Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1515 Species Recorded in Missouri

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Citheronia regalis

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Missouri.

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

See more recent sightings in Missouri

Green Cloverworm Moth
Hypena scabra

Observed: Nov 06, 2025

Submitted by: Lisa McClendon

Verified: Nov 07, 2025

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Observed: Nov 05, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Nov 06, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Observed: Nov 02, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Nov 02, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Bent-Line Dart
Choephora fungorum

Observed: Oct 31, 2025

Submitted by: Lisa McClendon

Verified: Nov 01, 2025

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Observed: Oct 23, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Oct 24, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Bumelia Leafworm Moth
Lactura pupula

Observed: Oct 10, 2025

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: Oct 14, 2025

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Observed: Oct 01, 2025

Submitted by: Jes Holtz

Verified: Oct 15, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Observed: Sep 29, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Sep 30, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Observed: Sep 29, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Sep 30, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Observed: Sep 29, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Sep 30, 2025

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Fall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperda

Observed: Sep 29, 2025

Submitted by: AzarNick

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Sycamore Tussock Moth
Halysidota harrisii

Observed: Sep 28, 2025

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: Oct 01, 2025

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1515 Species Recorded in Missouri

Featured Species

Citheronia regalis

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Green Cloverworm Moth
Hypena scabra

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Bent-Line Dart
Choephora fungorum

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Bumelia Leafworm Moth
Lactura pupula

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Fall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperda

Sycamore Tussock Moth
Halysidota harrisii

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1515 Species Recorded in Missouri

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Green Cloverworm MothHypena scabra

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

Common Checkered-SkipperBurnsius communis

Bent-Line DartChoephora fungorum

Common BuckeyeJunonia coenia

Bumelia Leafworm MothLactura pupula

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

Eastern Tailed-BlueCupido comyntas

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Cloudless SulphurPhoebis sennae

Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperda

Sycamore Tussock MothHalysidota harrisii

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Luna mothActias luna

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Virginia creeper sphinxDarapsa myron

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust mothSyssphinx bicolor

Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Green Cloverworm Moth
Hypena scabra

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Bent-Line Dart
Choephora fungorum

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Bumelia Leafworm Moth
Lactura pupula

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Fall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperda

Sycamore Tussock Moth
Halysidota harrisii

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele