Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

922 Species Recorded in Michigan

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

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Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

See more recent sightings in Michigan

Isabella Tiger Moth or Banded Woolybear
Pyrrharctia isabella

Observed: Oct 15, 2024

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Oct 17, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Redbud Leaffolder Moth
Fascista cercerisella

Observed: Sep 29, 2024

Submitted by: EwaM

Verified: Oct 01, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Velvet Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera latifascia

Observed: Sep 26, 2024

Submitted by: avesteve

Verified: Sep 26, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Ipimorpha nanaimo

Observed: Sep 13, 2024

Submitted by: Rlkrannitz@gmail.com

Verified: Sep 13, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Bracken Borer Moth
Papaipema pterisii

Observed: Sep 10, 2024

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Sep 11, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Ash Tip Borer Moth
Papaipema furcata

Observed: Sep 10, 2024

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Sep 11, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

White Underwing
Catocala relicta

Observed: Sep 09, 2024

Submitted by: sjtalon

Verified: Sep 09, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Sweetheart Underwing
Catocala amatrix

Observed: Sep 07, 2024

Submitted by: Katydidd76

Verified: Sep 08, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Great Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia

Observed: Aug 31, 2024

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Sep 01, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Hologram Moth
Diachrysia balluca

Observed: Aug 29, 2024

Submitted by: Sharmon555

Verified: Aug 30, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Observed: Aug 23, 2024

Submitted by: jpp8159

Verified: Aug 26, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Exiled Dagger Moth
Acronicta exilis

Observed: Aug 15, 2024

Submitted by: talusrutgers

Verified: Sep 28, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

Monarch Danaus plexippus	Upperside of male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins; hindwing has a patch of scent scales. Upperside of female is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a Mullerian mimic; it has similar coloration and is also distasteful.
Cabbage White Pieris rapae	Upperside of wings white; forewing with black tip. Two submarginal black spots in female, one in male. Underside of hindwing and forewing apex evenly yellow-green or gray-green. Spring and fall short-day form is smaller, less yellow, with reduced black areas.
Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice	Upper surface of male wings bright, clear yellow with solid black edging; lower side of forewing with some dark submarginal spots; hindwing with silver cell spot rimmed with orange-pink, usually doubled. Female has 2 forms: yellow form with uneven black edging enclosing yellow spots, and a white form which is greenish-white rather than yellow. Spring and fall forms are smaller and less conspicuously marked.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa	Short projections on both wings, borders irregular. Upperside is purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots at the inner edge of the border.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus	Male is yellow with dark tiger stripes. Female has 2 forms: one yellow like the male and the other black with shadows of dark stripes. Hindwing of both female forms has a row of striking blue chevrons and an iridescent blue wash over parts of the interior hindwing. The upperside hindwing has a prominent orange marginal spot that is generally larger than the row of pale marginal spots. On the underside of forewing of spring individuals the row of marginal spots may be merged into a continuous band, thus appearing similar to the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.
Great Spangled Fritillary Speyeria cybele	Large. Upperside of male tan to orange with black scales on forewing veins; female tawny, darker than male. Underside of hindwing with wide pale submarginal band and large silver spots.
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta	Upperside is black with white spots near the apex; forewing with red median band, hindwing with red marginal band. The winter form is smaller and duller, summer form larger and brighter with an interrupted forewing band.
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes	Upper surface of wings mostly black; on inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. Male has yellow band near edge of wings; female has row of yellow spots. Female hindwing with iridescent blue band. In the Southwest, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies P. coloro.
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax
Viceroy Limenitis archippus	Upperside is orange and black, resembling the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), except the Viceroy has a black line across the hindwing and a single row of white dots in the black marginal band. Where Monarchs are rare in Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys are brown instead of orange and mimic the Queen (Danaus gilippus).

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

922 Species Recorded in Michigan

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Visit the BAMONA Shop

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Isabella Tiger Moth or Banded Woolybear
Pyrrharctia isabella

Redbud Leaffolder Moth
Fascista cercerisella

Velvet Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera latifascia

Ipimorpha nanaimo

Bracken Borer Moth
Papaipema pterisii

Ash Tip Borer Moth
Papaipema furcata

White Underwing
Catocala relicta

Sweetheart Underwing
Catocala amatrix

Great Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia

Hologram Moth
Diachrysia balluca

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Exiled Dagger Moth
Acronicta exilis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

922 Species Recorded in Michigan

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Isabella Tiger Moth or Banded WoolybearPyrrharctia isabella

Redbud Leaffolder MothFascista cercerisella

Velvet Armyworm MothSpodoptera latifascia

Bracken Borer MothPapaipema pterisii

Ash Tip Borer MothPapaipema furcata

White UnderwingCatocala relicta

Sweetheart UnderwingCatocala amatrix

Great Leopard MothHypercompe scribonia

Hologram MothDiachrysia balluca

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

Exiled Dagger MothAcronicta exilis

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

'Astyanax' Red-spotted PurpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax

ViceroyLimenitis archippus

Isabella Tiger Moth or Banded Woolybear
Pyrrharctia isabella

Redbud Leaffolder Moth
Fascista cercerisella

Velvet Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera latifascia

Bracken Borer Moth
Papaipema pterisii

Ash Tip Borer Moth
Papaipema furcata

White Underwing
Catocala relicta

Sweetheart Underwing
Catocala amatrix

Great Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia

Hologram Moth
Diachrysia balluca

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Exiled Dagger Moth
Acronicta exilis

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Viceroy
Limenitis archippus