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)
Nedra stewarti - Hodges#9583
Nedra stewarti
Negalasa rubralis - Hodges#5551.1
Negalasa rubralis
Neleucania praegracilis - Hodges#10613
Neleucania praegracilis
Nemapogon angulifasciella - Hodges#0262
Nemapogon angulifasciella
Nemapogon geniculatella - Hodges#0265
Nemapogon geniculatella
Nemapogon interstitiella - Hodges#0267
Nemapogon interstitiella
Nemapogon molybdanella - Hodges#0268
Nemapogon molybdanella
Nemapogon ophrionella - Hodges#0270
Nemapogon ophrionella
Nemapogon rileyi - Hodges#0272
Nemapogon rileyi
Nemapogon variatella - Hodges#0275
Nemapogon variatella
Nemeris speciosa - Hodges#6876
Nemeris speciosa
Nemeris sternitzkyi - Hodges#6876.2
Nemeris sternitzkyi
Nemoria albaria - Hodges#7026
Nemoria albaria
Nemoria albilineata - Hodges#7044.1
Nemoria albilineata
Nemoria caerulescens - Hodges#7042
Nemoria caerulescens
Nemoria catachloa - Hodges#7031
Nemoria catachloa
Nemoria diamesa - Hodges#7025
Nemoria diamesa
Nemoria extremaria - Hodges#7028
Nemoria extremaria
Nemoria festaria - Hodges#7044
Nemoria festaria
Nemoria intensaria - Hodges#7043
Nemoria intensaria
Nemoria latirosaria - Hodges#7019
Nemoria latirosaria
Nemoria leptalea - Hodges#7041
Nemoria leptalea
Nemoria rindgei - Hodges#7050
Nemoria rindgei
Nemoria strigataria - Hodges#7039
Nemoria strigataria
Nemoria tuscarora - Hodges#7030
Nemoria tuscarora
Neocaloreas leucobasis - Hodges#2641
Neocaloreas leucobasis
Neochoreutis epicharis - Hodges#2652.1
Neochoreutis epicharis
Neococytius cluentius - Hodges#7774
Neococytius cluentius
Neocrania bifasciata - Hodges#0014
Neocrania bifasciata
Neodactria cochisensis - Hodges#5383.4
Neodactria cochisensis
Neodactria zeellus - Hodges#5380
Neodactria zeellus
Neodactylota egena - Hodges#1907
Neodactylota egena
Neodactylota liguritrix - Hodges#1908
Neodactylota liguritrix
Neodavisia melusina - Hodges#5536.1
Neodavisia melusina
Neodavisia singularis - Hodges#5536
Neodavisia singularis
Neofaculta taigana - Hodges#2126
Neofaculta taigana
Neogrotella confusa - Hodges#11231
Neogrotella confusa
Neoheliodines albidentus - Hodges#2502.2
Neoheliodines albidentus
Neoheliodines arizonense - Hodges#2502.3
Neoheliodines arizonense
Neoheliodines hodgesi - Hodges#2502.5
Neoheliodines hodgesi
Neoheliodines nyctaginella - Hodges#2502
Neoheliodines nyctaginella
Neohelvibotys arizonensis - Hodges#4978
Neohelvibotys arizonensis
Neohelvibotys neohelvialis - Hodges#4977
Neohelvibotys neohelvialis
Neoilliberis arizonica - Hodges#4634.2
Neoilliberis arizonica
Neoilliberis fusca - Hodges#4635
Neoilliberis fusca
Neoilliberis kendalli - Hodges#4634.1
Neoilliberis kendalli
Neoligia albirena - Hodges#9413.4
Neoligia albirena
Neoligia atlantica - Hodges#9411.2
Neoligia atlantica
Neoligia canadensis - Hodges#9411.1
Neoligia canadensis
Neoligia elephas - Hodges#9413.3
Neoligia elephas
Neoligia inermis - Hodges#9412.1
Neoligia inermis
Neoligia lillooet - Hodges#9413.6
Neoligia lillooet
Neoligia rubirena - Hodges#9413.1
Neoligia rubirena
Neoligia semicana - Hodges#9411
Neoligia semicana
Neoligia subjuncta - Hodges#9412
Neoligia subjuncta
Neoligia surdirena - Hodges#9412.4
Neoligia surdirena
Neopalpa donaldtrumpi - Hodges#2053.71
Neopalpa donaldtrumpi
Neopanthea apanthea - Hodges#9183.1
Neopanthea apanthea
Neoplynes eudora - Hodges#8101
Neoplynes eudora
Neoprocris floridana - Hodges#4631.2
Neoprocris floridana
Neotelphusa praefixa - Hodges#1865
Neotelphusa praefixa
Neoterpes trianguliferata - Hodges#6860
Neoterpes trianguliferata
Neotuerta sabulosa - Hodges#9305.2
Neotuerta sabulosa
Nephelodes carminata - Hodges#10528
Nephelodes carminata
Nephelodes demaculata - Hodges#10525
Nephelodes demaculata
Nepheloleuca floridata - Hodges#6986
Nepheloleuca floridata
Nepheloleuca politia - Hodges#6985
Nepheloleuca politia
Nephrogramma separata - Hodges#4858
Nephrogramma separata
Nepterotaea dorotheata - Hodges#6525
Nepterotaea dorotheata
Nepterotaea marjorae - Hodges#6523
Nepterotaea marjorae
Nepterotaea memoriata - Hodges#6527
Nepterotaea memoriata
Nepterotaea obliviscata - Hodges#6528
Nepterotaea obliviscata
Nepytia lagunata - Hodges#6904
Nepytia lagunata
Nepytia regulata - Hodges#6900
Nepytia regulata
Nepytia swetti - Hodges#6905
Nepytia swetti
Nessus Sphinx Moth
Amphion floridensis
Neurobathra bohartiella - Hodges#0662
Neurobathra bohartiella
Neurobathra strigifinitella - Hodges#0663
Neurobathra strigifinitella
Neurolipa randiella - Hodges#0659
Neurolipa randiella
Neurostrota gunniella - Hodges#0646
Neurostrota gunniella
Nevada Buck Moth
Hemileuca nevadensis
Nevada Skipper - Hodges#4035
Hesperia nevada
Nevada Tiger Moth
Apantesis nevadensis
New-genus-near-neurobathra new-species
New-genus-near-neurobathra new-species
New-genus-on-chrysobalanus new-species-on-chrysobalanus
New-genus-on-chrysobalanus new-species
Niasoma metallicana - Hodges#3694
Niasoma metallicana
Niconiades victoria
Niconiades victoria
Night-wandering Dagger Moth - Hodges#9259
Acronicta noctivaga
Nigrita Bagworm Moth - Hodges#0441
Cryptothelea nigrita
Nites atrocapitella - Hodges#0943
Nites atrocapitella
Nites maculatella - Hodges#0945
Nites maculatella
Nocloa cordova - Hodges#9796
Nocloa cordova
Nocloa duplicatus - Hodges#9801
Nocloa duplicatus
Nocloa nanata - Hodges#9797
Nocloa nanata
Nocloa plagiata - Hodges#9793
Nocloa plagiata
Noctueliopsis atascaderalis - Hodges#4833
Noctueliopsis atascaderalis
Noctueliopsis brunnealis - Hodges#4830
Noctueliopsis brunnealis
Noctueliopsis pandoralis - Hodges#4835
Noctueliopsis pandoralis
Nokomis Fritillary - Hodges#4453
Speyeria nokomis
Nola lagunculariae - Hodges#8997
Nola lagunculariae