Butterflies and Moths of Canada

2696 Species Recorded in Canada

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Habrosyne scripta

100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Canada.

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Most Recent Sightings in Canada

See more recent sightings in Canada

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Observed: Jun 05, 2026

Submitted by: julesvices

Verified: Jun 06, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Anise Swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon

Observed: Jun 05, 2026

Submitted by: Paul Prappas

Verified: Jun 06, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Euphilotes heracleoides

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: Paul Prappas

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Behr's Hairstreak
Satyrium behrii

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: Paul Prappas

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Hickory Tussock Moth or Hickory Tiger Moth
Lophocampa caryae

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Many-lined Carpet
Anticlea multiferata

Observed: Jun 03, 2026

Submitted by: saturniidluvr

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes

Observed: Jun 03, 2026

Submitted by: saturniidluvr

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum

Observed: Jun 02, 2026

Submitted by: saturniidluvr

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Dreamy Duskywing
Erynnis icelus

Observed: Jun 02, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Jun 03, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Observed: Jun 02, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Jun 03, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Observed: Jun 02, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Jun 03, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Field Crescent
Phyciodes pulchella

Observed: Jun 02, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Jun 03, 2026

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Canada

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.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa	Short projections on both wings, borders irregular. Upperside is purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots at the inner edge of the border.
Northern Crescent Phyciodes cocyta	Antennal clubs of male are orange. Females are darker than males. Upperside is orange-brown with dark borders; median orange-brown areas are mostly open, with few dark markings. Underside of hindwing is orange with a tan patch surrounding the pale marginal crescent.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Virginia Ctenucha Ctenucha virginica	The largest and most broad-winged of wasp moths in North America. Body metallic blue; head and sides of collar orange. Forewing deep grayish brown, metallic blue at base. Hindwing black. Fringes on all wings partly white.
European Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba	Yellow hindwing and black marginal band. Lacks dark discal spot present in <em>Noctua comes</em>. Forewing color and pattern is variable, ranging from immaculate to well marked.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

2696 Species Recorded in Canada

Featured Species

Habrosyne scripta

100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Anise Swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon

Euphilotes heracleoides

Behr's Hairstreak
Satyrium behrii

Hickory Tussock Moth or Hickory Tiger Moth
Lophocampa caryae

Many-lined Carpet
Anticlea multiferata

Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum

Dreamy Duskywing
Erynnis icelus

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Field Crescent
Phyciodes pulchella

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Northern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Virginia Ctenucha
Ctenucha virginica

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Canada

2696 Species Recorded in Canada

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Anise SwallowtailPapilio zelicaon

Behr's HairstreakSatyrium behrii

Hickory Tussock Moth or Hickory Tiger MothLophocampa caryae

Many-lined CarpetAnticlea multiferata

Giant SwallowtailPapilio cresphontes

Eastern Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma americanum

Dreamy DuskywingErynnis icelus

Boisduval's BluePlebejus icarioides

Boisduval's BluePlebejus icarioides

Field CrescentPhyciodes pulchella

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Northern CrescentPhyciodes cocyta

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Virginia CtenuchaCtenucha virginica

European Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronuba

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Anise Swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon

Behr's Hairstreak
Satyrium behrii

Hickory Tussock Moth or Hickory Tiger Moth
Lophocampa caryae

Many-lined Carpet
Anticlea multiferata

Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma americanum

Dreamy Duskywing
Erynnis icelus

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Field Crescent
Phyciodes pulchella

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Northern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Virginia Ctenucha
Ctenucha virginica

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba