Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 11 - 20 of 20 results
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 Red-Spotted Purple with wings closed, showing ventral side of wings
Red-Spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis
The red-spotted purple is a stunning butterfly, even though the spots are really orange, not red, and blue is more prominent than the subtle violet hues.
Photo of a regal fritillary, perched on a flower, wings folded
Regal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia
The regal fritillary is a large, silver-spotted, orange and blackish-gray butterfly of our native tallgrass prairies. Because of its dwindling habitat and steeply declining numbers, it is a species of conservation concern in Missouri and nationally.
Photo of a Viceroy resting with wings open
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus
Viceroys and monarchs look very similar. Both use the same warning coloration to warn would-be predators: We are toxic!
Photo of a Black Swallowtail, Male, Wings Spread
Black Swallowtail (Parsnip Swallowtail)
Papilio polyxenes
Most gardeners meet the black swallowtail sooner or later, because parsley, carrot, fennel, and dill are favorite food plants of the caterpillars.
Photo of an eastern tiger swallowtail resting with wings spread open
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
The beautiful eastern tiger swallowtail ranges across Missouri and is equally at home in forests or in city landscapes.
Photo of a Giant Swallowtail, Wings Spread
Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes
The giant swallowtail is the largest butterfly in our state. In Florida, the caterpillars are a pest in citrus orchards, but here in Missouri, they feed primarily on prickly ash and hop tree, plants provided by nature.
Photo of a Pipevine Swallowtail, Wings Spread
Pipevine Swallowtail (Blue Swallowtail)
Battus philenor
The pipevine swallowtail is ignored by most predators because of its acrid body juices. Several other butterflies benefit by looking strikingly similar.
Photo of a Spicebush Swallowtail, Male, Wings Spread
Spicebush Swallowtail
Pterourus troilus
Spicebush swallowtails are beautiful large black butterflies with beautiful iridescent blue-green on the hindwings. The caterpillars eat the leaves of sassafras and spicebush.
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?
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.