Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 1 - 10 of 12 results
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?
Photo of a Hackberry Emperor
Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis
The hackberry emperor eats hackberry leaves as a caterpillar. The adults fly erratically. They often alight on people to absorb sodium from sweat.
Photo of a Painted Lady
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
The painted lady is a delicately patterned butterfly found nearly worldwide. It migrates to Missouri in spring. There are several broods.
Photo of a red admiral butterfly, wings spread.
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Red admirals dart through Missouri woods, gardens, and open areas from March through November. They are easily recognized by their black, red, and white pattern.
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.
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 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.
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.