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)
Lacinipolia gnata - Hodges#10375
Lacinipolia gnata
Lacinipolia marinitincta - Hodges#10412
Lacinipolia marinitincta
Lacinipolia naevia - Hodges#10381
Lacinipolia naevia
Lacinipolia palilis - Hodges#10383
Lacinipolia palilis
Lacinipolia parvula - Hodges#10424
Lacinipolia parvula
Lacinipolia rectilinea - Hodges#10409
Lacinipolia rectilinea
Lacinipolia rodora - Hodges#10406.7
Lacinipolia rodora
Lacinipolia runica - Hodges#10418
Lacinipolia runica
Lacinipolia sharonae - Hodges#10406.3
Lacinipolia sharonae
Lacinipolia tricornuta - Hodges#10417
Lacinipolia tricornuta
Lacinipolia umbrosa - Hodges#10379
Lacinipolia umbrosa
Lacinipolia vittula - Hodges#10380
Lacinipolia vittula
Lacosoma arizonicum - Hodges#7660
Lacosoma arizonicum
Lacosoma elassa - Hodges#7661
Lacosoma elassa
Lacuna Moth - Hodges#2826
Olethreutes lacunanum
Laetilia dilatifasciella - Hodges#5949.1
Laetilia dilatifasciella
Laetilia ephestiella - Hodges#5952
Laetilia ephestiella
Laetilia fiskeella - Hodges#5953
Laetilia fiskeella
Laetilia myersella - Hodges#5951
Laetilia myersella
Lagoa immaculata - Hodges#4641
Megalopyge immaculata
Lambdina flavilinearia - Hodges#6890
Lambdina flavilinearia
Lampronia russatella - Hodges#0175
Lampronia russatella
Lampronia sublustris - Hodges#0185
Lampronia sublustris
Lamprosema baracoalis - Hodges#5105.1
Lamprosema baracoalis
Lamprosema canacealis - Hodges#5105.2
Lamprosema canacealis
Lamprosema sinaloanensis - Hodges#5105
Lamprosema sinaloanensis
Lamprosema victoriae - Hodges#5104
Lamprosema victoriae
Landryia matutella - Hodges#1662.1
Landryia matutella
Landryia reducta - Hodges#1674
Landryia reducta
Lantana Leaftier - Hodges#5287
Orphanostigma haemorrhoidalis
Lantana Stick Moth - Hodges#10032
Neogalea sunia
Larch Needleworm - Hodges#3241
Zeiraphera improbana
Larch Pug Moth - Hodges#7543
Eupithecia annulata
Large Dark Cosmet
Mompha conturbatella
Large Hypena - Hodges#8452
Hypena edictalis
Large Hypenodes - Hodges#8420
Hypenodes caducus
Large Lace-border Moth
Scopula limboundata
Large Maple Spanworm Moth
Prochoerodes lineola
Large Mossy Lithacodia
Protodeltote muscosula
Large Necklace Moth
Hypsoropha monilis
Large Purplish Gray Moth
Iridopsis vellivolata
Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda
Large Yellow Underwing Moth
Noctua pronuba
Lascoria alucitalis - Hodges#8395
Lascoria alucitalis
Lascoria orneodalis - Hodges#8396
Lascoria orneodalis
Lasionycta benjamini - Hodges#10359
Lasionycta benjamini
Lasionycta caesia - Hodges#10346.2
Lasionycta caesia
Lasionycta coloradensis - Hodges#10337
Lasionycta coloradensis
Lasionycta luteola - Hodges#10342
Lasionycta luteola
Lasionycta phoca - Hodges#10341
Lasionycta phoca
Lasionycta poca - Hodges#10348
Lasionycta poca
Lasionycta secedens - Hodges#10315
Lasionycta secedens
Lasionycta silacea - Hodges#10345.2
Lasionycta silacea
Lasionycta subfuscula - Hodges#10358
Lasionycta subfuscula
Laudable Arches
Lacinipolia laudabilis
Laurel Sphinx
Sphinx kalmiae
Laviana White-Skipper - Hodges#3972
Heliopetes laviana
Leaf Crumpler Moth - Hodges#5651
Acrobasis indigenella
Leatherleaf Fern Borer Moth - Hodges#4741
Undulambia polystichalis
Lechuguilla Giant Skipper - Hodges#4136
Agathymus mariae
Leconte's Haploa
Haploa lecontei
Lepidomys irrenosa - Hodges#5550
Lepidomys irrenosa
Leptosteges flavicostella - Hodges#5301
Leptosteges flavicostella
Leptosteges parthenialis - Hodges#5303
Leptosteges parthenialis
Leptosteges sordidalis - Hodges#5305
Leptosteges sordidalis
Leptosteges vestaliella - Hodges#5306
Leptosteges vestaliella
Lesmone aenaria - Hodges#8651.1
Lesmone aenaria
Lesmone formularis - Hodges#8655
Lesmone formularis
Lesmone fufius - Hodges#8652
Lesmone fufius
Lesmone hinna - Hodges#8653
Lesmone hinna
Lesser Bud Moth - Hodges#1783
Recurvaria nanella
Lesser Canna Leafroller Moth - Hodges#5126
Geshna cannalis
Lesser Grapevine Looper
Eulithis diversilineata
Lesser Loblolly Pineconeworm Moth - Hodges#5863.5
Dioryctria taedivorella
Lesser Maple Leaf Blotch Miner - Hodges#0765
Phyllonorycter lucidicostella
Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth
Speranza pustularia
Lesser Mulberry Snout Moth - Hodges#5197
Glyphodes pyloalis
Lesser Viburnum Clearwing Moth - Hodges#2555
Synanthedon fatifera
Lethal Pyrausta Moth - Hodges#5027
Pyrausta lethalis
Letispe metanemaria - Hodges#6325
Letispe metanemaria
Lettered Sphinx
Deidamia inscriptum
Leucania anteroclara - Hodges#10442
Leucania anteroclara
Leucania calidior - Hodges#10460
Leucania calidior
Leucania dia - Hodges#10449.1
Leucania dia
Leucania extincta - Hodges#10439
Leucania extincta
Leucania farcta - Hodges#10441
Leucania farcta
Leucania imperfecta - Hodges#10452
Leucania imperfecta
Leucania infatuans - Hodges#10457
Leucania infatuans
Leucania oaxacana - Hodges#10451
Leucania oaxacana
Leucania pilipalpis - Hodges#10463
Leucania pilipalpis
Leucania senescens - Hodges#10455.1
Leucania senescens
Leucanopsis perdentata - Hodges#8217.1
Leucanopsis perdentata
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella - Hodges#0700
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella
Leucanthiza dircella - Hodges#0701
Leucanthiza dircella
Leucocnemis variabilis - Hodges#10052
Leucocnemis variabilis
Leucogoniella californica - Hodges#1848
Leucogoniella californica
Leucogoniella distincta - Hodges#1849
Leucogoniella distincta
Leucoptera erythrinella - Hodges#0477
Leucoptera erythrinella
Leucoptera pachystimella - Hodges#0480
Leucoptera pachystimella
Leucoptera robiniella - Hodges#0481
Leucoptera robiniella