Butterflies and Moths of Canada

2623 Species Recorded in Canada

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

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Most Recent Sightings in Canada

See more recent sightings in Canada

Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Cisseps fulvicollis

Observed: Oct 05, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: Oct 06, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Observed: Oct 05, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: Oct 06, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

White Underwing
Catocala relicta

Observed: Oct 02, 2024

Submitted by: Savvyr222

Verified: Oct 05, 2024

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Hemlock Looper
Lambdina fiscellaria

Observed: Sep 30, 2024

Submitted by: drifter423

Verified: Oct 05, 2024

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Sensitive Fern Borer Moth
Papaipema inquaesita

Observed: Sep 30, 2024

Submitted by: SammyJG

Verified: Oct 01, 2024

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
Hymenia perspectalis

Observed: Sep 30, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: Sep 30, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

Observed: Sep 29, 2024

Submitted by: Squindylou334

Verified: Sep 29, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

The Bent-line Carpet
Costaconvexa centrostrigaria

Observed: Sep 28, 2024

Submitted by: Sometimes

Verified: Sep 29, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Raspberry Crown Borer Moth
Pennisetia marginata

Observed: Sep 27, 2024

Submitted by: Arden K. Powell

Verified: Oct 02, 2024

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

The Laugher
Charadra deridens

Observed: Sep 27, 2024

Submitted by: B.claypool

Verified: Sep 27, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Observed: Sep 26, 2024

Submitted by: Ceebee3

Verified: Sep 26, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis asopialis

Observed: Sep 26, 2024

Submitted by: Sometimes

Verified: Sep 27, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Canada

Cabbage White Pieris rapae	Upperside of wings white; forewing with black tip. Two submarginal black spots in female, one in male. Underside of hindwing and forewing apex evenly yellow-green or gray-green. Spring and fall short-day form is smaller, less yellow, with reduced black areas.
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.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa	Short projections on both wings, borders irregular. Upperside is purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots at the inner edge of the border.
Northern Crescent Phyciodes cocyta	Antennal clubs of male are orange. Females are darker than males. Upperside is orange-brown with dark borders; median orange-brown areas are mostly open, with few dark markings. Underside of hindwing is orange with a tan patch surrounding the pale marginal crescent.
Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice	Upper surface of male wings bright, clear yellow with solid black edging; lower side of forewing with some dark submarginal spots; hindwing with silver cell spot rimmed with orange-pink, usually doubled. Female has 2 forms: yellow form with uneven black edging enclosing yellow spots, and a white form which is greenish-white rather than yellow. Spring and fall forms are smaller and less conspicuously marked.
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta	Upperside is black with white spots near the apex; forewing with red median band, hindwing with red marginal band. The winter form is smaller and duller, summer form larger and brighter with an interrupted forewing band.
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.
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes	Upper surface of wings mostly black; on inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. Male has yellow band near edge of wings; female has row of yellow spots. Female hindwing with iridescent blue band. In the Southwest, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies P. coloro.
Virginia Ctenucha Ctenucha virginica	The largest and most broad-winged of wasp moths in North America. Body metallic blue; head and sides of collar orange. Forewing deep grayish brown, metallic blue at base. Hindwing black. Fringes on all wings partly white.
European Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba	Yellow hindwing and black marginal band. Lacks dark discal spot present in <em>Noctua comes</em>. Forewing color and pattern is variable, ranging from immaculate to well marked.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

2623 Species Recorded in Canada

Featured Species

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100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

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Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Cisseps fulvicollis

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

White Underwing
Catocala relicta

Hemlock Looper
Lambdina fiscellaria

Sensitive Fern Borer Moth
Papaipema inquaesita

Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
Hymenia perspectalis

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

The Bent-line Carpet
Costaconvexa centrostrigaria

Raspberry Crown Borer Moth
Pennisetia marginata

The Laugher
Charadra deridens

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis asopialis

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Northern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Virginia Ctenucha
Ctenucha virginica

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Canada

2623 Species Recorded in Canada

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Yellow-collared Scape MothCisseps fulvicollis

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

White UnderwingCatocala relicta

Hemlock LooperLambdina fiscellaria

Sensitive Fern Borer MothPapaipema inquaesita

Spotted Beet Webworm MothHymenia perspectalis

Long-tailed SkipperUrbanus proteus

The Bent-line CarpetCostaconvexa centrostrigaria

Raspberry Crown Borer MothPennisetia marginata

The LaugherCharadra deridens

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Faint-spotted Palthis MothPalthis asopialis

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Northern CrescentPhyciodes cocyta

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Virginia CtenuchaCtenucha virginica

European Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronuba

Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Cisseps fulvicollis

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

White Underwing
Catocala relicta

Hemlock Looper
Lambdina fiscellaria

Sensitive Fern Borer Moth
Papaipema inquaesita

Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
Hymenia perspectalis

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

The Bent-line Carpet
Costaconvexa centrostrigaria

Raspberry Crown Borer Moth
Pennisetia marginata

The Laugher
Charadra deridens

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis asopialis

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Northern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Virginia Ctenucha
Ctenucha virginica

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba