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)
Luke-warm Pinion Moth - Hodges#9909
Lithophane tepida
Luna Moth
Actias luna
(c) Aidan Fern, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Lunate Zale Moth
Zale lunata
Lupine Blue Butterfly
Plebejus lupini
Lupine Borer Moth - Hodges#2686
Comadia bertholdi
Lupine Ghost Moth - Hodges#0035
Phymatopus californicus
Lustrous Copper - Hodges#4252
Lycaena cupreus
Lycomorpha grotei - Hodges#8083
Lycomorpha grotei
Lycomorpha regulus - Hodges#8084
Lycomorpha regulus
Lycomorphodes sordida - Hodges#8093.2
Lycomorphodes sordida
Lygephila victoria - Hodges#8563
Lygephila victoria
Lygropia plumbicostalis - Hodges#5249
Lygropia plumbicostalis
Lyside Sulphur Butterfly
Kricogonia lyside
Lythrodes venatus - Hodges#9733
Lythrodes venatus
Lytrosis sinuosa - Hodges#6721
Lytrosis sinuosa
MacNeill's Sootywing - Hodges#3981
Hesperopsis gracielae
Macaria benigna - Hodges#6309
Macaria benigna
Macaria confederata - Hodges#6295
Macaria confederata
Macaria marcescaria - Hodges#6323
Macaria marcescaria
Macaria plumosata - Hodges#6296
Macaria plumosata
Macaria prunosata - Hodges#6299.2
Macaria prunosata
Macaria quadrilinearia - Hodges#6288
Macaria quadrilinearia
Macaria sanfordi - Hodges#6337
Macaria sanfordi
Macaria schatzeata - Hodges#6310
Macaria schatzeata
Macaria umbriferata - Hodges#6293
Macaria umbriferata
Macculloch's Forester - Hodges#9321
Androloma maccullochii
Macoun's Arctic - Hodges#4605
Oeneis macounii
Macramé Moth - Hodges#2771
Phaecasiophora confixana
Macristis bilinealis - Hodges#8402
Macristis bilinealis
Macristis geminipunctalis - Hodges#8402.1
Macristis geminipunctalis
Macristis schausi - Hodges#8403
Macristis schausi
Macrochilo santerivalis - Hodges#8359.1
Macrochilo santerivalis
Macrorrhinia dryadella - Hodges#5914
Macrorrhinia dryadella
Macrorrhinia parvulella - Hodges#5911
Macrorrhinia parvulella
Macrosaccus coursetiae - Hodges#0773.1
Macrosaccus coursetiae
Macrosaccus morrisella - Hodges#0773
Macrosaccus morrisella
Macrosaccus neomexicanus - Hodges#0790.1
Macrosaccus neomexicanus
Macrosaccus uhlerella - Hodges#0801
Macrosaccus uhlerella
Macrurocampa alpina - Hodges#7973
Macrurocampa alpina
Macrurocampa miranda - Hodges#7976.1
Macrurocampa miranda
Macrurocampa zayasi - Hodges#7997
Macrurocampa zayasi
Madoryx pseudothyreus - Hodges#7843
Madoryx pseudothyreus
Magdalen Underwing Moth
Catocala illecta
Magdalena Alpine - Hodges#4594
Erebia magdalena
Magnificent Highflier - Hodges#7270
Hydriomena magnificata
Mahogany Shoot-borer - Hodges#5705
Hypsipyla grandella
Mahogany Webworm Moth - Hodges#5575
Macalla thyrsisalis
Malachite Butterfly
Siproeta stelenes
Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak Butterfly
Strymon istapa
Mamestra configurata - Hodges#10271
Mamestra configurata
Manduca florestan - Hodges#7782
Manduca florestan
Manduca lanuginosa - Hodges#7779.1
Manduca lanuginosa
Manfreda Giant-Skipper - Hodges#4152
Stallingsia maculosus
Mangrove Skipper
Phocides pigmalion
Mantled Acrobasis Moth - Hodges#5659
Acrobasis palliolella
Manto Tussock Moth
Dasychira manto
Manuel’s Skipper - Hodges#3873
Polygonus savigny
Many-spotted Scoparia - Hodges#4719
Scoparia basalis
Many-spotted Skipperling - Hodges#3986.1
Piruna aea
Many-spotted Tiger Moth
Hypercompe permaculata
Maple Leafblotch Miner - Hodges#0803
Cameraria aceriella
Identification: Specimen identified by DNA. (BOLD)
Maple Leaftier Moth - Hodges#2703
Episimus tyrius
Maple Looper Moth
Parallelia bistriaris
Maple Spanworm Moth
Ennomos magnaria
Maple Webworm Moth
Pococera asperatella
Marathyssa nr-inficita
Marathyssa nr-inficita
Marble Dagger Moth - Hodges#9256
Acronicta marmorata
Marbled Wave - Hodges#6428
Orthofidonia tinctaria
Marbled-green Leuconycta
Leuconycta lepidula
Mardon Skipper
Polites mardon
Margarita Skipper - Hodges#4086.1
Atrytonopsis margarita
Margined White
Pieris marginalis
Maricopa lativittella - Hodges#5915
Maricopa lativittella
Marilopteryx carancahua - Hodges#10633.1
Marilopteryx carancahua
Marilopteryx lutina - Hodges#10633
Marilopteryx lutina
Marimatha piscimala - Hodges#9045.1
Marimatha piscimala
Marimatha tripuncta - Hodges#9045
Marimatha tripuncta
Marine Blue Butterfly
Leptotes marina
Maritime Sunflower Borer - Hodges#9500
Papaipema maritima
Marius Hairstreak - Hodges#4296
Rekoa marius
Marmara apocynella - Hodges#0702
Marmara apocynella
Marmara elotella - Hodges#0707
Marmara elotella
Marmara fraxinicola - Hodges#0709
Marmara fraxinicola
Marmara opuntiella - Hodges#0713
Marmara opuntiella
Marmara salictella - Hodges#0716
Marmara salictella
Marmara serotinella - Hodges#0717
Marmara serotinella
Marmara smilacisella - Hodges#0718
Marmara smilacisella
Marmara viburnella - Hodges#0718.3
Marmara viburnella
Martial Scrub Hairstreak - Hodges#4340
Strymon martialis
Masked Leafroller - Hodges#3542
Acleris flavivittana
Massala obvertens - Hodges#8586
Massala obvertens
Master's Dart Moth
Feltia herilis
Mather’s Giant Cane Borer - Hodges#9464.2
Papaipema matheri
Mathildana flipria - Hodges#1060
Mathildana flipria
Matigramma adoceta - Hodges#8680.3
Matigramma adoceta
Matigramma inopinata - Hodges#8680.1
Matigramma inopinata
Mayapple borer moth - Hodges#9484
Papaipema rutila
Mazans Scallopwing - Hodges#3931
Staphylus mazans
McDunnough's Pero - Hodges#6758
Pero macdunnoughi
Mea skinnerella - Hodges#0306
Mea skinnerella