Butterflies and Moths of Michigan

907 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

The Bride
Catocala neogama

Observed: Aug 01, 2024

Submitted by: pporonto

Verified: Aug 02, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Observed: Jul 28, 2024

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Jul 29, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Orange Wing Moth
Mellilla xanthometata

Observed: Jul 26, 2024

Submitted by: Roose

Verified: Jul 27, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe

Observed: Jul 23, 2024

Submitted by: michbirder

Verified: Jul 24, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Observed: Jul 23, 2024

Submitted by: Ilse Gebhard

Verified: Jul 24, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Hermit sphinx
Lintneria eremitus

Observed: Jul 22, 2024

Submitted by: joyceannleppard@gmail.com

Verified: Jul 22, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Observed: Jul 14, 2024

Submitted by: Miksoko

Verified: Jul 15, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Clymene Moth
Haploa clymene

Observed: Jul 14, 2024

Submitted by: Metz

Verified: Jul 17, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis

Observed: Jul 14, 2024

Submitted by: Matt-k

Verified: Jul 31, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Observed: Jul 09, 2024

Submitted by: Tsaboflowermama

Verified: Jul 09, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Observed: Jul 09, 2024

Submitted by: amielovesbugs

Verified: Jul 09, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea

Observed: Jul 09, 2024

Submitted by: sarahbmich

Verified: Jul 09, 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

907 Species Recorded in Michigan

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

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Please donate!

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Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

The Bride
Catocala neogama

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Orange Wing Moth
Mellilla xanthometata

Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Hermit sphinx
Lintneria eremitus

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Clymene Moth
Haploa clymene

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea

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

907 Species Recorded in Michigan

100 Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Michigan

The BrideCatocala neogama

Sigmoid ProminentClostera albosigma

Orange Wing MothMellilla xanthometata

Hummingbird ClearwingHemaris thysbe

Pandorus SphinxEumorpha pandorus

Hermit sphinxLintneria eremitus

Modest sphinxPachysphinx modesta

Clymene MothHaploa clymene

Question MarkPolygonia interrogationis

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

Pandorus SphinxEumorpha pandorus

Ailanthus Webworm MothAtteva aurea

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

The Bride
Catocala neogama

Sigmoid Prominent
Clostera albosigma

Orange Wing Moth
Mellilla xanthometata

Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Hermit sphinx
Lintneria eremitus

Modest sphinx
Pachysphinx modesta

Clymene Moth
Haploa clymene

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea

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