Butterflies and Moths of Arizona

2243 Species Recorded in Arizona

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Systasea zampa

100 Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Arizona.

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Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

See more recent sightings in Arizona

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Observed: May 20, 2026

Submitted by: bentert

Verified: Jul 06, 2026

Verified by: John Saba

Details

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Observed: Apr 05, 2026

Submitted by: bentert

Verified: Jul 06, 2026

Verified by: John Saba

Details

Funereal Duskywing
Erynnis funeralis

Observed: Apr 04, 2026

Submitted by: bentert

Verified: Jul 06, 2026

Verified by: John Saba

Details

Bordered Patch
Chlosyne lacinia

Observed: Apr 02, 2026

Submitted by: bentert

Verified: Jul 06, 2026

Verified by: John Saba

Details

Great Purple Hairstreak
Atlides halesus

Observed: Mar 11, 2026

Submitted by: Honu Green

Verified: Jul 06, 2026

Verified by: John Saba

Details

Big poplar sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis

Observed: Mar 09, 2026

Submitted by: Debbie Ordorica

Verified: Mar 15, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Observed: Mar 08, 2026

Submitted by: bentert

Verified: May 14, 2026

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Observed: Feb 23, 2026

Submitted by: Tom Dudones

Verified: Mar 13, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Observed: Feb 18, 2026

Submitted by: Mary Scott

Verified: Jul 06, 2026

Verified by: John Saba

Details

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Observed: Feb 15, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Observed: Feb 15, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Southwestern Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa

Observed: Feb 14, 2026

Submitted by: jmgesell

Verified: Mar 18, 2026

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Arizona

Queen Danaus gilippus	Upperside is chestnut brown; black borders of forewings have 2 rows of white spots; white spots are scattered at the forewing apex. Underside of hindwing has black veins; black borders of both wings have 2 rows of white spots. Upperside of male hindwing has a black scale patch. Very similar to the Soldier (Danaus eresimus), but is more brown and has less defined wing veins on the upperside. Underside hindwing lacks band of pale spots present in the Soldier. Queens in the southwest (and sometimes in the southeast) have pale veins on the upperside of the hindwings, which are lacking in the Soldier.
Marine Blue Leptotes marina	Upperside blue; male with purple tinge, female with no white. Underside of forewing with unbroken pale brown bands from costa to inner margin.
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineata	Upperside of forewing is dark olive brown with paler brown along the costa and outer margin, a narrow tan band running from the wing tip to the base, and white streaks along the veins. Hindwing upperside is black with a reddish pink median band.
American Snout Libytheana carinenta	Labial palps long and extended forward. Tip of forewing squared off. Upperside brown, forewing with orange at base and inner margin, and white spots on outer half. Underside of hindwing mottled or smooth violet-gray.
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor	Upper surface of hindwing iridescent blue or blue-green. Underside of hindwing with submarginal row of 7 round orange spots in iridescent blue field.
Empress Leilia Asterocampa leilia	Upperside is chestnut brown; forewing has 2 solid brown bars in the cell, median white spots, and 2 black eyespots near the outer margin.
Arizona Sister Adelpha eulalia	Recently recognized as a different species than <em>Adelpha bredowii</em> of Mexico and California Sister (<em>Adelpha californica</em>). Overall appearance is similar (large brown-black butterfly with white bands and orange patch on forewings) but <em>eulalia</em> averages notably larger and the dark margins of the forewing tend to be broader. The blue bar along the outer edge of the white hindwing bar is complete, not partial as in <em>A. californica</em>. The orange patch on the forewings tends to be narrower and more linear in shape than <em>californica</em>. The dorsal postdiscal band is white not creamy colored as <em>californica</em>. The external outline of the hindwing postdiscal bands are nearly straight, not sinuous. The bluish coloration below is pale to dark blue rather than violet. There is only one ventral hindwing basal orange bar instead of two in <em>californica</em>.
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.
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole	Small, with elongated forewings. Upperside yellow with black markings, female with more extensive black than male. White form very rare. Underside of forewing with orange or yellow patch at base of wing and black spots at outer wing edge. Winter form has dusty green hindwing, summer form hindwing is pale yellow.
Two-tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudata	Upper surface of male forewing with narrow black stripes. Each hindwing has 2 tails.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

2243 Species Recorded in Arizona

Featured Species

Systasea zampa

100 Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Funereal Duskywing
Erynnis funeralis

Bordered Patch
Chlosyne lacinia

Great Purple Hairstreak
Atlides halesus

Big poplar sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Southwestern Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa

Queen
Danaus gilippus

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Empress Leilia
Asterocampa leilia

Arizona Sister
Adelpha eulalia

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Arizona

2243 Species Recorded in Arizona

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Arizona

Ceraunus BlueHemiargus ceraunus

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Funereal DuskywingErynnis funeralis

Bordered PatchChlosyne lacinia

Great Purple HairstreakAtlides halesus

Big poplar sphinxPachysphinx occidentalis

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

American SnoutLibytheana carinenta

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

Southwestern OrangetipAnthocharis thoosa

QueenDanaus gilippus

Marine BlueLeptotes marina

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

American SnoutLibytheana carinenta

Pipevine SwallowtailBattus philenor

Empress LeiliaAsterocampa leilia

Arizona SisterAdelpha eulalia

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Two-tailed SwallowtailPapilio multicaudata

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Funereal Duskywing
Erynnis funeralis

Bordered Patch
Chlosyne lacinia

Great Purple Hairstreak
Atlides halesus

Big poplar sphinx
Pachysphinx occidentalis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Southwestern Orangetip
Anthocharis thoosa

Queen
Danaus gilippus

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

American Snout
Libytheana carinenta

Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Empress Leilia
Asterocampa leilia

Arizona Sister
Adelpha eulalia

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata