Butterflies and Moths of South Carolina

1180 Species Recorded in South Carolina

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Carolina

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Most Recent Sightings in South Carolina

See more recent sightings in South Carolina

Metallata absumens

Observed: Sep 03, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 04, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Observed: Sep 03, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Two-spotted Herpetogramma
Herpetogramma bipunctalis

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Luna moth
Actias luna

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Brown-shaded Gray
Iridopsis defectaria

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: mpasour

Verified: Sep 02, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Soybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Whirlabout
Polites vibex

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Observed: Sep 02, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 03, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Ephestiodes infimella

Observed: Sep 01, 2024

Submitted by: Alison Davies

Verified: Sep 02, 2024

Verified by: Dennis Forsythe

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of South Carolina

Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae	Upperside bright orange with black markings; 3 black-encircled white dots on forewing leading edge. Underside brown; forewing with orange at base; both wings with elongated, iridescent silver spots.
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.
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.
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.
Palamedes Swallowtail Papilio palamedes	Upper surface of hind- and forewings with postmedian yellow bands; tails are filled with yellow. Lower surface of hindwing with thin yellow basal stripe and postmedian band of yellow-orange crescents.
Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus	Tails are long. Upperside is dark blackish brown; body and wing bases are iridescent blue-green. Males have a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the leading edge of the forewing. Dark row on underside of hindwing is a complete band.
Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius	Fringes are brown. Upperside of male forewing is dark brown with little contrast and no white overscaling. Upperside of female forewing is light brown with a contrasting pattern and large transparent spots. Underside of hindwing is usually without 2 spots below the apex. Male has a costal fold containing yellow scent scales; female has a patch of scent scales on the 7th abdominal segment.
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.
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.
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus	Antennae are very short. Male wide black stigma. Underside of the hindwing is scattered with small black spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown with a very irregular orange band. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with paler checks.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

1180 Species Recorded in South Carolina

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Carolina

Visit the BAMONA Shop

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in South Carolina

Metallata absumens

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Two-spotted Herpetogramma
Herpetogramma bipunctalis

Luna moth
Actias luna

Brown-shaded Gray
Iridopsis defectaria

Soybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens

Whirlabout
Polites vibex

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Ephestiodes infimella

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Palamedes Swallowtail
Papilio palamedes

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

Horace's Duskywing
Erynnis horatius

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of South Carolina

1180 Species Recorded in South Carolina

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Carolina

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in South Carolina

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Two-spotted HerpetogrammaHerpetogramma bipunctalis

Luna mothActias luna

Brown-shaded GrayIridopsis defectaria

Soybean Looper MothChrysodeixis includens

WhirlaboutPolites vibex

Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis

Sleepy OrangeAbaeis nicippe

Gulf FritillaryAgraulis vanillae

Cloudless SulphurPhoebis sennae

Gulf FritillaryAgraulis vanillae

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Cloudless SulphurPhoebis sennae

Common BuckeyeJunonia coenia

Palamedes SwallowtailPapilio palamedes

Long-tailed SkipperUrbanus proteus

Horace's DuskywingErynnis horatius

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

Sleepy OrangeAbaeis nicippe

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Two-spotted Herpetogramma
Herpetogramma bipunctalis

Luna moth
Actias luna

Brown-shaded Gray
Iridopsis defectaria

Soybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens

Whirlabout
Polites vibex

Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae

Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia

Palamedes Swallowtail
Papilio palamedes

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

Horace's Duskywing
Erynnis horatius

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus