Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 31 - 40 of 42 results
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?
Great Spangled Fritillary, Wings Spread, nectaring on milkweed flowers
Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele
The great spangled fritillary is common and easily recognized. This glorious butterfly is often seen in city yards and gardens as it seeks flowers.
Photo of a mourning cloak butterfly perched on a strand of barbed wire.
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
The unmistakable mourning cloak is a familiar woodland butterfly in Missouri. Adults hibernate and are sometimes seen flying on warm, sunny days in winter.
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.
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.
Image of a silver-spotted skipper
Silver-Spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus
In a large, global family of several thousand species, the silver-spotted skipper is one of the easiest to identify in our state.
image of a Fiery Skipper, Wings Spread
Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus
Fiery skippers have plain orange undersides scattered with a sprinkling of small dark spots. Males have flame-shaped orange patches on the hindwing upper surface.
Photo of a Peck's Skipper
Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius
Peck’s skipper is found in Missouri’s fields, lawns, and other open habitats from May through October. Identify it by the one yellow hindwing rectangle that is wider than the others.
image of a Sachem, Wings Folded
Sachem
Atalopedes campestris
Found statewide in grassy, open places, the sachem gets its name from the boldness of the males, which approach and chase away intruders — even people!
Photo of a common wood-nymph butterfly
Common Wood Nymph
Cercyonis pegala
Common wood nymphs vary by region. Some have a yellow area on the forewing containing two eyespots. Others may have the yellow area reduced to a yellow circle around each eyespot.
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.