Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

975 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

Celery Leaftier Moth
Udea rubigalis

Observed: Jun 11, 2026

Submitted by: beastbreath

Verified: Jun 12, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Observed: Jun 11, 2026

Submitted by: Genevieve DeWitt

Verified: Jun 12, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Mournful Thyris
Pseudothyris sepulchralis

Observed: Jun 10, 2026

Submitted by: beastbreath

Verified: Jun 12, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Pyrausta bicoloralis

Observed: Jun 10, 2026

Submitted by: beastbreath

Verified: Jun 12, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Black Zale
Zale undularis

Observed: Jun 07, 2026

Submitted by: andhanso

Verified: Jun 08, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia

Observed: Jun 06, 2026

Submitted by: Pixy

Verified: Jun 07, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Io moth
Automeris io

Observed: Jun 05, 2026

Submitted by: Nikkyroo

Verified: Jun 06, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Columbia silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: Nikkyroo

Verified: Jun 06, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: sjtalon

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis angulalis

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: naj.pilla

Verified: Jun 05, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Eastern Grass-veneer
Crambus laqueatellus

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: naj.pilla

Verified: Jun 05, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Black-patched Clepsis Moth
Clepsis melaleucana

Observed: Jun 04, 2026

Submitted by: naj.pilla

Verified: Jun 04, 2026

Verified by: jwileyrains

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

975 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

Celery Leaftier Moth
Udea rubigalis

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Mournful Thyris
Pseudothyris sepulchralis

Pyrausta bicoloralis

Black Zale
Zale undularis

Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia

Io moth
Automeris io

Columbia silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis angulalis

Eastern Grass-veneer
Crambus laqueatellus

Black-patched Clepsis Moth
Clepsis melaleucana

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

Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

975 Species Recorded in Michigan

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis

Virginia creeper sphinxDarapsa myron

Mournful ThyrisPseudothyris sepulchralis

Black ZaleZale undularis

Cecropia silkmothHyalophora cecropia

Io mothAutomeris io

Columbia silkmothHyalophora columbia

Modest sphinxPachysphinx modesta

Dark-spotted Palthis MothPalthis angulalis

Eastern Grass-veneerCrambus laqueatellus

Black-patched Clepsis MothClepsis melaleucana

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

Celery Leaftier Moth
Udea rubigalis

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Mournful Thyris
Pseudothyris sepulchralis

Black Zale
Zale undularis

Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia

Io moth
Automeris io

Columbia silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis angulalis

Eastern Grass-veneer
Crambus laqueatellus

Black-patched Clepsis Moth
Clepsis melaleucana

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