Butterflies and Moths of North Dakota

490 Species Recorded in North Dakota

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Vanessa atalanta

100 Most Recent Sightings in North Dakota

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in North Dakota.

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Most Recent Sightings in North Dakota

See more recent sightings in North Dakota

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Observed: Aug 02, 2025

Submitted by: JT Charbonneaux

Verified: Nov 29, 2025

Verified by: Tom Middagh

Details

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Observed: Sep 27, 2024

Submitted by: DMason

Verified: Aug 06, 2025

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Observed: Sep 14, 2024

Submitted by: justawriter

Verified: Sep 20, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Shy Cosmet
Limnaecia phragmitella

Observed: Jul 15, 2024

Submitted by: heinert

Verified: Apr 02, 2025

Verified by: Tom Middagh

Details

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Observed: Jul 12, 2024

Submitted by: AllisonBeth

Verified: Apr 02, 2025

Verified by: Tom Middagh

Details

Gray Copper
Lycaena dione

Observed: Jul 03, 2024

Submitted by: dvollmar

Verified: Sep 20, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Dakota Skipper
Hesperia dacotae

Observed: Jul 02, 2024

Submitted by: dvollmar

Verified: Sep 20, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Meadow Fritillary
Boloria bellona

Observed: Jul 02, 2024

Submitted by: dvollmar

Verified: Sep 20, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia

Observed: Jul 02, 2024

Submitted by: dvollmar

Verified: Sep 20, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Observed: Jul 02, 2024

Submitted by: dvollmar

Verified: Sep 20, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Spurge hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae

Observed: Jun 19, 2024

Submitted by: JohnnyB3

Verified: Oct 30, 2024

Verified by: Tom Middagh

Details

Spurge hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae

Observed: Jun 15, 2024

Submitted by: rayneelizabeth

Verified: Oct 30, 2024

Verified by: Tom Middagh

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of North Dakota

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.
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.
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos	Quite variable. Males usually have black antennal knobs. Upperside is orange with black borders; postmedian and submarginal areas are crossed by fine black marks. Underside of hindwing has a dark marginal patch containing a light-colored crescent. Spring and fall broods (form marcia) have a gray mottled hindwing below.
Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue) Plebejus melissa	Upperside of male blue with narrow dark border; female brown with blue tinge. Underside with continuous black line along outer margin of both wings. Red-orange submarginal row is continuous in subspecies melissa and divided into separate spots in subspecies samuelis (Karner Blue).
Common Wood-Nymph Cercyonis pegala	Geographically variable. Wings are brown. Upperside of forewing has 2 large yellow-ringed eyespots. Lowerside of hindwing has a variable number of small eyespots. Southern and coastal butterflies are larger and have a yellow or yellow-orange patch on the outer part of the forewing. Inland butterflies are smaller and have the yellow forewing patch reduced or absent.
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.
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.
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.
Common Ringlet Coenonympha tullia	Extremely variable geographically, with at least 4 subspecies. Wings range from dark orange-brown to pale cream. Underside of forewing usually has a small eyespot near its tip. Underside of hindwing is gray-green with a wavy white median line.
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.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

490 Species Recorded in North Dakota

Featured Species

Vanessa atalanta

100 Most Recent Sightings in North Dakota

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in North Dakota

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Shy Cosmet
Limnaecia phragmitella

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Gray Copper
Lycaena dione

Dakota Skipper
Hesperia dacotae

Meadow Fritillary
Boloria bellona

Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Spurge hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae

Spurge hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of North Dakota

490 Species Recorded in North Dakota

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in North Dakota

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in North Dakota

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

Variegated FritillaryEuptoieta claudia

Shy CosmetLimnaecia phragmitella

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear MothSpilosoma virginica

Gray CopperLycaena dione

Dakota SkipperHesperia dacotae

Meadow FritillaryBoloria bellona

Common RingletCoenonympha tullia

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Spurge hawkmothHyles euphorbiae

Spurge hawkmothHyles euphorbiae

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Common Wood-NymphCercyonis pegala

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Common RingletCoenonympha tullia

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Shy Cosmet
Limnaecia phragmitella

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Gray Copper
Lycaena dione

Dakota Skipper
Hesperia dacotae

Meadow Fritillary
Boloria bellona

Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Spurge hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae

Spurge hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Common Ringlet
Coenonympha tullia

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae