Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

973 Species Recorded in Michigan

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Limenitis arthemis astyanax

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Michigan.

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Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

See more recent sightings in Michigan

Black-Banded Orange
Epelis truncataria

Observed: May 21, 2026

Submitted by: andhanso

Verified: May 24, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Celery Looper Moth
Anagrapha falcifera

Observed: May 21, 2026

Submitted by: andhanso

Verified: May 24, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Great Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia

Observed: May 20, 2026

Submitted by: ampm1978

Verified: May 24, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Observed: May 09, 2026

Submitted by: Silverember

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Gray Comma
Polygonia progne

Observed: Apr 17, 2026

Submitted by: michbirder

Verified: Apr 20, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Observed: Apr 17, 2026

Submitted by: michbirder

Verified: Apr 20, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Jocose Sallow
Feralia jocosa

Observed: Apr 14, 2026

Submitted by: LoreParmenter

Verified: Apr 15, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth
Caloptilia invariabilis

Observed: Nov 14, 2025

Submitted by: naj.pilla

Verified: Jan 19, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Purplish Copper
Lycaena helloides

Observed: Oct 18, 2025

Submitted by: dkBirder

Verified: Mar 16, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Observed: Oct 09, 2025

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Mar 16, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Redbud Leaffolder Moth
Fascista cercerisella

Observed: Oct 06, 2025

Submitted by: naj.pilla

Verified: Oct 25, 2025

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula

Observed: Oct 04, 2025

Submitted by: Julie SJ

Verified: Oct 11, 2025

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Great Spangled Fritillary Speyeria cybele	Large. Upperside of male tan to orange with black scales on forewing veins; female tawny, darker than male. Underside of hindwing with wide pale submarginal band and large silver spots.
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.
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax
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.
Viceroy Limenitis archippus	Upperside is orange and black, resembling the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), except the Viceroy has a black line across the hindwing and a single row of white dots in the black marginal band. Where Monarchs are rare in Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys are brown instead of orange and mimic the Queen (Danaus gilippus).

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

973 Species Recorded in Michigan

Featured Species

Limenitis arthemis astyanax

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Black-Banded Orange
Epelis truncataria

Celery Looper Moth
Anagrapha falcifera

Great Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Gray Comma
Polygonia progne

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Jocose Sallow
Feralia jocosa

Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth
Caloptilia invariabilis

Purplish Copper
Lycaena helloides

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Redbud Leaffolder Moth
Fascista cercerisella

Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

973 Species Recorded in Michigan

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Black-Banded OrangeEpelis truncataria

Celery Looper MothAnagrapha falcifera

Great Leopard MothHypercompe scribonia

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear MothSpilosoma virginica

Gray CommaPolygonia progne

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Jocose SallowFeralia jocosa

Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar MothCaloptilia invariabilis

Purplish CopperLycaena helloides

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Redbud Leaffolder MothFascista cercerisella

Crowned Slug MothIsa textula

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

'Astyanax' Red-spotted PurpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

ViceroyLimenitis archippus

Black-Banded Orange
Epelis truncataria

Celery Looper Moth
Anagrapha falcifera

Great Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Gray Comma
Polygonia progne

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Jocose Sallow
Feralia jocosa

Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth
Caloptilia invariabilis

Purplish Copper
Lycaena helloides

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Redbud Leaffolder Moth
Fascista cercerisella

Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus