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

Zebra Swallowtail
Neographium marcellus

Observed: Mar 27, 2024

Submitted by: Lisa McClendon

Verified: Apr 15, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Eastern Pine Elfin
Callophrys niphon

Observed: Mar 21, 2024

Submitted by: crprice

Verified: Apr 15, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Observed: Oct 17, 2023

Submitted by: Cherie Sneed

Verified: Oct 26, 2023

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

American Dagger Moth
Acronicta americana

Observed: Oct 15, 2023

Submitted by: Lisa McClendon

Verified: Jan 15, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Pink-spotted hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata

Observed: Oct 13, 2023

Submitted by: Lesaffell

Verified: Apr 15, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda

Observed: Oct 11, 2023

Submitted by: autumn_snide@yahoo.com

Verified: Apr 15, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Mottled Prominent
Macrurocampa marthesia

Observed: Oct 09, 2023

Submitted by: melvel7

Verified: Oct 09, 2023

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Luna moth
Actias luna

Observed: Oct 02, 2023

Submitted by: Lavishbmd

Verified: Apr 15, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis

Observed: Sep 28, 2023

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Jan 15, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Observed: Sep 28, 2023

Submitted by: Barjones78

Verified: Sep 28, 2023

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Observed: Sep 28, 2023

Submitted by: Barjones78

Verified: Sep 28, 2023

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Observed: Sep 28, 2023

Submitted by: Barjones78

Verified: Sep 28, 2023

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

Visit the BAMONA Shop

Please donate!

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Zebra Swallowtail
Neographium marcellus

Eastern Pine Elfin
Callophrys niphon

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

American Dagger Moth
Acronicta americana

Pink-spotted hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata

Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda

Mottled Prominent
Macrurocampa marthesia

Luna moth
Actias luna

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

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

Zebra SwallowtailNeographium marcellus

Eastern Pine ElfinCallophrys niphon

Gulf FritillaryAgraulis vanillae

American Dagger MothAcronicta americana

Pink-spotted hawkmothAgrius cingulata

Large Tolype MothTolype velleda

Mottled ProminentMacrurocampa marthesia

Luna mothActias luna

Question MarkPolygonia interrogationis

Pipevine SwallowtailBattus philenor

Gulf FritillaryAgraulis vanillae

Cloudless SulphurPhoebis sennae

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

Zebra Swallowtail
Neographium marcellus

Eastern Pine Elfin
Callophrys niphon

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

American Dagger Moth
Acronicta americana

Pink-spotted hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata

Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda

Mottled Prominent
Macrurocampa marthesia

Luna moth
Actias luna

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

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