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)
Ligdia wagneri
Ligdia wagneri
Light Carpet Moth - Hodges#7419
Hydrelia lucata
Light Marathyssa Moth
Marathyssa basalis
Light-ribboned Wave - Hodges#7180
Leptostales ferruminaria
Lincoln's Underwing - Hodges#8860
Catocala lincolnana
Lindera tessellatella - Hodges#0429
Lindera tessellatella
Lindsey's Skipper
Hesperia lindseyi
Lined Ruby Tiger Moth - Hodges#8157
Phragmatobia lineata
Lineodes interrupta - Hodges#5108
Lineodes interrupta
Lineostriastiria biundulalis - Hodges#9760
Lineostriastiria biundulalis
Lineostriastiria sexseriata - Hodges#9759
Lineostriastiria sexseriata
Lipocosma adelalis - Hodges#4883
Lipocosma adelalis
Lipocosma polingi - Hodges#4887
Lipocosma polingi
Lipocosma sicalis - Hodges#4881
Lipocosma sicalis
Lipographis fenestrella - Hodges#5886
Lipographis fenestrella
Lipographis truncatella - Hodges#5888
Lipographis truncatella
Lipographis umbrella - Hodges#5889
Lipographis umbrella
Lithacodia n. sp.
Lithacodia undescribed
Lithariapteryx abroniaeella - Hodges#2510
Lithariapteryx abroniaeella
Lithariapteryx jubarella - Hodges#2511
Lithariapteryx jubarella
Litholomia napaea - Hodges#9884
Litholomia napaea
Lithomoia germana - Hodges#9878
Lithomoia germana
Lithophane atara - Hodges#9924
Lithophane atara
Lithophane boogeri - Hodges#9898.1
Lithophane boogeri
Lithophane dilatocula - Hodges#9923
Lithophane dilatocula
Lithophane gausapata - Hodges#9896
Lithophane gausapata
Lithophane joannis - Hodges#9893.2
Lithophane joannis
Lithophane leeae - Hodges#9923.1
Lithophane leeae
Lithophane lepida - Hodges#9925
Lithophane lepida
Lithophane pertorrida - Hodges#9912
Lithophane pertorrida
Lithophane scottae - Hodges#9904.1
Lithophane scottae
Lithophane subtilis - Hodges#9900
Lithophane subtilis
Lithophane tarda - Hodges#9918
Lithophane tarda
Lithophane torrida - Hodges#9911
Lithophane torrida
Lithostege deserticola - Hodges#7633
Lithostege deserticola
Lithostege marcata - Hodges#7630
Lithostege marcata
Lithostege rotundata - Hodges#7628
Lithostege rotundata
Litocala Moth - Hodges#8597
Litocala sexsignata
Litodonta hydromeli - Hodges#7968
Litodonta hydromeli
Litodonta troubridgei - Hodges#7968.1
Litodonta troubridgei
Litoprosopus confligens - Hodges#8559
Litoprosopus confligens
Litoprosopus linea - Hodges#8556.2
Litoprosopus linea
Little Bent-wing
Leucoptera lotella
Little Cloud - Hodges#3354
Ancylis nubeculana
Little Dancer Metalmark
Riodina lysippoides
Little Glassywing - Hodges#4048
Vernia verna
Little Underwing - Hodges#8874
Catocala minuta
Little White Lichen Moth
Clemensia albata
Little Wood-Satyr
Megisto cymela
Little Yellow Sulphur
Pyrisitia lisa
Live Oak Metria Moth - Hodges#8666
Metria amella
Lobesia carduana - Hodges#2728
Paralobesia carduana
Loblolly Pine Coneworm - Hodges#5854.1
Dioryctria merkeli
Lobocleta griseata - Hodges#7099
Lobocleta griseata
Lobocleta lanceolata - Hodges#7098
Lobocleta lanceolata
Lobocleta quaesitata - Hodges#7096
Lobocleta quaesitata
Locust Leafroller Moth - Hodges#5796
Sciota subcaesiella
Locust Twig Borer Moth - Hodges#3497
Ecdytolopha insiticiana
Lodgepole pinecone borer moth - Hodges#3071
Eucopina rescissoriana
Long-Horned Owlet - Hodges#8376
Hypenula cacuminalis
Long-beaked Donacaula - Hodges#5319
Donacaula longirostrallus
Long-horned Slug Moth
Adoneta bicaudata
Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus
Long-winged Dagger Moth - Hodges#9264
Acronicta longa
Lophocampa bicolor - Hodges#8211.1
Lophocampa bicolor
Lophocampa indistincta - Hodges#8215
Lophocampa indistincta
Lophocampa ingens - Hodges#8208
Lophocampa ingens
Lophocampa mixta - Hodges#8212
Lophocampa mixta
Lophocampa pura - Hodges#8213
Lophocampa pura
Lophocampa roseata - Hodges#8206
Lophocampa roseata
Lophocampa significans - Hodges#8207
Lophocampa significans
Lophocampa sobrina - Hodges#8210
Lophocampa sobrina
Lorita baccharivora - Hodges#3802
Lorita baccharivora
Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini
Lotus Hairstreak Butterfly
Callophrys dumetorum
Loxocrambus canellus - Hodges#5427
Loxocrambus canellus
Loxocrambus coloradellus - Hodges#5387
Loxocrambus coloradellus
Loxocrambus hospition - Hodges#5436
Loxocrambus hospition
Loxomorpha cambogialis - Hodges#5154
Loxomorpha cambogialis
Loxomorpha flavidissimalis - Hodges#5155
Loxomorpha flavidissimalis
Loxostege albiceralis - Hodges#4993
Loxostege albiceralis
Loxostege brunneitincta - Hodges#5013
Loxostege brunneitincta
Loxostege ephippialis - Hodges#5011
Loxostege ephippialis
Loxostege immerens - Hodges#5008
Loxostege immerens
Loxostege indentalis - Hodges#4996
Loxostege indentalis
Loxostege kearfottalis - Hodges#4997
Loxostege kearfottalis
Loxostege oberthuralis - Hodges#5002
Loxostege oberthuralis
Loxostege offumalis - Hodges#5014
Loxostege offumalis
Loxostege quaestoralis - Hodges#5009
Loxostege quaestoralis
Loxostege sierralis - Hodges#5015
Loxostege sierralis
Loxostege thallophilalis - Hodges#5012
Loxostege thallophilalis
Loxostegopsis curialis - Hodges#5119
Loxostegopsis curialis
Loxostegopsis emigralis - Hodges#5118
Loxostegopsis emigralis
Loxostegopsis polle - Hodges#5115
Loxostegopsis polle
Lozotaenia costinotana - Hodges#3674.1
Lozotaenia costinotana
Lozotaenia exomilana - Hodges#3674.2
Lozotaenia exomilana
Lozotaenia rindgei - Hodges#3674
Lozotaenia rindgei
Lucerne Moth
Nomophila nearctica
Lucia Azure - Hodges#4363.1
Celastrina lucia
Luciana Underwing - Hodges#8808
Catocala luciana