Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1495 Species Recorded in Missouri

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

See more recent sightings in Missouri

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Harvester
Feniseca tarquinius

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Goatweed Leafwing
Anaea andria

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Apr 12, 2024

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Apr 16, 2024

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Promiscuous Angle Macaria promiscuata

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1495 Species Recorded in Missouri

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma

Harvester
Feniseca tarquinius

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Goatweed Leafwing
Anaea andria

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Promiscuous Angle
Macaria promiscuata

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1495 Species Recorded in Missouri

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Eastern Tailed-BlueCupido comyntas

Eastern CommaPolygonia comma

HarvesterFeniseca tarquinius

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

Goatweed LeafwingAnaea andria

Henry's ElfinCallophrys henrici

Henry's ElfinCallophrys henrici

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Luna mothActias luna

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

Virginia creeper sphinxDarapsa myron

Bicolored honey locust mothSyssphinx bicolor

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

Promiscuous AngleMacaria promiscuata

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma

Harvester
Feniseca tarquinius

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Goatweed Leafwing
Anaea andria

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Promiscuous Angle
Macaria promiscuata