Butterflies and Moths of Will County

263 Species Recorded in Will County

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in Will County

Use the Data Explorer to explore all sightings in Will County.

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Most Recent Sightings in Will County

See more recent sightings in Will County

Gray Looper Moth
Rachiplusia ou

Observed: Aug 20, 2025

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Aug 30, 2025

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Catalpa sphinx
Ceratomia catalpae

Observed: Aug 13, 2025

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Aug 24, 2025

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Coral Hairstreak
Satyrium titus

Observed: Jul 02, 2025

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Jul 26, 2025

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Black Dash
Euphyes conspicua

Observed: Jul 02, 2025

Submitted by: Ed Rothwell

Verified: Aug 02, 2025

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Virgin Tiger Moth
Apantesis virgo

Observed: May 29, 2024

Submitted by: vogelbild

Verified: Aug 22, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Eight-spotted Forester
Alypia octomaculata

Observed: May 29, 2024

Submitted by: vogelbild

Verified: Jun 01, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Silver-bordered Fritillary
Boloria selene

Observed: May 29, 2024

Submitted by: vogelbild

Verified: Jun 30, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Observed: Mar 09, 2024

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Mar 18, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Observed: Mar 08, 2024

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Mar 16, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Common Oak Moth
Phoberia atomaris

Observed: Mar 05, 2024

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Mar 16, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Copper Underwing
Amphipyra pyramidoides

Observed: Nov 12, 2023

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Jan 28, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus

Observed: Aug 29, 2023

Submitted by: eattaway92

Verified: Feb 19, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Will County

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.
Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemus	Upperside is reddish to yellowish brown; forewing margin is usually lighter than the basal area; forewing submarginal line is pink, or black and pink. Clear oval eyespots are ringed with yellow, blue, and black; hindwing eyespot is separated from the basal area of the wing by a thin pink line. Underside has rust, brown, and pink markings.
Imperial moth Eacles imperialis	Females are larger than males. Upperside is yellow with pinkish brown to purple-brown patches, bands, and cell spots, and tiny brown spots scattered overall. Males have larger patches on the forewings than females, except for some subspecies pini males which have reduced purple and are mostly yellow.
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.
Hummingbird Clearwing Hemaris thysbe	Adult appearance is variable; Hummingbird mimic. The thorax is olive to golden-olive in color dorsally, yellow ventrally; abdomen is dark burgundy (sometimes almost black) both dorsally and ventrally, with light olive to dark golden patches dorsally. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, <i>thysbe</i> typically has thick terminal borders and the discal cell is typically covered or bisected by dark scales. However, <i>thysbe</i> can always be distinguished from <i>gracilis</i> and <i>diffinis</i> by two characteristics: 1) the lack of any banding on the lateral side of the thorax; 2) <i>thysbe</i> always has yellowish or pale colored legs.
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.
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.
Carolina sphinx Manduca sexta	Abdomen usually has 6 pairs of yellow bands. Forewing has indistinct black, brown, and white markings. Hindwing is banded with black and white and has 2 black zigzag median lines that are very close together with hardly any white showing between them. Wing fringes on forewing are spotted with white.
Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth Spilosoma virginica
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.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

263 Species Recorded in Will County

100 Most Recent Sightings in Will County

Check out our new Fall 2025 Classic BAMONA Logo Shirts and cozy Native Plants Hoodies!

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Will County

Gray Looper Moth
Rachiplusia ou

Catalpa sphinx
Ceratomia catalpae

Coral Hairstreak
Satyrium titus

Black Dash
Euphyes conspicua

Virgin Tiger Moth
Apantesis virgo

Eight-spotted Forester
Alypia octomaculata

Silver-bordered Fritillary
Boloria selene

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Common Oak Moth
Phoberia atomaris

Copper Underwing
Amphipyra pyramidoides

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Carolina sphinx
Manduca sexta

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Will County

263 Species Recorded in Will County

100 Most Recent Sightings in Will County

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Will County

Gray Looper MothRachiplusia ou

Catalpa sphinxCeratomia catalpae

Coral HairstreakSatyrium titus

Black DashEuphyes conspicua

Virgin Tiger MothApantesis virgo

Eight-spotted ForesterAlypia octomaculata

Silver-bordered FritillaryBoloria selene

Spring Cankerworm MothPaleacrita vernata

Spring Cankerworm MothPaleacrita vernata

Common Oak MothPhoberia atomaris

Copper UnderwingAmphipyra pyramidoides

ViceroyLimenitis archippus

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Hummingbird ClearwingHemaris thysbe

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Carolina sphinxManduca sexta

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear MothSpilosoma virginica

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

Gray Looper Moth
Rachiplusia ou

Catalpa sphinx
Ceratomia catalpae

Coral Hairstreak
Satyrium titus

Black Dash
Euphyes conspicua

Virgin Tiger Moth
Apantesis virgo

Eight-spotted Forester
Alypia octomaculata

Silver-bordered Fritillary
Boloria selene

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Spring Cankerworm Moth
Paleacrita vernata

Common Oak Moth
Phoberia atomaris

Copper Underwing
Amphipyra pyramidoides

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Carolina sphinx
Manduca sexta

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus