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)
Miodera eureka - Hodges#10624
Miodera eureka
Miracavira brillians - Hodges#9620
Miracavira brillians
Miranda Moth - Hodges#9647
Proxenus miranda
Mirificarma eburnella - Hodges#2208
Mirificarma eburnella
Mniotype ducta - Hodges#9987
Mniotype ducta
Mniotype pallescens - Hodges#9983
Mniotype pallescens
Mniotype tenera - Hodges#9988
Mniotype tenera
Modest Sphinx Moth
Pachysphinx modesta
Mojave Giant Skipper - Hodges#4144
Agathymus alliae
Mojave Sootywing - Hodges#3979
Hesperopsis libya
Mojavia achemonalis - Hodges#4839
Mojavia achemonalis
Mojaviodes blanchardae - Hodges#4840
Mojaviodes blanchardae
Mompha achlyognoma - Hodges#1423.1
Mompha achlyognoma
Mompha albapalpella - Hodges#1423
Mompha albapalpella
Mompha annulata - Hodges#1425
Mompha annulata
Mompha argentimaculella - Hodges#1426
Mompha argentimaculella
Mompha capella - Hodges#1432
Mompha capella
Mompha cleidarotrypa - Hodges#1435.1
Mompha cleidarotrypa
Mompha edithella - Hodges#1442
Mompha edithella
Mompha idaei - Hodges#1457
Mompha idaei
Mompha locupletella - Hodges#1444.1
Mompha locupletella
Mompha luciferella - Hodges#1445
Mompha luciferella
Mompha passerella - Hodges#1450
Mompha passerella
Mompha rufocristatella - Hodges#1453
Mompha rufocristatella
Mompha sexstrigella - Hodges#1454
Mompha sexstrigella
Mompha solomoni - Hodges#1454.2
Mompha solomoni
Mompha stellella - Hodges#1455
Mompha stellella
Mompha sturnipennella - Hodges#1448.1
Mompha sturnipennella
Mompha terminella - Hodges#1456
Mompha terminella
Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
(c) bookfinch, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Monochroa fragariae - Hodges#1711
Monochroa fragariae
Monochroa gilvolinella - Hodges#1710
Monochroa gilvolinella
Monochroa harrisonella - Hodges#1712
Monochroa harrisonella
Monochroa placidella - Hodges#1715
Monochroa placidella
Monochroa pullusella - Hodges#1757
Monochroa pullusella
Monochroa quinquepunctella - Hodges#1716
Monochroa quinquepunctella
Monoleuca erectifascia - Hodges#4689
Monoleuca erectifascia
Monoleuca subdentosa - Hodges#4693
Monoleuca subdentosa
Monoptilota pergratialis - Hodges#5736
Monoptilota pergratialis
Montescardia fuscofasciella - Hodges#0310
Montescardia fuscofasciella
Moon-marked Skipper - Hodges#4082
Atrytonopsis lunus
Moonseed Moth
Plusiodonta compressipalpis
Morbid Owlet Moth
Chytolita morbidalis
Mormon Fritillary - Hodges#4461
Speyeria mormonia
Mormon Metalmark Butterfly
Apodemia mormo
Morning-glory Plume Moth
Emmelina monodactyla
Morning-glory Prominent
Schizura ipomaeae
Morophagoides berkeleyella - Hodges#0313
Morophagoides berkeleyella
Morpheis clenchi - Hodges#2700.1
Morpheis clenchi
Morrison's Skipper - Hodges#4017
Stinga morrisoni
Morrisonia mucens - Hodges#10519
Morrisonia mucens
Moss's Elfin - Hodges#4323.1
Callophrys mossii
Mottled Grass-Veneer Moth
Neodactria luteolellus
Mottled Gray Carpet Moth
Cladara limitaria
Mottled Oak Woodling - Hodges#10510
Egira februalis
Mottled Prominent Moth
Macrurocampa marthesia
Motya abseuzalis - Hodges#8981
Motya abseuzalis
Mount Shasta Plume Moth - Hodges#6133
Paraplatyptilia shastae
Mountain Beauty - Hodges#8949
Syngrapha ignea
Mountain Checkered-Skipper - Hodges#3964
Pyrgus xanthus
Mountain Fritillary - Hodges#4462
Boloria alaskensis
Mountain Girdle - Hodges#7006
Enypia griseata
Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak - Hodges#4287
Satyrium tetra
Mountain Pineconeworm Moth - Hodges#5863.6
Dioryctria yatesi
Identification: Determined by Brian G. Scholtens .
Mouralia tinctoides - Hodges#8884
Mouralia tinctoides
Mournful Duskywing - Hodges#3953
Erynnis tristis
Mournful Sphinx Moth
Enyo lugubris
Mournful Thyris Moth
Thryis sepulchralis
Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Nymphalis anitopa
Mulberry Leaftier Moth
Glyphodes sibillalis
Mulberry Wing - Hodges#4058
Poanes massasoit
Multicolored Sedgeminer - Hodges#9427
Meropleon diversicolor
Mursa phtisialis - Hodges#8477.2
Mursa phtisialis
Muscosa Sphinx - Hodges#7781
Manduca muscosa
Mycterophora geometriformis - Hodges#8416
Mycterophora geometriformis
Mycterophora monticola - Hodges#8414
Mycterophora monticola
Mycterophora rubricans - Hodges#8417
Mycterophora rubricans
Mylitta Crescent - Hodges#4488
Phyciodes mylitta
Mysterious Olethreutes - Hodges#2799.1
Olethreutes mysteriana
Nabokov's Satyr - Hodges#4570
Cyllopsis pyracmon
Nacopa melanderi - Hodges#9828
Nacopa melanderi
Nadata anastomosa - Hodges#7915.1
Nadata anastomosa
Naera fuscocristatella - Hodges#1767
Naera fuscocristatella
Nais Metalmark Butterfly
Apodemia nais
Nais Tiger Moth
Apantesis nais
Nanina Oak-Slug Moth - Hodges#4697.1
Euclea nanina
Nantucket Pine Tip Moth - Hodges#2882
Rhyacionia frustrana
Narthecophora pulverea - Hodges#9731
Narthecophora pulverea
Nason's Slug
Natada nasoni
Nasusina inferior - Hodges#7606
Nasusina inferior
Nasusina mendicata - Hodges#7608
Nasusina mendicata
Nasusina minuta - Hodges#7609
Nasusina minuta
Nasusina vallis - Hodges#7606.1
Nasusina vallis
Nasusina vaporata - Hodges#7607
Nasusina vaporata
Natada lacipea - Hodges#4651.1
Natada lacipea
Natazhati Fritillary - Hodges#4471.1
Boloria natazhati
Nealyda bifidella - Hodges#1681
Nealyda bifidella
Nealyda kinzelella - Hodges#1682
Nealyda kinzelella
Nealyda phytolaccae
Nealyda phytolaccae
Nedra hoeffleri - Hodges#9585
Nedra hoeffleri