Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 1 - 10 of 129 results
Photo of a Horace's Duskywing
Horace's Duskywing
Erynnis horatius
Look for Horace’s duskywing at flowers and mud puddles, in forests, and along roadsides.
Photo of a Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing
Thorybes pylades
A cloudywing is a spread-winged skipper whose ground color, seen from above, is completely dark, and not mottled. The northern cloudywing has a dark face, too.
Photo of a Common Checkered Skipper
Common Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus communis
The white and black checkered pattern makes this a simple identification. The common checkered skipper is the only checkered skipper in Missouri.
Photo of an unidentified grass skipper
Skippers
About 275 species in North America north of Mexico
At first glance, skippers look halfway between butterflies and moths. They are commonly seen darting among the flowers they visit on hot summer days.
Several regal fritillaries feeding on butterfly weed
Butterflies and Skippers
More than 700 species in North America north of Mexico
Learn about butterflies and skippers as a group. What makes a butterfly a butterfly? How are they different from moths? What are the major groups of butterflies?
Forage looper moth perched on a brick wall, viewed from side
Moths
More than 12,000 species in North America north of Mexico
Learn about moths as a group. What makes a moth a moth? How are moths different from butterflies? What are the major groups of moths?
Photo of a Celery Looper taking nectar from a flower
Celery Looper
Anagrapha falcifera
Adult celery looper moths look like dead leaves. A closer look reveals subtly gorgeous, ornate patterns on the wings.
A photo of a Clover Looper.
Clover Looper
Caenurgina crassiuscula
Adult clover loopers have distinctive tan mottled markings with brown bands. They typically fold their wings down their backs. The caterpillars eat clovers.
Photo of an Eight-Spotted Forester on a flower
Eight-Spotted Forester
Alypia octomaculata
The eight-spotted forester is a spiffy, butterfly-like moth. It is a fast, darting flyer and dazzles the eye when it flitters around flowers.
Photo of a leaffolder moth visiting a flower
Leaffolder Moths
Desmia spp.
There are nine species of leaffolder moths in North America, and even specialists must labor to separate them.
See Also
image of Caddisfly on leaf
Caddisflies
About 1,500 species in North America north of Mexico
Adult caddisflies are mothlike. Their larvae are aquatic and build portable, protective cases out of local materials, including grains of sand, bits of leaves and twigs, and other debris.
Photo of eastern dobsonfly
Eastern Dobsonfly
Corydalus cornutus
Adult eastern dobsonflies are huge and mothlike, with large wings and a weak, fluttery flight. The fiercely predaceous aquatic larvae, called hellgrammites, are well-known to anglers, who often use them as bait.

About Butterflies and Moths in Missouri

Butterflies, skippers, and moths belong to an insect order called the Lepidoptera — the "scale-winged" insects. These living jewels have tiny, overlapping scales that cover their wings like shingles. The scales, whether muted or colorful, seem dusty if they rub off on your fingers. Many butterflies and moths are associated with particular types of food plants, which their caterpillars must eat in order to survive.