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)
North America Polygon
Polygonus arizonensis
Northern Apple Sphinx
Sphinx poecila
Northern Broken-Dash - Hodges#4047
Polites egeremet
Northern Checkerspot
Chlosyne palla
Northern Cloudywing - Hodges#3910
Thorybes pylades
Northern Crescent Butterfly
Phyciodes coctya
Northern Ermel
Atemelia torquatella
Northern Eudeilinia Moth
Eudeilinia herminiata
Northern Flower Moth - Hodges#11110
Schinia septentrionalis
Northern Giant Flag Moth
Dysschema howardi
Northern Linen Wainscot - Hodges#10440.1
Leucania amygdalina
Northern Metalmark - Hodges#4387
Calephelis borealis
Northern Pearly-eye
Lethe anthedon
Northern Pine Looper - Hodges#6864
Caripeta piniata
Northern Pine Tussock Moth - Hodges#8304
Dasychira plagiata
Northern Pitch Twig Moth - Hodges#2892
Retinia albicapitana
Northern Scurfy Quaker Moth - Hodges#10532
Homorthodes furfurata
Northern Selenia - Hodges#6817
Selenia alciphearia
Northern White-Skipper
Heliopetes ericetorum
Notela jaliscana - Hodges#7960
Notela jaliscana
Notioplusia Moth - Hodges#8894
Notioplusia illustrata
Notocelia purpurissatana - Hodges#3209
Notocelia purpurissatana
Notodonta torva - Hodges#7928
Notodonta torva
Nudorthodes molino - Hodges#10561.1
Nudorthodes molino
Numia terebintharia - Hodges#6699
Numia terebintharia
Nychioptera basipallida - Hodges#8406
Nychioptera basipallida
Nychioptera opada - Hodges#8487
Nychioptera opada
Nycteola columbiana - Hodges#8976
Nycteola columbiana
Nycthia yuccatana - Hodges#3853
Nycthia yuccatana
Nyridela xanthocera - Hodges#8285.2
Nyridela xanthocera
Nysa Roadside Skipper
Amblyscirtes nysa
Nystalea indiana - Hodges#7945
Nystalea indiana
Oak Bent-wing
Bucculatrix ulmella
Oak Besma
Besma quercivoraria
Oak Leafroller
Argyrotaenia quercifoliana
Oak Trumpet Skeletonizer - Hodges#3333
Catastega timidella
Oak Webworm - Hodges#3655
Archips fervidana
Oak-ribbed Skeletonizer - Hodges#0550
Bucculatrix albertiella
Oblique Brocade Moth - Hodges#9401
Xylomoia indirecta
Oblique Grass Moth - Hodges#9819
Amolita obliqua
Oblique Heterocampa Moth
Heterocampa obliqua
Obrima pyraloides - Hodges#8565.1
Obrima pyraloides
Obtuse Euchlaena Moth
Euchlaena obtusaria
Obtuse Yellow
Azenia obtusa
Occidentalia comptulatalis - Hodges#5474
Occidentalia comptulatalis
Occult Sphinx - Hodges#7777
Manduca occulta
Ocherous Skipper
Lerema ochrius
Ochromolopis ramapoella - Hodges#2334
Ochromolopis ramapoella
Ocnerostoma piniariella - Hodges#2409
Ocnerostoma piniariella
Ocnerostoma strobivorum - Hodges#2410
Ocnerostoma strobivorum
Odontoptila obrimo - Hodges#7130
Odontoptila obrimo
Oecophora bractella - Hodges#1069.1
Oecophora bractella
Ofatulena luminosa - Hodges#3445
Ofatulena luminosa
Ogdoconta fergusoni - Hodges#9724.2
Ogdoconta fergusoni
Ogdoconta rufipenna - Hodges#9724.1
Ogdoconta rufipenna
Ogdoconta satana - Hodges#9723.1
Ogdoconta satana
Ohoopee Inchworm Moth - Hodges#6420.1
Narraga georgiana
Oiketicus toumeyi - Hodges#0452
Oiketicus toumeyi
Oiketicus townsendi - Hodges#0453
Oiketicus townsendi
Okefenokee Zale Moth - Hodges#8718
Zale perculta
Okra Leafworm Moth - Hodges#8551
Anomis illita
Oldwife Underwing
Catocala palaeogama
Oleander Hawk Moth
Daphnis nerii
Oleander sphinx moth - Hodges#7835
Erinnyis oenotrus
Olethreutes atrodentana - Hodges#2785
Olethreutes atrodentana
Olethreutes baccatanum - Hodges#2813
Olethreutes baccatanum
Olethreutes brunneopurpurata - Hodges#2807
Olethreutes brunneopurpurata
Olethreutes buckellana - Hodges#2858
Olethreutes buckellana
Olethreutes carolana - Hodges#2845
Olethreutes carolana
Olethreutes clavana - Hodges#2799
Olethreutes clavana
Olethreutes comandranum - Hodges#2777
Olethreutes comandranum
Olethreutes deprecatoria - Hodges#2844
Olethreutes deprecatoria
Olethreutes devotana - Hodges#2857
Olethreutes devotana
Olethreutes electrofuscum - Hodges#2781
Olethreutes electrofuscum
Olethreutes ferrugineanum - Hodges#2808
Olethreutes ferrugineanum
Olethreutes footiana - Hodges#2784
Olethreutes footiana
Olethreutes malana - Hodges#2820
Olethreutes malana
Olethreutes mediopartitum - Hodges#2790
Olethreutes mediopartitum
Olethreutes melanomesum - Hodges#2811
Olethreutes melanomesum
Olethreutes merrickana - Hodges#2803
Olethreutes merrickana
Olethreutes nitidana - Hodges#2775
Olethreutes nitidana
Olethreutes osmundana - Hodges#2829
Olethreutes osmundana
Olethreutes punctanum - Hodges#2786
Olethreutes punctanum
Olethreutes schulziana - Hodges#2850
Olethreutes schulziana
Olethreutes trinitana - Hodges#2849
Olethreutes trinitana
Olethreutes troglodanum - Hodges#2824
Olethreutes troglodanum
Olethreutes versicolorana - Hodges#2814
Olethreutes versicolorana
Olethreutes viburnanum - Hodges#2801
Olethreutes viburnanum
Oligia tusa - Hodges#9405
Oligia tusa
Oligia violacea - Hodges#9414
Oligia violacea
Oligocentria delicata - Hodges#8020
Oligocentria delicata
Oligostigmoides cryptalis - Hodges#4766
Oligostigmoides cryptalis
Olivaceous Pelochrista - Hodges#3168.1
Pelochrista olivacea
Olive Angle Shades - Hodges#9546
Phlogophora iris
Olive Arta Moth - Hodges#5568
Arta olivalis
Olive Moth
Prays oleae
Olive-shaded Bird-dropping Moth
Ponometia candefacta
Olybria aliculella - Hodges#5768
Olybria aliculella
Omiodes simialis - Hodges#5211
Omiodes simialis
Ommatochila Moth - Hodges#8489
Ommatochila mundula