Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1514 Species Recorded in Missouri

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Missouri.

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

See more recent sightings in Missouri

Northern Eudeilinea
Eudeilinia herminiata

Observed: May 11, 2026

Submitted by: jkarthei

Verified: May 14, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: May 13, 2026

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: May 13, 2026

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Grote's Sallow
Copivaleria grotei

Observed: May 02, 2026

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: May 06, 2026

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus

Observed: May 02, 2026

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: May 06, 2026

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Ashen Pinion
Lithophane antennata

Observed: May 02, 2026

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: May 06, 2026

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Hagen's sphinx
Ceratomia hageni

Observed: Apr 21, 2026

Submitted by: MCrowell16

Verified: Apr 21, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Observed: Apr 05, 2026

Submitted by: jkarthei

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Observed: Apr 05, 2026

Submitted by: jkarthei

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Observed: Apr 05, 2026

Submitted by: jkarthei

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Observed: Apr 05, 2026

Submitted by: jkarthei

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Observed: Apr 05, 2026

Submitted by: jkarthei

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemus	Upperside is reddish to yellowish brown; forewing margin is usually lighter than the basal area; forewing submarginal line is pink, or black and pink. Clear oval eyespots are ringed with yellow, blue, and black; hindwing eyespot is separated from the basal area of the wing by a thin pink line. Underside has rust, brown, and pink markings.
Luna moth Actias luna	Hindwings have long curving tails. Wings are pale green, each with a transparent eyespot. Outer margins are pink in the southern spring brood, yellow in the southern summer brood and in northern populations.
Imperial moth Eacles imperialis	Females are larger than males. Upperside is yellow with pinkish brown to purple-brown patches, bands, and cell spots, and tiny brown spots scattered overall. Males have larger patches on the forewings than females, except for some subspecies pini males which have reduced purple and are mostly yellow.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus	Male is yellow with dark tiger stripes. Female has 2 forms: one yellow like the male and the other black with shadows of dark stripes. Hindwing of both female forms has a row of striking blue chevrons and an iridescent blue wash over parts of the interior hindwing. The upperside hindwing has a prominent orange marginal spot that is generally larger than the row of pale marginal spots. On the underside of forewing of spring individuals the row of marginal spots may be merged into a continuous band, thus appearing similar to the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.
Monarch Danaus plexippus	Upperside of male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins; hindwing has a patch of scent scales. Upperside of female is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a Mullerian mimic; it has similar coloration and is also distasteful.
Virginia creeper sphinx Darapsa myron	Forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an olive tint. On the costal margin is a dark rectangular patch, although this may be reduced or absent. Upperside of hindwing is pale orange.
Snowberry Clearwing Hemaris diffinis	Adults are quite variable in appearance; Bumblebee mimic. The thorax is golden or olive-golden in color, abdomen is black dorsally with 1-2 segments just prior to terminal end being yellow to various extent, while black ventrally. <i>H. diffinis</i> is the only eastern species to exhibit blue abdominal tufts on the first black segment in some freshly emerged specimens. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, <i>diffinis</i> typically has very thin terminal borders and the discal cell is elongate and without scales. However, <i>diffinis</i> can always be distinguished from <i>gracilis</i> and <i>thysbe</i> by two diagnostic characteristics: 1) the black band that crosses the eye and travels down the lateral side of the thorax; 2) <i>diffinis</i> always has black legs.
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineata	Upperside of forewing is dark olive brown with paler brown along the costa and outer margin, a narrow tan band running from the wing tip to the base, and white streaks along the veins. Hindwing upperside is black with a reddish pink median band.
Bicolored honey locust moth Syssphinx bicolor	Much individual and seasonal variability. Females are larger than males. Upperside of wings ranges from reddish brown to reddish orange to brownish yellow. Forewing has a postmedian line which is distinct and bent toward the wing base or almost absent, and 0-2 white cell spots. Hindwing has no submedian line. Both wings have varying amounts of scattered black specks, or none at all.
Great Spangled Fritillary Speyeria cybele	Large. Upperside of male tan to orange with black scales on forewing veins; female tawny, darker than male. Underside of hindwing with wide pale submarginal band and large silver spots.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1514 Species Recorded in Missouri

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Check out our new Fall 2025 Classic BAMONA Logo Shirts and cozy Native Plants Hoodies!

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Northern Eudeilinea
Eudeilinia herminiata

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus

Grote's Sallow
Copivaleria grotei

Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus

Ashen Pinion
Lithophane antennata

Hagen's sphinx
Ceratomia hageni

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1514 Species Recorded in Missouri

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Northern EudeilineaEudeilinia herminiata

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

Juniper HairstreakCallophrys gryneus

Grote's SallowCopivaleria grotei

Banded HairstreakSatyrium calanus

Ashen PinionLithophane antennata

Hagen's sphinxCeratomia hageni

Juvenal's DuskywingErynnis juvenalis

Juvenal's DuskywingErynnis juvenalis

Red-banded HairstreakCalycopis cecrops

Juvenal's DuskywingErynnis juvenalis

Red-banded HairstreakCalycopis cecrops

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Luna mothActias luna

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Virginia creeper sphinxDarapsa myron

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust mothSyssphinx bicolor

Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Northern Eudeilinea
Eudeilinia herminiata

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus

Grote's Sallow
Copivaleria grotei

Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus

Ashen Pinion
Lithophane antennata

Hagen's sphinx
Ceratomia hageni

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele