Butterflies and Moths of South Dakota

515 Species Recorded in South Dakota

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Schinia roseitincta

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

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

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Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

See more recent sightings in South Dakota

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Observed: Sep 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Moonseed Moth
Plusiodonta compressipalpis

Observed: Aug 23, 2025

Submitted by: Tom Middagh

Verified: Sep 20, 2025

Verified by: Tom Middagh

Details

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Nov 04, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Observed: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted by: klamke

Verified: Sep 29, 2025

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of South Dakota

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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Regal Fritillary Speyeria idalia	Large. Upperside of forewing bright red-orange with black markings. Upperside of hindwing black with postmedian row of white spots; submarginal row of spots is orange in male and white in female.
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.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

515 Species Recorded in South Dakota

Featured Species

Schinia roseitincta

100 Most Recent Sightings in South 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 South Dakota

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Moonseed Moth
Plusiodonta compressipalpis

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala

Regal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of South Dakota

515 Species Recorded in South Dakota

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Moonseed MothPlusiodonta compressipalpis

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Common SootywingPholisora catullus

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Common Wood-NymphCercyonis pegala

Regal FritillarySpeyeria idalia

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Moonseed Moth
Plusiodonta compressipalpis

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala

Regal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta