Butterflies and Moths of New Mexico

903 Species Recorded in New Mexico

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Callophrys mcfarlandi

100 Most Recent Sightings in New Mexico

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in New Mexico.

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Most Recent Sightings in New Mexico

See more recent sightings in New Mexico

Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola

Observed: Dec 03, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Dec 05, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Observed: Dec 03, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Dec 05, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Observed: Dec 01, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Dec 02, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Observed: Dec 01, 2025

Submitted by: KittynNM

Verified: Dec 02, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Observed: Nov 28, 2025

Submitted by: LightScavenger

Verified: Dec 05, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Observed: Nov 25, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Nov 26, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Observed: Nov 25, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Nov 26, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella

Observed: Nov 25, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Nov 26, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Tailed Orange
Pyrisitia proterpia

Observed: Nov 24, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Nov 26, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Observed: Nov 23, 2025

Submitted by: cjgoin

Verified: Nov 26, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Nov 17, 2025

Submitted by: KittynNM

Verified: Nov 17, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Observed: Nov 17, 2025

Submitted by: KittynNM

Verified: Nov 17, 2025

Verified by: stevecary

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of New Mexico

Checkered White Pontia protodice	Upperside of male forewing has black checkered pattern on outer half. Female is more heavily patterned, but markings are more brown and diffuse. Hindwing of both male and female white. Underside of male hindwing with pale checkered pattern. Underside of female with yellow-tan markings on hindwing and tip of forewing. Short-day form has underside hindwing veins with heavy gray-green outlines.
Reakirt's Blue Echinargus isola	Upperside of male light blue with darker veins and dusky border; female darker. Underside of forewing with postmedian row of 5 round black spots circled with white.
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.
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.
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.
Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia	Upperside tawny orange with thick dark veins and markings; black spots near margin. Hindwing margin angled and slightly scalloped. Underside of hindwing with a mottled pattern and no silver spots.
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.
Juniper Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus	Widespread and variable. Western and eastern populations were once considered separate species but have been found to hybridize. Western: Upperside of male dull red-brown, female tawny; both with dark brown costa and wing borders. Underside of forewing rust-red; hindwing dull to bright green with irregular white line edged inwardly with red-brown. Eastern: Upperside of male dark brown with olive-colored sheen, female blackish brown. Underside green; forewing with tawny base, hindwing with 2 white spots near base and irregular white line edged inwardly with red-brown.
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme	Quite variable. Upperside of male yellow with orange overlay, yellow veins, wide black border, and dark black cell spot. Female yellow or white with irregular black border surrounding light spots. Underside hindwing spot silver with 2 concentric dark rings, and a spot above it.
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.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

903 Species Recorded in New Mexico

Featured Species

Callophrys mcfarlandi

100 Most Recent Sightings in New Mexico

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in New Mexico

Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella

Tailed Orange
Pyrisitia proterpia

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Checkered White
Pontia protodice

Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Queen
Danaus gilippus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of New Mexico

903 Species Recorded in New Mexico

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in New Mexico

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in New Mexico

Reakirt's BlueEchinargus isola

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Ceraunus BlueHemiargus ceraunus

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Ceraunus BlueHemiargus ceraunus

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

West Coast LadyVanessa annabella

Tailed OrangePyrisitia proterpia

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Checkered WhitePontia protodice

Reakirt's BlueEchinargus isola

Marine BlueLeptotes marina

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Variegated FritillaryEuptoieta claudia

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Juniper HairstreakCallophrys gryneus

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

QueenDanaus gilippus

Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella

Tailed Orange
Pyrisitia proterpia

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Checkered White
Pontia protodice

Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Queen
Danaus gilippus