Butterflies and moths make up a large group of insects known as the Order Lepidoptera. The name derives from the Greek lepido, or scale, and ptera, or wings, and refers to the tiny scales that cover the wings and the rest of the body. Active during the day, butterflies live almost everywhere around the world, from Arctic tundra to tropical rain forests. Moths are active at night. There are more than 15,000 species of butterflies. Most butterflies usually live two to three weeks, but some can live longer.
| Butterfly species | Native to | |
|---|---|---|
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African Moon Moth (Argema mimosae) |
Southern Africa |
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Atala Hairstreak (Eumaeus atala) |
Southern Florida and the Keys, the Bahamas, and Cuba |
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|
Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) |
Southeast Asia |
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Banded Peacock (Papilio palinurus) |
Southeast Asia |
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Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) |
Central to South America |
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|
Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace) |
Afghanistan to the Philippines, and south to Sulawesi, Java, Bali and Timor. It is fairly common in India, Sri Lanka, lowland Nepal, Burma and Thailand. |
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Blue-banded Swallowtail (Papilio nireus) |
Southern Africa and Somalia |
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Chinese Peacock (Papilio bianor) |
Eastern Russia, northeastern India, China, Japan, and Korea |
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Clipper (Parthenos sylvia) |
Asia |
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Clouded Mother of Pearl (Salamis anacardii) |
Sub-Saharan African and Yemen |
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Cloudless Giant Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) |
Argentina to the deep southern United States |
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Common Buckeye (Junonia [Precis] coenia) |
Southern United States and north along the coasts to central California and North Carolina; south to Bermuda, Cuba, and Mexico |
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Common Lacewing (Cethosia biblis) |
Central India, the Philippines, China, and Nepal to Thailand |
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Common Sergeant (Athyma perius) |
Himalayas, India, Burma, Tenasserim, Siam, and the Malay Peninsula |
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Doris Longwing (Heliconius doris) |
Mexico to Bolivia |
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Flame-bordered Charaxes (Charaxes protoclea) |
African forests |
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Ghost Sulphur (Anteos clorinde) |
Argentina to Mexico. Ghost sulphurs can stray into the southwestern United States, up to Colorado. |
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Giant Owl (Caligo memnon) |
Mexico south to Costa Rica |
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Golden Birdwing (Troides rhadamantus) |
The Philippines and Australia |
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Golden Helicon (Heliconius hecale) |
Central America to the Amazon |
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Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina) |
Southeast Asia. Found in parts or New Zealand, Japan, and Australia |
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Great Mormon (Papilio memnon) |
Southeast Asia |
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Great Orange Tip (Hebomoia glaucippe) |
Asia |
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Green-veined Charaxes (Charaxes candiope) |
Sub-Saharan Africa |
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Grey Cracker (Hamadryas feronia) |
Argentina north to Mexico |
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Julia Longwing (Dryas iulia) |
Brazil north through Central America, Mexico, West Indies, peninsular Florida, and southern Texas |
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King Cracker (Hamadryas amphinome) |
Mexico to Peru |
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Large Cruiser (Vindula erota) |
South and Southeast Asia |
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Large Striped Swordtail (Graphium antheus) |
Africa |
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Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane) |
India to Thailand and southern China |
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Magellan Birdwing (Troides magellanus) |
Southeast Asia and Australia |
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Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) |
Brazil through Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, to southern Florida and southern Texas |
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Mexican Sister (Adelpha fessonia) |
Panama north to Mexico. Strays are commonly found in southern Texas, where they are considered native. |
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Mocker Swallowtail (Papilio dardanus) |
Most of sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar |
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus) |
Southern Canada south to Mexico, Hawaii, and Australia |
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Orange-Barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea) |
Brazil north to Florida and the Keys. Occasionally found in southern Texas |
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Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus) |
Sub-Saharan Africa and Southwest Arabia |
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Paper Kite (Idea leuconoe) |
Southeast Asia |
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Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana) |
India and Sri Lanka to the Philippines, and ranges south through the Malay archipelago to Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and Java |
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Pearl Charaxes (Charaxes varanes) |
Africa |
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Pink Rose (Pachliopta kotzebuea) |
The Philippines |
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Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) |
Mexico and the Continental United States, except northwest of Wyoming |
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Rothschild Silkmoth (Rothschildia lebeau) |
South America north through Central America to the southern coast of Texas |
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Sapho Longwing (Heliconius sapho) |
Central America to Ecuador |
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Sara Longwing (Heliconius sara) |
Central and South America |
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Scarlet Mormon (Papilio rumanzovia) |
Southeast Asia and Australia |
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Small Postman (Heliconius erato) |
Brazil north to Mexico; occasionally in southern Texas |
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Snow Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) |
Southern United States to Bolivia and Argentina, including most Caribbean islands |
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Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) |
Eastern half of the United States, south to Florida. Occasionally strays to North Dakota, central Colorado, and Cuba. |
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Starry Night Cracker (Hamadryas laodamia) |
Central and South America, and sporadically in the southern United States. |
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Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon) |
India and Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Queensland, and the Solomon Islands |
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Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas) |
South Texas south to Brazil. Occasionally can be seen in Kansas and Oklahoma. |
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Violet-spotted Charaxes (Charaxes violetta) |
Southern Africa |
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White-barred Charaxes (Charaxes brutus) |
Africa |
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Whitened Bluewing (Myscelia cyaniris) |
Central America |
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Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) |
South America north to Central America, West Indies, Mexico, southern Texas, and parts of Florida |
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