Butterflies and Moths of California

1402 Species Recorded in California

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Erynnis tristis

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in California.

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Most Recent Sightings in California

See more recent sightings in California

California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica

Observed: May 12, 2026

Submitted by: menloparker

Verified: May 13, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Hermes Copper
Lycaena hermes

Observed: May 12, 2026

Submitted by: Robert Gorman

Verified: May 13, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Large Orange Sulphur
Phoebis agarithe

Observed: May 10, 2026

Submitted by: LilDeadButterfly

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Observed: May 10, 2026

Submitted by: Sophia Reyes

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: May 10, 2026

Submitted by: zencoyote

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Caenurgia togataria

Observed: May 10, 2026

Submitted by: Deantroi

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Observed: May 10, 2026

Submitted by: Sophia Reyes

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: TomPeterson

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Hermes Copper
Lycaena hermes

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: Robert Gorman

Verified: May 09, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Gabb's Checkerspot
Chlosyne gabbii

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: May 12, 2026

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Lunate Zale
Zale lunata

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: QueenNP

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of California

Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon	Upperside of males blue with dark narrow border; female brown. Underside white with black spot pattern. Hindwing above and below with red-orange submarginal band.
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.
Chalcedon Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona	Extremely variable. Forewing narrow. Upperside is black to dark orange-brown with yellow, red, and sometimes white spots. Underside with yellow and orange-red bands.
California Sister Adelpha californica	This is a medium to large sized brown-black colored butterfly with a relatively narrow dorsal forewing postdiscal creamy white colored band above with a relatively large orange patch on the forewing. Superficially similar looking above to Lorquin's Admiral (<em>Limenitis lorquini</em>) but can be readily separated by the lower placement of the orange forewing patch and the blue lines on the ventral surface of the wings. Can be difficult to separate from Bredow's Sister (<em>Adelpha bredowii</em>) which does not occur in the U.S. and the Arizona Sister (<em>Adelpha eulalia</em>) which does occur in the U.S. Ranges of <em>californica</em> and <em>eulalia</em> are not known to overlap in the USA. Generally, this species is smaller than <em>eulalia</em>. It is less violet below. The dark and bluish ventral hindwing postdiscal bands are poorly developed, sinuous. There are two basal orange bars on the HW below while <em>eulalia</em> has only one. The blue bar along outer edge of white HW bar is incomplete while <
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.
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus	One tail on hindwing. Upperside blue-gray with large red spot near tail. Underside of spring/fall form is dark gray, summer form is paler gray. Relatively straight postmedian line is white, bordered with orange on the inside edge.
Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquini	Upperside is black with white median bands on both wings; tip of forewing is orange-brown. Underside is reddish-brown with white markings.
Gray Buckeye Junonia grisea
Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta	Upperside is bright reddish orange with narrow dark markings. Lacks the prominent black inner marginal spot of Phyciodes pallidus. Underside is yellow-orange with somewhat blurry rusty orange markings.
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus	Antennae are very short. Male wide black stigma. Underside of the hindwing is scattered with small black spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown with a very irregular orange band. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with paler checks.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1402 Species Recorded in California

Featured Species

Erynnis tristis

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in California

California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica

Hermes Copper
Lycaena hermes

Large Orange Sulphur
Phoebis agarithe

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Caenurgia togataria

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Hermes Copper
Lycaena hermes

Gabb's Checkerspot
Chlosyne gabbii

Lunate Zale
Zale lunata

Acmon Blue
Plebejus acmon

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini

Gray Buckeye
Junonia grisea

Mylitta Crescent
Phyciodes mylitta

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of California

1402 Species Recorded in California

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in California

California TortoiseshellNymphalis californica

Hermes CopperLycaena hermes

Large Orange SulphurPhoebis agarithe

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

Chalcedon CheckerspotEuphydryas chalcedona

Boisduval's BluePlebejus icarioides

Hermes CopperLycaena hermes

Gabb's CheckerspotChlosyne gabbii

Lunate ZaleZale lunata

Acmon BluePlebejus acmon

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Chalcedon CheckerspotEuphydryas chalcedona

California SisterAdelpha californica

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Lorquin's AdmiralLimenitis lorquini

Gray BuckeyeJunonia grisea

Mylitta CrescentPhyciodes mylitta

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica

Hermes Copper
Lycaena hermes

Large Orange Sulphur
Phoebis agarithe

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Hermes Copper
Lycaena hermes

Gabb's Checkerspot
Chlosyne gabbii

Lunate Zale
Zale lunata

Acmon Blue
Plebejus acmon

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini

Gray Buckeye
Junonia grisea

Mylitta Crescent
Phyciodes mylitta

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus