Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 1 - 10 of 28 results
American snout butterfly resting with wings folded
American Snout
Libytheana carinent
Most of us identify butterflies by their color patterns, but you can ID the American snout by its long “nose.”
image of a Banded Tussock Moth
Banded Tussock Moth
Halysidota tessellaris
Adult banded tussock moths have a distinctive checkered pattern on the wings. The fuzzy, dirty gray caterpillars are more familiar, with their pencils or tussocks of longer, black and white hairs.
Bronze copper butterfly perched on a grass blade, wings closed
Bronze Copper
Lycaena hyllus (syn. Hyllolycaena hyllus; Lycaena thoe)
The bronze copper occurs in localized colonies in throughout northern and western Missouri. Look for it May through October in wet, open, grassy areas.
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?
Image of a Cecropia moth.
Cecropia Moth
Hyalophora cecropia
The cecropia moth looks a lot like butterfly ― but note its feathery antennae and stout, hairy body. This is the largest moth native to North America.
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.
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 a sod webworm adult moth on a window with hind end propped up
Crambid Snout Moths
More than 860 species in North America north of Mexico
Crambid snout moths are named for the mouthparts that project outward like a snout. They are very similar to the closely related family of pyralid moths.
A wavy-lined emerald moth resting on a glass window
Geometrid Moths
About 250 species recorded for Missouri
Geometrid moths usually hold their wide wings spread flat against the surface they’re resting on. The caterpillars in this large family are twig mimics; called inchworms or loopers, they “walk” by humping their backs.
Polyphemus Moth, Belton MO
Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths
About 75 species in North America north of Mexico
Missouri has 16 species of saturniid, or giant silkworm moths. Many of them are spectacular, including the cecropia, luna, buck, io, imperial, polyphemus, rosy maple, spiny oakworm, and royal moths.
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.