Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 21 - 30 of 32 results
Photo of a Zebra Swallowtail
Zebra Swallowtail
Eurytides marcellus
Zebra swallowtails are unmistakable with their black and white stripes and long tails. Look for this species fluttering around in Missouri’s forests.
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.
image of a Clouded Sulphur on a wildflower
Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice
The clouded sulphur is one of our most common butterflies, flying low over fields and lawns, from late March into December.
Photo of a falcate orangetip nectaring on a spring beauty flower
Falcate Orangetip
Anthocharis midea
Falcate orangetip males are unmistakable with their small size, white coloration, and orange wingtips. Look for them in open woodlands in April.
Photo of a little yellow nectaring on a native aster flower
Little Yellow
Pyrisitia lisa (syn. Eurema lisa)
The little yellow is just what the name says it is. The lower side is yellow with a few spots, including two tiny black spots on the basal hindwing and, often, a larger rusty spot on the hindwing margin.
Photo of an Orange Sulphur taking nectar from a flower
Orange Sulphur (Alfalfa Butterfly)
Colias eurytheme
One of the most common butterflies in Missouri, the orange sulphur often gathers in numbers in moist places.
Photo of a southern dogface taking nectar on a pale purple coneflower
Southern Dogface
Zerene cesonia (formerly Colias cesonia)
The southern dogface has a dog’s head pictured on its yellow forewings. It repopulates our state each year from the south.
Photo of a red-banded hairstreak
Red-Banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops
The red-banded hairstreak has a unique pattern of white, black, and red-orange bands on the underside hindwing. It is most common in the Ozarks.
Photo of a Summer Azure
Summer Azure
Celastrina neglecta
Formerly considered the same species as the spring azure, the summer azure can be identified, in large part, by the season when you see it.
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.