Butterflies and Moths of Canada

2694 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

The Small Engrailed
Ectropis crepuscularia

Observed: Apr 17, 2026

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: Apr 18, 2026

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Ceanothus silkmoth
Hyalophora euryalus

Observed: Apr 17, 2026

Submitted by: Ethansawamoth

Verified: Apr 17, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Observed: Apr 17, 2026

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: Apr 18, 2026

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Observed: Apr 15, 2026

Submitted by: Jacksonfarme

Verified: Apr 17, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Observed: Apr 14, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 14, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Drepanulatrix foeminaria

Observed: Apr 13, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 14, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Pleromelloida conserta

Observed: Apr 13, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 14, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Litholomia napaea

Observed: Apr 13, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 14, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Observed: Apr 12, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 17, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Behrensia conchiformis

Observed: Apr 11, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 12, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Orthosia pulchella

Observed: Apr 11, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 12, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

Details

Tissue Moth
Triphosa haesitata

Observed: Apr 11, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Verified: Apr 12, 2026

Verified by: davidwdroppers

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

2694 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

The Small Engrailed
Ectropis crepuscularia

Ceanothus silkmoth
Hyalophora euryalus

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Drepanulatrix foeminaria

Pleromelloida conserta

Litholomia napaea

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Behrensia conchiformis

Orthosia pulchella

Tissue Moth
Triphosa haesitata

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

2694 Species Recorded in Canada

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Canada

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Canada

The Small EngrailedEctropis crepuscularia

Ceanothus silkmothHyalophora euryalus

Spring Cankerworm MothPaleacrita vernata

Western CarpetMelanolophia imitata

Western CarpetMelanolophia imitata

Western CarpetMelanolophia imitata

Tissue MothTriphosa haesitata

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

The Small Engrailed
Ectropis crepuscularia

Ceanothus silkmoth
Hyalophora euryalus

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Western Carpet
Melanolophia imitata

Tissue Moth
Triphosa haesitata

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