Butterflies and Moths of South Dakota

510 Species Recorded in South Dakota

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

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Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

See more recent sightings in South Dakota

Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda

Observed: Sep 14, 2024

Submitted by: Debbie.p

Verified: Nov 12, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Observed: Aug 30, 2024

Submitted by: hcwach

Verified: Sep 30, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Observed: Aug 23, 2024

Submitted by: Puccini

Verified: Aug 28, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor

Observed: Aug 10, 2024

Submitted by: Puccini

Verified: Aug 23, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius

Observed: Aug 09, 2024

Submitted by: Puccini

Verified: Aug 23, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Observed: Jul 26, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 29, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Observed: Jul 26, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 29, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Observed: Jul 26, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 29, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Edwards' Fritillary
Speyeria edwardsii

Observed: Jul 25, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 31, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Observed: Jul 25, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 29, 2024

Verified by: J_Martineau

Details

Edwards' Fritillary
Speyeria edwardsii

Observed: Jul 25, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 31, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Northwestern Fritillary
Speyeria hesperis

Observed: Jul 25, 2024

Submitted by: ezeemonee

Verified: Jul 31, 2024

Verified by: stevekohler

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of South Dakota

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue) Plebejus melissa	Upperside of male blue with narrow dark border; female brown with blue tinge. Underside with continuous black line along outer margin of both wings. Red-orange submarginal row is continuous in subspecies melissa and divided into separate spots in subspecies samuelis (Karner Blue).
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.
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui	Upperside is orange-brown with darker wing bases; forewing with black apex patch and white bar on leading edge; hindwing submarginal row of 5 small black spots sometimes has blue scales. Underside has a black, brown, and gray pattern with 4 small submarginal eyespots.
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.
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.
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme	Quite variable. Upperside of male yellow with orange overlay, yellow veins, wide black border, and dark black cell spot. Female yellow or white with irregular black border surrounding light spots. Underside hindwing spot silver with 2 concentric dark rings, and a spot above it.
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.
Common Wood-Nymph Cercyonis pegala	Geographically variable. Wings are brown. Upperside of forewing has 2 large yellow-ringed eyespots. Lowerside of hindwing has a variable number of small eyespots. Southern and coastal butterflies are larger and have a yellow or yellow-orange patch on the outer part of the forewing. Inland butterflies are smaller and have the yellow forewing patch reduced or absent.
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.
Regal Fritillary Speyeria idalia	Large. Upperside of forewing bright red-orange with black markings. Upperside of hindwing black with postmedian row of white spots; submarginal row of spots is orange in male and white in female.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

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510 Species Recorded in South Dakota

Featured Species

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100 Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

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Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor

Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Edwards' Fritillary
Speyeria edwardsii

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Edwards' Fritillary
Speyeria edwardsii

Northwestern Fritillary
Speyeria hesperis

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Regal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of South Dakota

510 Species Recorded in South Dakota

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in South Dakota

Large Tolype MothTolype velleda

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Silver-spotted SkipperEpargyreus clarus

Least SkipperAncyloxypha numitor

Peck's SkipperPolites peckius

Variegated FritillaryEuptoieta claudia

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Common Checkered-SkipperBurnsius communis

Edwards' FritillarySpeyeria edwardsii

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Edwards' FritillarySpeyeria edwardsii

Northwestern FritillarySpeyeria hesperis

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

Pearl CrescentPhyciodes tharos

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Common Wood-NymphCercyonis pegala

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Regal FritillarySpeyeria idalia

Large Tolype Moth
Tolype velleda

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus

Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor

Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius

Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis

Edwards' Fritillary
Speyeria edwardsii

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Edwards' Fritillary
Speyeria edwardsii

Northwestern Fritillary
Speyeria hesperis

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Common Wood-Nymph
Cercyonis pegala

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Regal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia