Butterflies and Moths
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Species Types
Scientific Name
Vanessa atalanta
Description
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.
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Scientific Name
Anaea andria
Description
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.
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Scientific Name
Polygonia comma
Description
The eastern comma is named for a small white mark on the underside of the hindwing. It flies spring through fall, and even in winter, on warm, sunny days.
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Scientific Name
Vanessa virginiensis
Description
The American lady resembles the closely related painted lady butterfly. It has two large spots on the hindwing underside, however.
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Scientific Name
Limenitis arthemis
Description
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.
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Scientific Name
Chlosyne nycteis
Description
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.
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Scientific Name
Asterocampa clyton
Description
The tawny emperor is less common than the hackberry emperor and has a rustier coloration. Both species feed on hackberry trees as caterpillars.
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Scientific Name
Limenitis archippus
Description
Viceroys and monarchs look very similar. Both use the same warning coloration to warn would-be predators: We are toxic!
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Scientific Name
Papilio polyxenes
Description
Most gardeners meet the black swallowtail sooner or later, because parsley, carrot, fennel, and dill are favorite food plants of the caterpillars.
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Scientific Name
Papilio glaucus
Description
The beautiful eastern tiger swallowtail ranges across Missouri and is equally at home in forests or in city landscapes.
See Also
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Scientific Name
About 1,500 species in North America north of Mexico
Description
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.
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Species Types
Scientific Name
Corydalus cornutus
Description
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.