Butterflies and Moths of North Carolina

1536 Species Recorded in North Carolina

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in North Carolina

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Most Recent Sightings in North Carolina

See more recent sightings in North Carolina

Summer Azure
Celastrina neglecta

Observed: Mar 22, 2025

Submitted by: ktew

Verified: Mar 26, 2025

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Observed: Mar 22, 2025

Submitted by: ktew

Verified: Mar 26, 2025

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Texas Gray
Glenoides texanaria

Observed: Mar 06, 2025

Submitted by: vsantiagoam

Verified: Mar 10, 2025

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Anticarsia gemmatalis

Observed: Oct 26, 2024

Submitted by: luvacat1

Verified: Oct 28, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Symmerista canicosta

Observed: Oct 17, 2024

Submitted by: KristaJ765

Verified: Oct 17, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Clouded Skipper
Lerema accius

Observed: Oct 11, 2024

Submitted by: rjgrycki

Verified: Oct 12, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

Observed: Oct 07, 2024

Submitted by: ap_boone89

Verified: Oct 10, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Observed: Oct 03, 2024

Submitted by: Flatcoatnc@yahoo.com

Verified: Nov 12, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Observed: Oct 02, 2024

Submitted by: TientsinMama

Verified: Oct 04, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Observed: Oct 02, 2024

Submitted by: TientsinMama

Verified: Oct 04, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis asopialis

Observed: Oct 01, 2024

Submitted by: vsantiagoam

Verified: Oct 09, 2024

Verified by: rogerdowner

Details

Zebra Heliconian
Heliconius charithonia

Observed: Sep 30, 2024

Submitted by: Tara Evans

Verified: Sep 30, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of North Carolina

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.
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos	Quite variable. Males usually have black antennal knobs. Upperside is orange with black borders; postmedian and submarginal areas are crossed by fine black marks. Underside of hindwing has a dark marginal patch containing a light-colored crescent. Spring and fall broods (form marcia) have a gray mottled hindwing below.
Common Buckeye Junonia coenia	Upperside is brown. Forewing with 2 orange cell bars and 2 eyespots; part of white subapical band appears in the largest, lower eyespot. Hindwing has 2 eyespots; upper one is largest and contains a magenta crescent. Underside of hindwing is brown or tan in the wet season (summer) form and rose-red in the dry season (fall) form.
Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus	Wings are brown-black; hindwing is lobed. Forewing has transparent gold spots; underside of hindwing has a metallic silver band.
American Lady Vanessa virginiensis	Upperside with uneven brown, yellow, and orange pattern. Forewing with a black apical patch, a small white spot in the orange field below the patch, and a white bar at the leading edge of the forewing. Underside of hindwing with two large eyespots. Winter form is smaller and paler, summer form larger with brighter coloring.
Eastern Tailed-Blue Cupido comyntas	One narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male iridescent blue; summer females uniformly brown, spring females smaller with much blue at the wing bases. Underside of hindwing pale gray with black bar at end of cell, distinct black spots, and three large orange spots at outer margin near tail.
Sleepy Orange Abaeis nicippe	Upperside of wings orange in both sexes; orange-yellow form rare. Forewing with small black cell spot. Male with sharply defined black borders on outer and costal margins; female borders not so well-defined. In winter form, underside of hindwing is brick red, brown, or tan; in summer form it is orange-yellow.
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae	Upper surface of male is lemon yellow with no markings. Female is yellow or white; outer edges of both wings with irregular black borders; upper forewing with dark spot in cell. Lower surface of hindwing of both sexes with 2 pink-edged silver spots.
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.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral Limenitis arthemis	These two very different forms had once been considered separate species. WHITE ADMIRAL: Upperside is black with broad white median bands on both wings; hindwing has a marginal row of blue dashes and a submarginal row of red dots. Underside is reddish-brown with white median bands as on the upperside. RED-SPOTTED PURPLE: Upperside is blue to blue-green with much iridescence on the outer part of the hindwing. Underside is dark brown. Forewing has 2 red-orange bars near the base of the leading edge; hindwing has 3 red-orange spots near the base and a submarginal row of red-orange spots. The two forms hybridize where their ranges overlap, creating various intermediate forms which may be found in or near the overlap zone.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1536 Species Recorded in North Carolina

Featured Species

Citheronia regalis

100 Most Recent Sightings in North Carolina

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Most Recent Sightings in North Carolina

Summer Azure
Celastrina neglecta

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Texas Gray
Glenoides texanaria

Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Anticarsia gemmatalis

Symmerista canicosta

Clouded Skipper
Lerema accius

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis asopialis

Zebra Heliconian
Heliconius charithonia

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
Limenitis arthemis

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of North Carolina

1536 Species Recorded in North Carolina

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in North Carolina

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in North Carolina

Summer AzureCelastrina neglecta

Henry's ElfinCallophrys henrici

Texas GrayGlenoides texanaria

Velvetbean Caterpillar MothAnticarsia gemmatalis

Clouded SkipperLerema accius

Long-tailed SkipperUrbanus proteus

'Astyanax' Red-spotted PurpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Faint-spotted Palthis MothPalthis asopialis

Zebra HeliconianHeliconius charithonia

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Common BuckeyeJunonia coenia

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

Eastern Tailed-BlueCupido comyntas

Sleepy OrangeAbaeis nicippe

Cloudless SulphurPhoebis sennae

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Red-spotted Purple or White AdmiralLimenitis arthemis

Summer Azure
Celastrina neglecta

Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici

Texas Gray
Glenoides texanaria

Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Anticarsia gemmatalis

Clouded Skipper
Lerema accius

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Faint-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis asopialis

Zebra Heliconian
Heliconius charithonia

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
Limenitis arthemis