges#10603.2
Hexorthodes emendata
Hexorthodes inconspicua - Hodges#10593
Hexorthodes inconspicua
Hexorthodes jocosa
Hexorthodes jocosa
Hexorthodes tuana - Hodges#10285
Hexorthodes tuana
Hibiscus Leaf Caterpillar Moth
Rusicada privata
Hickory Hairstreak
Satyrium caryaevorus
Hickory Leafstem Borer - Hodges#5673
Acrobasis angusella
Hickory Shoot Moth - Hodges#5686
Acrobasis caryivorella
Hickory Tussock Moth
Lophocampa caryae
Hidden-ray Skipper
Conga chydaea
Hill's Wave Moth - Hodges#7118
Idaea hilliata
Himmacia stratia - Hodges#0949
Himmacia stratia
Himmelman's Plume Moth
Geina tenuidactyla
Hitched Arches
Melanchra adjuncta
Hodges# 5374
Crambus harrisi
Hoffmann's Checkerspot - Hodges#4497
Chlosyne hoffmanni
Holcocera gigantella - Hodges#1185
Holcocera gigantella
Hollow-spotted Blepharomastix
Blepharomastix ranalis
Hollow-spotted Plagodis Moth
Plagodis alcoolaria
Holly Azure - Hodges#4363.5
Celastrina idella
Holly Borer Moth
Synanthedon kathyae
Holly Sallow Moth - Hodges#9945.2
Metaxaglaea violacea
Holochroa dissociarius - Hodges#6773
Holochroa dissociarius
Holocola thalassinana - Hodges#2907.1
Holocola thalassinana
Homaledra howardi - Hodges#1398.01
Homaledra howardi
Homoanarta falcata - Hodges#9614
Homoanarta falcata
Homoanarta peralta - Hodges#9615
Homoanarta peralta
Homocerynea cleoriformis - Hodges#9027
Homocerynea cleoriformis
Homoeosoma ardaloniphas - Hodges#5944.4
Homoeosoma ardaloniphas
Homoeosoma asylonnastes - Hodges#5937.1
Homoeosoma asylonnastes
Homoeosoma parvalbum - Hodges#5938.1
Homoeosoma parvalbum
Homoglaea californica - Hodges#9880
Homoglaea californica
Homoglaea variegata - Hodges#9879
Homoglaea variegata
Homolagoa grotelliformis - Hodges#9043
Homolagoa grotelliformis
Homophoberia australis - Hodges#9056.1
Homophoberia australis
Homorthodes carneola - Hodges#10540
Homorthodes carneola
Homorthodes euxoiformis - Hodges#10598
Homorthodes euxoiformis
Homorthodes flosca - Hodges#10543
Homorthodes flosca
Homorthodes gigantoides - Hodges#10545
Homorthodes gigantoides
Homorthodes perturba - Hodges#10544
Homorthodes perturba
Homorthodes rectiflava - Hodges#10542
Homorthodes rectiflava
Homorthodes reliqua - Hodges#10541
Homorthodes reliqua
Homosetia argentinotella - Hodges#0284
Homosetia argentinotella
Homosetia tricingulatella - Hodges#0295
Homosetia tricingulatella
Honey Locust Moth
Syssphinx bicolor
Honora montinatatella - Hodges#5923
Honora montinatatella
Honora subsciurella - Hodges#5920
Honora subsciurella
Hook-winged tortrix moth - Hodges#3559
Acleris effractana
Hop Stalk Borer Moth - Hodges#9491
Papaipema circumlucens
Hop vine borer moth - Hodges#9513
Hydraecia immanis
Hopeful Dagger Moth - Hodges#9258
Acronicta sperata
Hoplolythrodes arivaca - Hodges#9770
Hoplolythrodes arivaca
Horace's Duskywing
Erynnis horatius
Horama plumipes - Hodges#8288
Horama plumipes
Horisme incana - Hodges#7446
Horisme incana
Horisme rectilineata - Hodges#7447
Horisme rectilineata
Horned Spanworm Moth
Nematocampa resistaria
Horrid Zale - Hodges#8717
Zale horrida
Hoterodes ausonia - Hodges#5209
Hoterodes ausonia
Household Casebearer Moth
Phereoeca uterella
Huachuca Giant-Skipper - Hodges#4135
Agathymus evansi
Hualapai Buckmoth - Hodges#7728
Hemileuca hualapai
Hubbard's Small Silkmoth
Syssphinx hubbardi
Huckleberry Sphinx Moth
Paonias astylus
Hulst's Flower Moth - Hodges#11193
Schinia hulstia
Hulstina nevadaria - Hodges#6543.1
Hulstina nevadaria
Hyalorista taeniolalis - Hodges#5077
Hyalorista taeniolalis
Hyaloscotes coniferella - Hodges#0446
Hyaloscotes coniferella
Hyaloscotes fragmentella - Hodges#0447
Hyaloscotes fragmentella
Hyaloscotes pithopoera - Hodges#0449
Hyaloscotes pithopoera
Hydraecia obliqua - Hodges#9512
Hydraecia obliqua