Butterflies and Moths of Arizona

2243 Species Recorded in Arizona

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Arizona.

BAMONA Shop

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

Please donate!

We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.

Advertise with us!

Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.

Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

See more recent sightings in Arizona

Big poplar sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis

Observed: Mar 09, 2026

Submitted by: Debbie Ordorica

Verified: Mar 15, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Observed: Feb 23, 2026

Submitted by: Tom Dudones

Verified: Mar 13, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Observed: Feb 15, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Observed: Feb 15, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Southwestern Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Arizona Powdered Skipper
Systasea zampa

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Small Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus scriptura

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Desert Orangetip
Anthocharis cethura

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Western Pygmy-Blue
Brephidium exilis

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Arizona

Queen Danaus gilippus	Upperside is chestnut brown; black borders of forewings have 2 rows of white spots; white spots are scattered at the forewing apex. Underside of hindwing has black veins; black borders of both wings have 2 rows of white spots. Upperside of male hindwing has a black scale patch. Very similar to the Soldier (Danaus eresimus), but is more brown and has less defined wing veins on the upperside. Underside hindwing lacks band of pale spots present in the Soldier. Queens in the southwest (and sometimes in the southeast) have pale veins on the upperside of the hindwings, which are lacking in the Soldier.
Marine Blue Leptotes marina	Upperside blue; male with purple tinge, female with no white. Underside of forewing with unbroken pale brown bands from costa to inner margin.
American Snout Libytheana carinenta	Labial palps long and extended forward. Tip of forewing squared off. Upperside brown, forewing with orange at base and inner margin, and white spots on outer half. Underside of hindwing mottled or smooth violet-gray.
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.
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor	Upper surface of hindwing iridescent blue or blue-green. Underside of hindwing with submarginal row of 7 round orange spots in iridescent blue field.
Empress Leilia Asterocampa leilia	Upperside is chestnut brown; forewing has 2 solid brown bars in the cell, median white spots, and 2 black eyespots near the outer margin.
Arizona Sister Adelpha eulalia	Recently recognized as a different species than <em>Adelpha bredowii</em> of Mexico and California Sister (<em>Adelpha californica</em>). Overall appearance is similar (large brown-black butterfly with white bands and orange patch on forewings) but <em>eulalia</em> averages notably larger and the dark margins of the forewing tend to be broader. The blue bar along the outer edge of the white hindwing bar is complete, not partial as in <em>A. californica</em>. The orange patch on the forewings tends to be narrower and more linear in shape than <em>californica</em>. The dorsal postdiscal band is white not creamy colored as <em>californica</em>. The external outline of the hindwing postdiscal bands are nearly straight, not sinuous. The bluish coloration below is pale to dark blue rather than violet. There is only one ventral hindwing basal orange bar instead of two in <em>californica</em>.
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui	Upperside is orange-brown with darker wing bases; forewing with black apex patch and white bar on leading edge; hindwing submarginal row of 5 small black spots sometimes has blue scales. Underside has a black, brown, and gray pattern with 4 small submarginal eyespots.
Two-tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudata	Upper surface of male forewing with narrow black stripes. Each hindwing has 2 tails.
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole	Small, with elongated forewings. Upperside yellow with black markings, female with more extensive black than male. White form very rare. Underside of forewing with orange or yellow patch at base of wing and black spots at outer wing edge. Winter form has dusty green hindwing, summer form hindwing is pale yellow.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

2243 Species Recorded in Arizona

100 Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Big poplar sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Southwestern Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

Arizona Powdered Skipper
Systasea zampa

Small Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus scriptura

Desert Orangetip
Anthocharis cethura

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Western Pygmy-Blue
Brephidium exilis

Queen
Danaus gilippus

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Empress Leilia
Asterocampa leilia

Arizona Sister
Adelpha eulalia

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

About

Get Involved

Donate

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Arizona

2243 Species Recorded in Arizona

100 Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Big poplar sphinxPachysphinx occidentalis

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

American SnoutLibytheana carinenta

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

Southwestern OrangetipAnthocharis thoosa

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Marine BlueLeptotes marina

Arizona Powdered SkipperSystasea zampa

Small Checkered-SkipperPyrgus scriptura

Desert OrangetipAnthocharis cethura

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Western Pygmy-BlueBrephidium exilis

QueenDanaus gilippus

Marine BlueLeptotes marina

American SnoutLibytheana carinenta

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

Pipevine SwallowtailBattus philenor

Empress LeiliaAsterocampa leilia

Arizona SisterAdelpha eulalia

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Two-tailed SwallowtailPapilio multicaudata

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Big poplar sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Southwestern Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

Arizona Powdered Skipper
Systasea zampa

Small Checkered-Skipper
Pyrgus scriptura

Desert Orangetip
Anthocharis cethura

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Western Pygmy-Blue
Brephidium exilis

Queen
Danaus gilippus

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Empress Leilia
Asterocampa leilia

Arizona Sister
Adelpha eulalia

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole