Butterflies and Moths of New York

1892 Species Recorded in New York

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Zeuzera pyrina

100 Most Recent Sightings in New York

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Most Recent Sightings in New York

See more recent sightings in New York

Probole amicaria

Observed: May 16, 2026

Submitted by: ohrascalred

Verified: May 18, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Gray-Patched Prominent
Dasylophia thyatiroides

Observed: May 16, 2026

Submitted by: ohrascalred

Verified: May 18, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Pale Alder Moth
Tacparia detersata

Observed: May 15, 2026

Submitted by: ohrascalred

Verified: May 17, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Speared Dagger Moth
Acronicta hasta

Observed: May 14, 2026

Submitted by: Jim Lowe

Verified: May 18, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Observed: May 08, 2026

Submitted by: Graycatbird88

Verified: May 10, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Observed: May 03, 2026

Submitted by: Graycatbird88

Verified: May 04, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Diacme adipaloides

Observed: May 01, 2026

Submitted by: Lutya

Verified: May 04, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Observed: Apr 24, 2026

Submitted by: mpav

Verified: Apr 24, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Observed: Apr 21, 2026

Submitted by: barthsm

Verified: Apr 23, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Brown-shaded Carpet
Venusia comptaria

Observed: Apr 20, 2026

Submitted by: Lutya

Verified: Apr 23, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Norman's Quaker
Crocigrapha normani

Observed: Apr 18, 2026

Submitted by: Graycatbird88

Verified: Apr 20, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Zale duplicata

Observed: Apr 18, 2026

Submitted by: Graycatbird88

Verified: Apr 20, 2026

Verified by: Sue Gregoire

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of New York

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cecropia silkmoth Hyalophora cecropia	Body is red with a white collar and white bands on the abdomen. Wings are dark brown with white hairlike scales giving a frosted appearance; forewings are red at the base. Crescent spots and the area outside the postmedian line are red on all wings.
American Lady Vanessa virginiensis	Upperside with uneven brown, yellow, and orange pattern. Forewing with a black apical patch, a small white spot in the orange field below the patch, and a white bar at the leading edge of the forewing. Underside of hindwing with two large eyespots. Winter form is smaller and paler, summer form larger with brighter coloring.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1892 Species Recorded in New York

Featured Species

Zeuzera pyrina

100 Most Recent Sightings in New York

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 York

Probole amicaria

Gray-Patched Prominent
Dasylophia thyatiroides

Pale Alder Moth
Tacparia detersata

Speared Dagger Moth
Acronicta hasta

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Diacme adipaloides

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Brown-shaded Carpet
Venusia comptaria

Norman's Quaker
Crocigrapha normani

Zale duplicata

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of New York

1892 Species Recorded in New York

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in New York

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in New York

Gray-Patched ProminentDasylophia thyatiroides

Pale Alder MothTacparia detersata

Speared Dagger MothAcronicta hasta

Juvenal's DuskywingErynnis juvenalis

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

MonarchDanaus plexippus

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

Brown-shaded CarpetVenusia comptaria

Norman's QuakerCrocigrapha normani

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Cecropia silkmothHyalophora cecropia

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

Gray-Patched Prominent
Dasylophia thyatiroides

Pale Alder Moth
Tacparia detersata

Speared Dagger Moth
Acronicta hasta

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Brown-shaded Carpet
Venusia comptaria

Norman's Quaker
Crocigrapha normani

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis