Field Guide

Butterflies and Moths

Showing 41 - 50 of 57 results
image of a Checkered White, Twigs
Checkered White
Pontia protodice
The checkered white is named for the charcoal-colored patterns on the white wings of adults. As with the closely related cabbage white, the larvae feed on plants in the mustard family.
image of a Clouded Sulphur on a wildflower
Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice
The clouded sulphur is one of our most common butterflies, flying low over fields and lawns, from late March into December.
photo of a Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on a thistle
Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae
The cloudless sulphur is the large, clear-yellow butterfly you see flying rapidly to the southward in late summer and fall: They’re migrating!
Photo of a little yellow nectaring on a native aster flower
Little Yellow
Pyrisitia lisa (syn. Eurema lisa)
The little yellow is just what the name says it is. The lower side is yellow with a few spots, including two tiny black spots on the basal hindwing and, often, a larger rusty spot on the hindwing margin.
Photo of an Orange Sulphur taking nectar from a flower
Orange Sulphur (Alfalfa Butterfly)
Colias eurytheme
One of the most common butterflies in Missouri, the orange sulphur often gathers in numbers in moist places.
Photo of a southern dogface taking nectar on a pale purple coneflower
Southern Dogface
Zerene cesonia (formerly Colias cesonia)
The southern dogface has a dog’s head pictured on its yellow forewings. It repopulates our state each year from the south.
Image of a silver-spotted skipper
Silver-Spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus
In a large, global family of several thousand species, the silver-spotted skipper is one of the easiest to identify in our state.
Bronze copper butterfly perched on a grass blade, wings closed
Bronze Copper
Lycaena hyllus (syn. Hyllolycaena hyllus; Lycaena thoe)
The bronze copper occurs in localized colonies in throughout northern and western Missouri. Look for it May through October in wet, open, grassy areas.
American snout butterfly resting with wings folded
American Snout
Libytheana carinent
Most of us identify butterflies by their color patterns, but you can ID the American snout by its long “nose.”
Baltimore checkerspot, perched, with wings folded
Baltimore Checkerspot
Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae
The Baltimore checkerspot is unforgettable. In Missouri it is locally abundant in the eastern Ozarks, but rare elsewhere.
See Also
image of Caddisfly on leaf
Caddisflies
About 1,500 species in North America north of Mexico
Adult caddisflies are mothlike. Their larvae are aquatic and build portable, protective cases out of local materials, including grains of sand, bits of leaves and twigs, and other debris.
Photo of eastern dobsonfly
Eastern Dobsonfly
Corydalus cornutus
Adult eastern dobsonflies are huge and mothlike, with large wings and a weak, fluttery flight. The fiercely predaceous aquatic larvae, called hellgrammites, are well-known to anglers, who often use them as bait.

About Butterflies and Moths in Missouri

Butterflies, skippers, and moths belong to an insect order called the Lepidoptera — the "scale-winged" insects. These living jewels have tiny, overlapping scales that cover their wings like shingles. The scales, whether muted or colorful, seem dusty if they rub off on your fingers. Many butterflies and moths are associated with particular types of food plants, which their caterpillars must eat in order to survive.