Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

National Moth Week is July 18-26!

Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.

976 Species Recorded in Michigan

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Limenitis arthemis astyanax

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Michigan.

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Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

See more recent sightings in Michigan

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Observed: Jul 17, 2026

Submitted by: ampm1978

Verified: Jul 17, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Observed: Jul 16, 2026

Submitted by: ampm1978

Verified: Jul 16, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Observed: Jul 15, 2026

Submitted by: Darmstrong1359

Verified: Jul 15, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Observed: Jul 13, 2026

Submitted by: Jerry Van Den Berg

Verified: Jul 15, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Royal Walnut Moth
Citheronia regalis

Observed: Jul 13, 2026

Submitted by: blacknailheart

Verified: Jul 14, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Observed: Jul 11, 2026

Submitted by: vpapesh

Verified: Jul 11, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Small-eyed sphinx
Paonias myops

Observed: Jul 11, 2026

Submitted by: vpapesh

Verified: Jul 11, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Observed: Jul 10, 2026

Submitted by: Nikkyroo

Verified: Jul 11, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Variable Nigranum
Olethreutes nigranum

Observed: Jul 10, 2026

Submitted by: beastbreath

Verified: Jul 12, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Observed: Jul 09, 2026

Submitted by: Strawberry8

Verified: Jul 10, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Harris' Checkerspot
Chlosyne harrisii

Observed: Jul 09, 2026

Submitted by: Rgilson

Verified: Jul 10, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Observed: Jul 09, 2026

Submitted by: Rgilson

Verified: Jul 10, 2026

Verified by: talusrutgers

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Great Spangled Fritillary Speyeria cybele	Large. Upperside of male tan to orange with black scales on forewing veins; female tawny, darker than male. Underside of hindwing with wide pale submarginal band and large silver spots.
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.
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax
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.
Viceroy Limenitis archippus	Upperside is orange and black, resembling the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), except the Viceroy has a black line across the hindwing and a single row of white dots in the black marginal band. Where Monarchs are rare in Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys are brown instead of orange and mimic the Queen (Danaus gilippus).

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

National Moth Week is July 18-26!

Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.

976 Species Recorded in Michigan

Featured Species

Limenitis arthemis astyanax

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Royal Walnut Moth
Citheronia regalis

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Small-eyed sphinx
Paonias myops

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Variable Nigranum
Olethreutes nigranum

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Harris' Checkerspot
Chlosyne harrisii

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

National Moth Week is July 18-26!

Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.

Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

976 Species Recorded in Michigan

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Sigmoid ProminentClostera albosigma

Modest sphinxPachysphinx modesta

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

Common Checkered-SkipperBurnsius communis

Royal Walnut MothCitheronia regalis

Sigmoid ProminentClostera albosigma

Small-eyed sphinxPaonias myops

Modest sphinxPachysphinx modesta

Variable NigranumOlethreutes nigranum

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

Harris' CheckerspotChlosyne harrisii

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

'Astyanax' Red-spotted PurpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

ViceroyLimenitis archippus

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Royal Walnut Moth
Citheronia regalis

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Small-eyed sphinx
Paonias myops

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Variable Nigranum
Olethreutes nigranum

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Harris' Checkerspot
Chlosyne harrisii

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus