These are the different types of butterflies:
Contents
Regal Fritillary Butterflies
- Scientific name: Speyeria idalia
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Kingdom: Animalia
The Regal Fritillary butterfly is an orange butterfly that has black borders on its wings with white dots. The interior of the wing is mostly orange with black dots and markings. Regal fritillary females are usually larger than males.
Monarch Butterflies
- Scientific name: Danaus plexippus
- Species: D. plexippus
- Genus: Danaus
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Life span: 2 to 6 weeks
Monarch Butterflies have red-orange wings that have vein-like black patterns. Their wings look like stained glass. The borders of the wings are black borders with white specks.
Pearl Crescent Butterflies
- Scientific name: Phyciodes tharos
- Species: P. tharos
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Phyciodes
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Kingdom: Animalia
Pearl Crescent butterflies have red and brown wings that have crescent-shaped white markings on the outer edges. These butterflies like feeding on the nectar of aster flowers. They also lay their eggs on asters, and their young caterpillars feed on the leaves of the aster.
Viceroy Butterflies
- Scientific name: Limenitis archippus
- Higher classification: Admirals
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Rank: Species
- Symbol of: Kentucky
Viceroy butterflies look like monarch butterflies as they have the same pattern with their dark orange coloring and black veins. Viceroy butterflies even have a series of white spots along their wing edges. However, a viceroy has a black line crossing the postmedian hindwing. Viceroys are also smaller than monarchs.
Acadian Hairstreak Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Lycaenidae
- Genus: Satyrium
- Species: S. acadica
Acadian Hairstreak butterflies have gray undersides and brown-gray uppersides. Each hindwing also has a tail with a speck of orange, blue, and white coloring.
Pine Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Pieridae
- Genus: Neophasia
- Species: N. menapia
The upper side of the Pine Butterfly’s forewing has a mostly all-white cell and a black band along the costal margin. The underside of the hindwing has black veins. Female pine butterflies look similar to males but are usually duller; and their hindwings often have red edges, tinged with yellow.
Comma Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Polygonia
- Species: P. c-album
Comma butterflies have ragged wings. Their underwings are mottled brown with a white mark that resembles a comma. The upper wings are orange, brown, and white with brown-tinged wingtips.
Map Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Araschnia
- Species: A. levana
Map butterflies have a variety of spots, some whitish subapical and distomarginal spots on the forewing and a row of blue bars near the distal margin of the hindwing.
Moorland Clouded Yellow Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Pieridae
- Genus: Colias
- Species: C. palaeno
Moorland Clouded Yellow butterflies are usually of a lemon yellow to a pale yellow color outlined with black (sometimes a pinkish-purple) borders.
Piedmont Ringlet Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Erebia
- Species: E. meolans
Piedmont Ringlet butterflies have dark brown to black upper wings with red post-discal bands. It’s an alpine butterfly (found in the Alps).
Arctic Fritillary Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Boloria
- Species: B. chariclea
Arctic Fritillary butterflies are typically dark orange with black spots, chevron markings, and bars.
Northern Blue Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Lycaenidae
- Genus: Plebejus
- Species: P. idas
Nothern Blue male butterflies have a shimmering blue upperside wing while the female upperside is white-gray with brown and orange spots. The hindwing has small black dots that mark the outer edges. They are also known as the Idas Blue butterfly.
Creamy Marblewing Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Pieridae
- Genus: Euchloe
- Species: E. ausonides
Creamy Marblewing butterflies have a one-inch wingspan with an underside that is usually marble-cream and green in color.
Falcate Orangetip Butterflies
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Anthocharis
Species: A. midea
Falcate Orangetip Butterflies are quite small and have a hooked wing. The males have orange markings, but the females do not.
Red Admiral Butterflies
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Vanessa
- Species: V. atalanta
Red Admiral Butterflies are identifiable by their black forewings that are marked with red bars and white spots. The underside of their hindwings has brown and black patterns.
Green Hairstreak Butterflies
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Callophrys
Species: C. rubi
Green Hairstreak Butterflies are small and very rare. These butterflies are still found in two of their original habitats in San Francisco, Golden Gate Heights and Presidio’s coastal bluffs and dunes.
Sleepy Orange Butterflies
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Eurema
Species: E. nicippe
The Sleepy Orange Butterfly’s upper wings are bright orange with black borders. The colors vary depending on the season. In the summer, the butterflies are a deep butter color, but in colder months they range from tan to brick red.
Palos Verdes Blue
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Glaucopsyche
Species: G. lygdamus
Subspecies: G. l. palosverdesensis
Blue Morpho Butterfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species: M. peleides
Western Tiger Swallowtail
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Papilionidae
- Genus: Papilio
- Species: P. rutulus
Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Papilionidae
- Genus: Papilio
- Species: P. multicaudata
Black Swallowtail
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Papilionidae
- Genus: Papilio
- Species: P. polyxenes
- Lifespan: about 10 to 12 days
Queen
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Danaus
- Species: D. gilippus
Weidemeyer’s Admiral
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Limenitis
- Species: L. weidemeyerii
California Sister
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Adelpha
- Species: A. bredowii
Canyonland Satyr
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Genus: Cyllopsis
- Species: C. pertepida
What Are The Most Common Butterflies?
Identification of Common Butterflies:
- Wester Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
- Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
- Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes coloro)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- Queen (Danaus gilippus)
- Weidemyer’s Admiral (Basilarchia weidemeyerii)
- California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
- Canyonland Satyr (Cyllopsis Pertepida)
What Are Common Butterfly Names?
| Family | Common name | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Hedylidae | American moth-butterflies | Small, brown, like geometrid moths; antennae not clubbed; long slim abdomen |
| Hesperiidae | Skippers | Small, darting flight; clubs on antennae hooked backward. |
| Lycaenidae | Blues, coppers, hairstreaks | Small, brightly colored; often have false heads with eyespots and small tails resembling antennae. |
| Nymphalidae | Brush-footed or four-footed butterflies | Usually have reduced forelegs, so appear four-legged; often brightly colored. |
| Papilionidae | Swallowtails | Often have ‘tails’ on wings; caterpillar generates foul taste with osmeterium organ; pupa supported by a silk girdle. |
| Pieridae | Whites and allies | Often have ‘tails’ on wings; caterpillar generates foul taste with osmeterium organ; pupa supported by a silk girdle. |
| Riodinidae | Metalmarks | Often have metallic spots on wings; often conspicuously colored with black, orange, and blue. |
What Is The Rarest Butterfly?
The Palos Verdes Blue is the rarest butterfly in the world. Presumed extinct until 1994, when researchers discovered a population in San Pedro, California.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Glaucopsyche
Species: G. lygdamus
Subspecies: G. l. palosverdesensis
What Is The Most Beautiful Butterfly?
The most beautiful butterflies are the Blue Morpho Butterflies. Their wings are bright blue and have lacy black edges, the result of light reflecting off microscopic scales on the back of their wings.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species: M. peleides
References:
- Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change On Grassland Butterflies – A Study
- Grassland and Heathland – Butterfly Conservation
- Regal fritillary – Wikipedia
- ADW: Speyeria idalia: INFORMATION – Animal Diversity
- Monarch butterfly – Wikipedia – Wikipedia
- Monarch Butterfly FAQs – US Forest Service – USA Butterflies
- BugInfo Butterflies in the United States – Smithsonian
- AZ of butterflies (in the UK) – Butterfly Conservation
- AZ of European butterflies (in Europe) – Butterfly Conservation
- Pearl crescent – Wikipedia
- Pearl Crescent Butterfly
- Viceroy (butterfly) – Wikipedia
- Viceroy Butterfly – Limenitis archippus – NatureWorks
- Monarch or Viceroy? – Journey To The North
- Butterflies – British Animals – A piece on Woodland Butterflies
- Woodland butterflies – Wildlife Trusts
- Satyrium acadica – Wikipedia – Wikipedia
- Neophasia menapia – Wikipedia
- Pine White Neophasia menapia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1859)
- Polygonia c-album – Wikipedia
- Map (butterfly) – Wikipedia
- Colias palaeno – Wikipedia
- Moorland Clouded Yellow, Colias palaeno – Butterflies – NatureGate
- Erebia meolans on euroButterflies by Matt Rowlings
- Boloria chariclea – Wikipedia
- Plebejus idas – Wikipedia
- Euchloe ausonides – Wikipedia
- Coastal Butterflies & Host Plants – PDF Document
- Anthocharis midea – Wikipedia
- Falcate Orangetip – Alabama Butterfly Atlas
- Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) – Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_hairstreak – Wikipedia
- Green Hairstreak – Callophrys rubi – UK Butterflies
- Eurema nicippe – Wikipedia
- Sleepy Orange – Alabama Butterfly Atlas
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palos_Verdes_blue
- 23 Stunningly Beautiful and Rare Butterflies
- Species Profile: Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpho_peleides
- Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus
- Two-tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudata WF Kirby, 1884
- Black swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes – Wisconsin Horticulture
- Queen – Florida’s Wildflowers & Butterflies
- Western admiral – Weidemeyer’s admiral – butterfly
- California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
- Activate Disney+ and Learn more by watching Wings of Life (Disney Documentary)