Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 1 - 10 of 24 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.”
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.
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.
Goatweed leafwing perched on a tree trunk with wings closed
Goatweed Leafwing
Anaea andria
As it rests with wings closed, the goatweed leafwing mimics a dry, dead leaf. But when it flutters around, it flashes bright rusty orange on the top side of its wings.
A white-lined sphinx moth sips nectar from a purple locoweed flower
Sphinx Moths (Hawk Moths)
More than 50 species in Missouri
Sphinx moths are usually large and heavy bodied, with a long, pointed abdomen. Members of this family often hover near flowers, feeding on nectar and looking like hummingbirds or bumblebees.
image of a Nessus Sphinx
Nessus Sphinx
Amphion floridensis
The Nessus sphinx is a common Missouri moth. It hovers near flowers, collecting nectar, during the day and at dusk. The caterpillars eat plants in the grape family, including Virginia creeper.
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.
Coral hairstreak butterfly on butterfly weed flowers
Coral Hairstreak
Satyrium titus (syn. Harkenclenus titus)
The coral hairstreak is the only Missouri hairstreak lacking hindwing “tails” and without a blue spot on the outer hindwing edge.
Olive hairstreak taking nectar at a chickweed flower
Olive Hairstreak (Juniper Hairstreak)
Callophrys gryneus gryneus (syn. Mitoura gryneus gryneus)
The only green butterfly in Missouri, the olive (or juniper) hairstreak never strays far from eastern red cedar, its larval food plant. Adults fly between April and August.
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.
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.