Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1505 Species Recorded in Missouri

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

See more recent sightings in Missouri

Dinumma deponens

Observed: Dec 11, 2024

Submitted by: crprice

Verified: Dec 20, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Soybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens

Observed: Nov 02, 2024

Submitted by: Meadowlands Farms

Verified: Nov 04, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Observed: Nov 01, 2024

Submitted by: Barjones78

Verified: Nov 01, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Agnorisma bollii

Observed: Oct 16, 2024

Submitted by: SuchACuriousThing

Verified: Oct 17, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Observed: Oct 11, 2024

Submitted by: chrisluvsanimals

Verified: Oct 12, 2024

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula

Observed: Oct 05, 2024

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: Oct 22, 2024

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata

Observed: Oct 05, 2024

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: Oct 22, 2024

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Ocola Skipper
Panoquina ocola

Observed: Sep 26, 2024

Submitted by: terrymortier

Verified: Sep 28, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

White-M Hairstreak
Parrhasius m album

Observed: Sep 25, 2024

Submitted by: terrymortier

Verified: Sep 28, 2024

Verified by: CA Ivy

Details

Hitched Arches
Melanchra adjuncta

Observed: Sep 21, 2024

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: Sep 25, 2024

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Banded Tussock Moth or Pale Tiger Moth
Halysidota tessellaris

Observed: Sep 21, 2024

Submitted by: Agate Moss

Verified: Sep 24, 2024

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Walnut sphinx
Amorpha juglandis

Observed: Sep 21, 2024

Submitted by: Ozark_Bill

Verified: Sep 25, 2024

Verified by: Ozark_Bill

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemus	Upperside is reddish to yellowish brown; forewing margin is usually lighter than the basal area; forewing submarginal line is pink, or black and pink. Clear oval eyespots are ringed with yellow, blue, and black; hindwing eyespot is separated from the basal area of the wing by a thin pink line. Underside has rust, brown, and pink markings.
Luna moth Actias luna	Hindwings have long curving tails. Wings are pale green, each with a transparent eyespot. Outer margins are pink in the southern spring brood, yellow in the southern summer brood and in northern populations.
Imperial moth Eacles imperialis	Females are larger than males. Upperside is yellow with pinkish brown to purple-brown patches, bands, and cell spots, and tiny brown spots scattered overall. Males have larger patches on the forewings than females, except for some subspecies pini males which have reduced purple and are mostly yellow.
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.
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.
Virginia creeper sphinx Darapsa myron	Forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an olive tint. On the costal margin is a dark rectangular patch, although this may be reduced or absent. Upperside of hindwing is pale orange.
Snowberry Clearwing Hemaris diffinis	Adults are quite variable in appearance; Bumblebee mimic. The thorax is golden or olive-golden in color, abdomen is black dorsally with 1-2 segments just prior to terminal end being yellow to various extent, while black ventrally. <i>H. diffinis</i> is the only eastern species to exhibit blue abdominal tufts on the first black segment in some freshly emerged specimens. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, <i>diffinis</i> typically has very thin terminal borders and the discal cell is elongate and without scales. However, <i>diffinis</i> can always be distinguished from <i>gracilis</i> and <i>thysbe</i> by two diagnostic characteristics: 1) the black band that crosses the eye and travels down the lateral side of the thorax; 2) <i>diffinis</i> always has black legs.
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineata	Upperside of forewing is dark olive brown with paler brown along the costa and outer margin, a narrow tan band running from the wing tip to the base, and white streaks along the veins. Hindwing upperside is black with a reddish pink median band.
Bicolored honey locust moth Syssphinx bicolor	Much individual and seasonal variability. Females are larger than males. Upperside of wings ranges from reddish brown to reddish orange to brownish yellow. Forewing has a postmedian line which is distinct and bent toward the wing base or almost absent, and 0-2 white cell spots. Hindwing has no submedian line. Both wings have varying amounts of scattered black specks, or none at all.
Promiscuous Angle Macaria promiscuata

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1505 Species Recorded in Missouri

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

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Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Dinumma deponens

Soybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Agnorisma bollii

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula

Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata

Ocola Skipper
Panoquina ocola

White-M Hairstreak
Parrhasius m album

Hitched Arches
Melanchra adjuncta

Banded Tussock Moth or Pale Tiger Moth
Halysidota tessellaris

Walnut sphinx
Amorpha juglandis

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

Promiscuous Angle
Macaria promiscuata

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

1505 Species Recorded in Missouri

100 Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Missouri

Soybean Looper MothChrysodeixis includens

Gulf FritillaryAgraulis vanillae

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear MothSpilosoma virginica

Crowned Slug MothIsa textula

Shagreened Slug MothApoda biguttata

Ocola SkipperPanoquina ocola

White-M HairstreakParrhasius m album

Hitched ArchesMelanchra adjuncta

Banded Tussock Moth or Pale Tiger MothHalysidota tessellaris

Walnut sphinxAmorpha juglandis

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

Luna mothActias luna

Imperial mothEacles imperialis

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Virginia creeper sphinxDarapsa myron

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

White-lined SphinxHyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust mothSyssphinx bicolor

Promiscuous AngleMacaria promiscuata

Soybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Virginian Tiger Moth or Yellow Woolybear Moth
Spilosoma virginica

Crowned Slug Moth
Isa textula

Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata

Ocola Skipper
Panoquina ocola

White-M Hairstreak
Parrhasius m album

Hitched Arches
Melanchra adjuncta

Banded Tussock Moth or Pale Tiger Moth
Halysidota tessellaris

Walnut sphinx
Amorpha juglandis

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Luna moth
Actias luna

Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor

Promiscuous Angle
Macaria promiscuata