Butterflies and Moths of Kansas

659 Species Recorded in Kansas

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Kansas

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Most Recent Sightings in Kansas

See more recent sightings in Kansas

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Oct 20, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Oct 20, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Observed: Oct 20, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Oct 20, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Pearly Wood-nymph
Eudryas unio

Observed: Oct 17, 2023

Submitted by: KassNelson123

Verified: Nov 12, 2023

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Texan Crescent
Anthanassa texana

Observed: Oct 16, 2023

Submitted by: blueracer

Verified: Oct 16, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

The Asteroid
Cucullia asteroides

Observed: Oct 07, 2023

Submitted by: Littlewing

Verified: Oct 10, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis

Observed: Sep 22, 2023

Submitted by: Dhurley

Verified: Sep 24, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Observed: Sep 13, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Sep 13, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Observed: Sep 13, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Sep 13, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Observed: Sep 10, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Sep 10, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Observed: Sep 10, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Sep 10, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Delaware Skipper
Anatrytone logan

Observed: Sep 10, 2023

Submitted by: James Steen

Verified: Sep 10, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Milkweed Tussock Moth or Milkweed Tiger Moth
Euchaetes egle

Observed: Sep 07, 2023

Submitted by: Littlewing

Verified: Sep 07, 2023

Verified by: James Steen

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Kansas

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.
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.
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.
Common Buckeye Junonia coenia	Upperside is brown. Forewing with 2 orange cell bars and 2 eyespots; part of white subapical band appears in the largest, lower eyespot. Hindwing has 2 eyespots; upper one is largest and contains a magenta crescent. Underside of hindwing is brown or tan in the wet season (summer) form and rose-red in the dry season (fall) form.
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.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus	Male is yellow with dark tiger stripes. Female has 2 forms: one yellow like the male and the other black with shadows of dark stripes. Hindwing of both female forms has a row of striking blue chevrons and an iridescent blue wash over parts of the interior hindwing. The upperside hindwing has a prominent orange marginal spot that is generally larger than the row of pale marginal spots. On the underside of forewing of spring individuals the row of marginal spots may be merged into a continuous band, thus appearing similar to the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.
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.
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus	One tail on hindwing. Upperside blue-gray with large red spot near tail. Underside of spring/fall form is dark gray, summer form is paler gray. Relatively straight postmedian line is white, bordered with orange on the inside edge.
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.
Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis	Extremely variable geographically. Upperside is reddish brown. Forewing has 1 submarginal eyespot, a jagged row of white spots, and the cell has 1 solid black bar and 2 separate black spots.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

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659 Species Recorded in Kansas

Featured Species

Speyeria idalia

100 Most Recent Sightings in Kansas

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Most Recent Sightings in Kansas

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Pearly Wood-nymph
Eudryas unio

Texan Crescent
Anthanassa texana

The Asteroid
Cucullia asteroides

Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Delaware Skipper
Anatrytone logan

Milkweed Tussock Moth or Milkweed Tiger Moth
Euchaetes egle

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Kansas

659 Species Recorded in Kansas

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Kansas

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Kansas

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

SachemAtalopedes campestris

Pearly Wood-nymphEudryas unio

Texan CrescentAnthanassa texana

The AsteroidCucullia asteroides

Evergreen Bagworm MothThyridopteryx ephemeraeformis

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Sleepy OrangeAbaeis nicippe

Dainty SulphurNathalis iole

Delaware SkipperAnatrytone logan

Milkweed Tussock Moth or Milkweed Tiger MothEuchaetes egle

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Common BuckeyeJunonia coenia

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Hackberry EmperorAsterocampa celtis

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Pearly Wood-nymph
Eudryas unio

Texan Crescent
Anthanassa texana

The Asteroid
Cucullia asteroides

Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole

Delaware Skipper
Anatrytone logan

Milkweed Tussock Moth or Milkweed Tiger Moth
Euchaetes egle

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis