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)
One-eyed Sphinx Moth
Smerinthus cerisyi
One-spotted Variant
Hypagyrtis unipunctata
Oneida grisiella - Hodges#5588.1
Oneida grisiella
Oneida luniferella - Hodges#5589
Oneida luniferella
Operophtera danbyi - Hodges#7439
Operophtera danbyi
Operophtera occidentalis - Hodges#7438
Operophtera occidentalis
Opharus muricolor - Hodges#8225
Opharus muricolor
Opogona arizonensis - Hodges#0431
Opogona arizonensis
Opostegoides scioterma - Hodges#0125
Opostegoides scioterma
Opsigalea ocellata - Hodges#10216.1
Opsigalea ocellata
Opulent Tiger Moth - Hodges#8166.1
Arctia opulenta
Orange Beggar Moth
Eubaphe unicolor
Orange Giant-Skipper - Hodges#4125
Agathymus neumoegeni
Orange Mapwing - Hodges#4438
Hypanartia lethe
Orange Mint Moth
Pyrausta orphisalis
Orange Panopoda - Hodges#8589
Panopoda repanda
Orange Sallow Moth - Hodges#11065
Pyrrhia aurantiago
Orange Skipperling
Copaeodes aurantiaca
Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme
Orange Virbia Moth
Virbia aurantiaca
Orange Wing Moth
Mellilla xanthometata
Orange-Spotted Carpet - Hodges#7188
Dysstroma walkerata
Orange-barred Pixie
Melanis electron
Orange-crescent Groundstreak - Hodges#4352.1
Electrostrymon guzanta
Orange-headed Roadside-Skipper - Hodges#4109
Amblyscirtes phylace
Orange-humped Mapleworm Moth
Symmerista leucitys
Orange-patched Smoky Moth
Pyromorpha dimidiata
Orange-spotted Idia - Hodges#8329
Idia diminuendis
Orange-tipped Oakworm Moth
Anisota senatoria
Orange-tufted Oneida Moth
Oneida lunulalis
Orb Underwing Moth - Hodges#8856
Catocala orba
Orbed Narrow-wing - Hodges#9637.1
Magusa divaricata
Orchard Featherfoot
Stathmopoda horticola
Oreas Comma - Hodges#4428
Polygonia oreas
Oregon Gem - Hodges#11078
Heliothis oregonica
Oregon Wainscot - Hodges#10441.1
Leucania oregona
Orgyia magna - Hodges#8310
Orgyia magna
Orion Cecropian - Hodges#4545
Historis odius
Orizaba Silkmoth - Hodges#7762
Rothschildia orizaba
Ornate Bella Moth
Utetheisa ornatrix
Ornythion Swallowtail - Hodges#4174
Papilio ornythion
Orthodes bolteri - Hodges#10589
Orthodes bolteri
Orthodes furtiva - Hodges#10586
Orthodes furtiva
Orthodes obscura - Hodges#10290
Orthodes obscura
Ortholepis myricella - Hodges#5781
Ortholepis myricella
Orthonama evansi - Hodges#7415
Orthonama evansi
Orthosia annulimacula - Hodges#10497
Orthosia annulimacula
Orthosia arthrolita - Hodges#10489
Orthosia arthrolita
Orthosia erythrolita - Hodges#10477
Orthosia erythrolita
Orthosia flaviannula - Hodges#10496
Orthosia flaviannula
Orthosia mys - Hodges#10481
Orthosia mys
Orthosia pulchella - Hodges#10478
Orthosia pulchella
Orthosia tenuimacula - Hodges#10498
Orthosia tenuimacula
Osca skipper
Rhinton osca
Oslar's Eacles - Hodges#7705
Eacles oslari
Oslar's Roadside-Skipper - Hodges#4094
Amblyscirtes oslari
Osminia bicornicolis - Hodges#2545.2
Osminia bicornicolis
Osmunda Borer - Hodges#9482
Papaipema speciosissima
Ostrinia multispinosa - Hodges#4947.1
Ostrinia multispinosa
Ottoe Skipper - Hodges#4022
Hesperia ottoe
Oval Abrostola Moth
Abrostola ovalis
Oval-based Prominent Moth
Peridea basitriens
Owlet Moth
Psectrotarsia suavis
Oxycilla ondo - Hodges#8409
Oxycilla ondo
Oxycnemis acuna - Hodges#10044
Oxycnemis acuna
Oxycnemis fusimacula - Hodges#10046
Oxycnemis fusimacula
Oystershell Metrea Moth
Cliniodes ostreonalis
Ozamia clarefacta - Hodges#5987.1
Ozamia clarefacta
Ozamia fuscomaculella - Hodges#5987
Ozamia fuscomaculella
Ozarba catilina - Hodges#9032
Ozarba catilina
Ozark Petrophila Moth
Petrophila hodgesi
Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872
Proserpinus lucidus
Packard's Lichen Moth
Cisthene packardii
Packard's Wave Moth
Cyclophora parckardi
Packard's White Flannel Moth - Hodges#4673
Alarodia slossoniae
Packardia albipunctata - Hodges#4658
Packardia albipunctata
Pacuvius Duskywing - Hodges#3955
Erynnis pacuvius
Paectes acutangula - Hodges#8964
Paectes acutangula
Paectes asper - Hodges#8966
Paectes asper
Paectes declinata - Hodges#8961
Paectes declinata
Pahaska Skipper - Hodges#4025
Hesperia pahaska
Painted Crescent - Hodges#4484
Phyciodes picta
Painted Lichen Moth
Hypoprepia fucosa
Painted Tiger Moth
Arachnis picta
Palatka Skipper - Hodges#4071
Euphyes pilatka
Pale Alder Moth - Hodges#6807
Tacparia detersata
Pale Apple Leafroller - Hodges#3247
Pseudexentera mali
Pale Beauty
Campaea perlata
Pale Crescent - Hodges#4487
Phyciodes pallida
Pale Enargia Moth
Enargia decolor
Pale Feathered Bright
Incurvaria pectinea
Pale Green Pinion - Hodges#9905
Lithophane viridipallens
Pale Homochlodes - Hodges#6812
Homochlodes fritillaria
Pale Lichen Moth
Crambidia pallida
Pale Metarranthis
Metarranthis indeclinata
Pale Prominent - Hodges#8014
Ianassa pallida
Pale Sicklewing - Hodges#3939.5
Eantis pallida
Pale Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio eurymedon
Pale-banded Crescent - Hodges#4478.1
Anthanassa tulcis
Pale-edged Selenisa - Hodges#8658
Selenisa sueroides