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)
Hydraecia perobliqua - Hodges#9515
Hydraecia perobliqua
Hydrangea Leaftier - Hodges#2827
Olethreutes ferriferana
Hydrelia brunneifasciata - Hodges#7424
Hydrelia brunneifasciata
Hydrelia condensata - Hodges#7420
Hydrelia condensata
Hydriomena arizonata - Hodges#7242
Hydriomena arizonata
Hydriomena barnesata - Hodges#7265
Hydriomena barnesata
Hydriomena bistriolata - Hodges#7238
Hydriomena bistriolata
Hydriomena bryanti - Hodges#7268
Hydriomena bryanti
Hydriomena californiata - Hodges#7246
Hydriomena californiata
Hydriomena catalinata - Hodges#7259
Hydriomena catalinata
Hydriomena chiricahuata - Hodges#7250
Hydriomena chiricahuata
Hydriomena clarki - Hodges#7269
Hydriomena clarki
Hydriomena cochiseata - Hodges#7262
Hydriomena cochiseata
Hydriomena costipunctata - Hodges#7260
Hydriomena costipunctata
Hydriomena crokeri - Hodges#7247
Hydriomena crokeri
Hydriomena cyriadoides - Hodges#7266
Hydriomena cyriadoides
Hydriomena expurgata - Hodges#7224
Hydriomena expurgata
Hydriomena furculoides - Hodges#7273
Hydriomena furculoides
Hydriomena furtivata - Hodges#7233
Hydriomena furtivata
Hydriomena irata - Hodges#7228
Hydriomena irata
Hydriomena manzanita - Hodges#7277
Hydriomena manzanita
Hydriomena mississippiensis - Hodges#7252
Hydriomena mississippiensis
Hydriomena modestata - Hodges#7251
Hydriomena modestata
Hydriomena morosata - Hodges#7264
Hydriomena morosata
Hydriomena nevadae - Hodges#7245
Hydriomena nevadae
Hydriomena quinquefasciata - Hodges#7258
Hydriomena quinquefasciata
Hydriomena septemberata - Hodges#7256
Hydriomena septemberata
Hydriomena sierrae - Hodges#7244
Hydriomena sierrae
Hydriomena similaris - Hodges#7275
Hydriomena similaris
Hydroeciodes auripurpura - Hodges#10639
Hydroeciodes auripurpura
Hydroeciodes juvenilis - Hodges#10635
Hydroeciodes juvenilis
Hydroeciodes repleta - Hodges#10636
Hydroeciodes repleta
Hydroeciodes serrata - Hodges#10637
Hydroeciodes serrata
Hylesia coinopus - Hodges#7750
Hylesia coinopus
Hymenomima umbellularia - Hodges#6617.5
Hymenomima umbellularia
Hyparpax minor - Hodges#8024
Hyparpax minor
Hyparpax venus - Hodges#8023
Hyparpax venus
Hypatopa sagitella - Hodges#1152
Hypatopa sagitella
Hypatopa simplicella - Hodges#1151.1
Hypatopa simplicella
Hypena appalachiensis - Hodges#8447.1
Hypena appalachiensis
Hypena degesalis - Hodges#8459
Hypena degesalis
Hypena heuloa - Hodges#8449
Hypena heuloa
Hypena lividalis - Hodges#8456
Hypena lividalis
Hypena porrectalis - Hodges#8460
Hypena porrectalis
Hypena subidalis - Hodges#8448.1
Hypena subidalis
Hypena vega - Hodges#8451
Hypena vega
Hypena vetustalis - Hodges#8454.1
Hypena vetustalis
Hypenodes palustris - Hodges#8422
Hypenodes palustris
Hypenodes sombrus - Hodges#8423
Hypenodes sombrus
Hypenopsis calusa - Hodges#8431.1
Hypenopsis calusa
Hypenopsis sonora - Hodges#8431.2
Hypenopsis sonora
Hypenula caminalis - Hodges#8377
Hypenula caminalis
Hyperstrotia aetheria - Hodges#9036
Hyperstrotia aetheria
Hypocoena inquinata - Hodges#9437
Hypocoena inquinata
Hypocrisias minima - Hodges#8201
Hypocrisias minima
Hypomecis longipectinaria - Hodges#6439.1
Hypomecis longipectinaria
Hypoplesia busckiella - Hodges#0320
Hypoplesia busckiella
Hypopta palmata - Hodges#2656
Hypopta palmata
Hypotrix basistriga - Hodges#10620.2
Hypotrix basistriga
Hypotrix lactomellis - Hodges#10600.1
Hypotrix lactomellis
Hypotrix parallela - Hodges#10616
Hypotrix parallela
Hypotrix rubra - Hodges#10616.1
Hypotrix rubra
Hypotrix spinosa - Hodges#10620
Hypotrix spinosa
Hyppa brunneicrista - Hodges#9580
Hyppa brunneicrista
Hyppa contrasta - Hodges#9579
Hyppa contrasta
Hyppa indistincta - Hodges#9581
Hyppa indistincta
Hypsopygia cohortalis - Hodges#5528
Hypsopygia cohortalis
Hypsopygia planalis - Hodges#5525
Hypsopygia planalis
Hyptiharpa baboquavariana - Hodges#3855
Hyptiharpa baboquavariana
Hyssia degenerans - Hodges#10597.1
Hyssia degenerans
Hystrichophora ochreicostana - Hodges#3396
Hystrichophora ochreicostana
Hystrichophora vestaliana - Hodges#3399
Hystrichophora vestaliana
Ianassa diablo - Hodges#8018.2
Ianassa diablo
Ianassa paradisus - Hodges#8019
Ianassa paradisus
Ianassa perangulata - Hodges#8016
Ianassa perangulata
Ianassa wagneri - Hodges#8015.2
Ianassa wagneri
Ianius mosca - Hodges#8611
Ianius mosca
Idaea celtima - Hodges#7109
Idaea celtima
Idaea elizabetharia - Hodges#7111.3
Idaea elizabetharia
Idaea eremiata - Hodges#7115
Idaea eremiata
Idaea insulensis - Hodges#7106
Idaea insulensis
Idaea micropterata - Hodges#7119
Idaea micropterata
Idaea minuta - Hodges#7101
Idaea minuta
Idaea nibseata - Hodges#7103
Idaea nibseata
Idaea occidentaria - Hodges#7117
Idaea occidentaria
Idaea retractaria - Hodges#7124
Idaea retractaria
Idaea rotundopennata - Hodges#7125
Idaea rotundopennata
Idaea skinnerata - Hodges#7111
Idaea skinnerata
Idaea violacearia - Hodges#7120
Idaea violacearia
Idia immaculalis - Hodges#8337
Idia immaculalis
Idia laurentii - Hodges#8331
Idia laurentii
Idia occidentalis - Hodges#8334.1
Idia occidentalis
Idia parvulalis - Hodges#8335
Idia parvulalis
Idia suffusalis - Hodges#8325
Idia suffusalis
Ignorant Apamea - Hodges#9362
Apamea indocilis
Ilavia Hairstreak - Hodges#4332
Satyrium ilavia
Ilia Underwing
Catocala ilia
Imitator Wave - Hodges#7151
Scopula aemulata
Imperial Moth
Eacles imperialis
Implicit Arches
Lacinipolia implicata