Butterflies and Moths of Virginia

1520 Species Recorded in Virginia

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

Papilio glaucus

100 Most Recent Sightings in Virginia

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Virginia.

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Most Recent Sightings in Virginia

See more recent sightings in Virginia

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Observed: Aug 15, 2026

Submitted by: Scierra6

Verified: Aug 15, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Observed: Aug 12, 2026

Submitted by: Moth_woman

Verified: Aug 14, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Speyer's Hooded Owlet
Cucullia speyeri

Observed: Aug 09, 2026

Submitted by: LViar

Verified: Aug 14, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Macrochilo hypocritalis

Observed: Aug 08, 2026

Submitted by: John LeBlanc

Verified: Aug 08, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Heterocampa pulverea

Observed: Aug 08, 2026

Submitted by: WirelessMike

Verified: Aug 14, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Ilexia intractata

Observed: Aug 08, 2026

Submitted by: WirelessMike

Verified: Aug 08, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Ilia Underwing
Catocala ilia

Observed: Aug 06, 2026

Submitted by: WirelessMike

Verified: Aug 14, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Red Banded Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinana

Observed: Aug 05, 2026

Submitted by: StevebrownLepid

Verified: Aug 14, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Observed: Aug 05, 2026

Submitted by: B Reinsel

Verified: Aug 06, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Tulip-Tree Beauty
Epimecis hortaria

Observed: Aug 05, 2026

Submitted by: xxburymeinblackxx

Verified: Aug 07, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Platynota flavedana

Observed: Aug 04, 2026

Submitted by: StevebrownLepid

Verified: Aug 08, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Beautiful Wood-nymph
Eudryas grata

Observed: Aug 01, 2026

Submitted by: Moth_woman

Verified: Aug 01, 2026

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Virginia

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.
Sachem Atalopedes campestris	Upperside of male is yellow-orange with a wide brown border and a large squarish black stigma. Female upperside varies from yellow-brown to very dark brown, but always has a square transparent white spot at the end of the forewing cell. Underside of female hindwing is brown with nearly square cream or white spots.
Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus	Wings are brown-black; hindwing is lobed. Forewing has transparent gold spots; underside of hindwing has a metallic silver band.
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.
Eastern Tailed-Blue Cupido comyntas	One narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male iridescent blue; summer females uniformly brown, spring females smaller with much blue at the wing bases. Underside of hindwing pale gray with black bar at end of cell, distinct black spots, and three large orange spots at outer margin near tail.
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax
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.
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.
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.
Spicebush Swallowtail Papilio troilus	Upper surface of forewing is mostly black with ivory spots along margin. Upper surface of hindwing has orange spot on costal margin and sheen of bluish (female) or bluish-green (male) scales. Underside of hindwing with pale green marginal spots.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1520 Species Recorded in Virginia

Featured Species

Papilio glaucus

100 Most Recent Sightings in Virginia

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

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Virginia

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Speyer's Hooded Owlet
Cucullia speyeri

Macrochilo hypocritalis

Heterocampa pulverea

Ilexia intractata

Ilia Underwing
Catocala ilia

Red Banded Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinana

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Tulip-Tree Beauty
Epimecis hortaria

Platynota flavedana

Beautiful Wood-nymph
Eudryas grata

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Virginia

1520 Species Recorded in Virginia

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Virginia

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Virginia

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear MothSpilosoma virginica

Speyer's Hooded OwletCucullia speyeri

Ilia UnderwingCatocala ilia

Red Banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinana

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

Tulip-Tree BeautyEpimecis hortaria

Beautiful Wood-nymphEudryas grata

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

SachemAtalopedes campestris

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Eastern Tailed-BlueCupido comyntas

'Astyanax' Red-spotted PurpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax

Common BuckeyeJunonia coenia

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Spicebush SwallowtailPapilio troilus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Speyer's Hooded Owlet
Cucullia speyeri

Ilia Underwing
Catocala ilia

Red Banded Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinana

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Tulip-Tree Beauty
Epimecis hortaria

Beautiful Wood-nymph
Eudryas grata

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus