Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 21 - 30 of 41 results
Adult fall webworm moth resting on a leaf
Fall Webworm Moth
Hyphantria cunea
Fall webworm moths may be either completely white or have varying amounts of dark spots. The larvae are hairy caterpillars that live communally in late summer and fall in tentlike webs on the branch tips of trees.
Ornate bella moth resting on a thoroughwort flower cluster, Meadowood Farm SRMA, Mason Neck, Virginia, August 31, 2015
Ornate Bella Moth
Utetheisa ornatrix
The ornate bella moth, also called the calico moth and rattlebox moth, is one of Missouri’s most attractive moths. The colors, however, are a warning to predators that this moth is toxic if eaten. Even spiders reject them.
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?
Northern pearly-eye resting with wings closed
Northern Pearly-Eye
Enodia anthedon (syn. Lethe anthedon)
The northern pearly-eye is grayish brown with dark eyespots. Of three pearly-eye species in Missouri, it is the most widespread.
Photo of a pearl crescent
Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos
Don't let the pearl crescent’s dainty size keep you from admiring its intricate beauty.
Photo of an eastern comma butterfly, wings spread, showing dorsal side of wings
Eastern Comma
Polygonia comma
The eastern comma is named for a small white mark on the underside of the hindwing. It flies spring through fall, and even in winter, on warm, sunny days.
Photo of a silvery checkerspot, Wings Folded
Silvery Checkerspot
Chlosyne nycteis
Black and orange above, paler below, the silvery checkerspot has a telltale wide white crescent in a brownish patch along the edge of the hindwing underside.
image of a Tawny Emperor, Wings Spread
Tawny Emperor
Asterocampa clyton
The tawny emperor is less common than the hackberry emperor and has a rustier coloration. Both species feed on hackberry trees as caterpillars.
Photo of a Cabbage White
Cabbage White
Pieris rapae
A common butterfly in Missouri, the cabbage white was introduced in the 1800s from Europe and became a crop pest.
image of a Checkered White, Twigs
Checkered White
Pontia protodice
The checkered white is named for the charcoal-colored patterns on the white wings of adults. As with the closely related cabbage white, the larvae feed on plants in the mustard family.
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.