Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 21 - 30 of 64 results
Photo of a magdalen underwing moth
Magdalen Underwing
Catocala illecta
The magdalen underwing is one of dozens in its genus found in Missouri. You can tell it from the others by the specific pattern on the brightly colored hindwings, which are usually covered by the dull brown forewings.
Photo of a Virginia Creeper Sphinx moth
Virginia Creeper Sphinx
Darapsa myron
The Virginia creeper sphinx moth is common in woods and brushy areas and comes to lights at night. The larvae eat Virginia creeper and grape leaves.
image of a Honey Locust Moth
Honey Locust Moth
Syssphinx bicolor (syn. Sphingicampa bicolor)
Honey locust moths are gray in spring and increasingly yellow, tan, or rusty later as the season progresses. The hindwings are typically rose-colored.
Image of a gypsy moth
Spongy Moth
Lymantria dispar
The spongy moth, introduced to our continent from Europe, has caused millions of dollars in damages to forests. Help protect our forests by learning how to recognize the spongy moth, and its larvae and egg masses, and report any occurrences you find.
image of an Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Tent Caterpillar And Lappet Moths
About 35 species in North America north of Mexico
Tent caterpillar moths and lappet moths are medium-sized, with thick, long scales that make them look furry. The abdomen usually extends past the wings when they are folded back over the body.
Tortricid moth resting on a leaf
Tortricid Moths
About 1,400 species in North America north of Mexico
At rest, tortricid moths often have a distinctive shape, resembling an arrowhead or a bell, with the forewing tips either squared-off or flared outward.
Photo of a monkey slug caterpillar on an oak leaf
Slug Caterpillar Moths
More than 20 species in Missouri
Adult slug caterpillar moths are heavy-bodied and furry. The weird-looking caterpillars have suckers instead of prolegs, so they glide around like slugs. Don’t touch — many have stinging spines or hairs.
Orange-patched smoky moth resting on the edge of a leaf
Leaf Skeletonizer Moths (Smoky Moths)
About 25 species in North America north of Mexico
Leaf skeletonizer moths are also called smoky moths because they have translucent smoky-brown, brownish gray, or black wings. Many species also have patches or orange or rusty color. Larvae eat all but the veins of leaves, leaving a skeleton of veins behind.
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.
Photo of two bagworm bags on red cedar
Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis
The larvae of bagworm moths live in protective cases they make out of their own silk plus plant materials or other debris. These spindle-shaped cases dangle from the food plants they’re eating.
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.