Insect Identification

*** Note: KnowYourInsects.org does its best to include correct identifications of insect photos. It’s always possible that we made a mistake, however, so if you see a misidentification, please contact us and we will correct it. Thanks!

Adult Butterflies of Order Lepidoptera — Examples
For adult moths, click here.
For moth/butterfly caterpillars and pupae, click here.

Adult Butterflies now on TWO pages

Families represented — Page 1 (current page):

Page 2:

Papilionidae, the swallowtails

Great mormon, female and male, Papilio memnon agenor, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Dressed in blues, pinks and whites, the female great mormon (left two photos) looks quite different from the shiny blue, black and red male (right two photos). The great mormon is polymorphic, so it has a few different appearances. This pair is known as the form/subspecies named Papilio memnon agenor — the third word in that name distinguishes it as a subspecies. Overall, this species has at least two dozen different forms!
□ Great mormons are large butterflies with a wingspan up to 16 cm (6.3 inches). It is native to southern Asia.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Location: Khao Par Por, Cha Om, Thailand. Date: 24 October, 2020.

Great mormon, female, Papilio memnon, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Female great mormons have a tremendous amount of variation. Some are mainly white (as shown here), but others are mainly black, and one form even has a long swallowtail. To get a glimpse of the variation, click here (Wikipedia).
Photographed and identified by: Margaret Minor. Thanks for the ID, Margaret! Location: Lamma Island, Hong Kong. Date: 18 May, 2019.

Swallowtails in the genus Papilio, likely the scarlet mormon, Papilio rumanzovia, mating pair, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The scarlet mormon is a large butterfly with a wingspan that reaches about 5.5 inches (14 cm). One way to tell males from females is to look at the hindwings. Females have red markings on both the top- and bottomsides of her hindwings, while the male only has the red markings on the bottomsides. This species is found in the Philippines.
Photographed by: Bob Carpenter. Identified by: Bill Mertz. Thank you, Bill! Location: Butterfly exhibit, Arizona, USA. Date: 2019.

Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Western tiger swallowtails are found in the western half of the United States, and extend a into far southwestern Canada and far northwestern Mexico.
□ Due to the pale yellow coloration of this specimen, it is possible that this western tiger swallowtail is actually a hybrid between a western tiger swallowtail and a pale tiger swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon).
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. Great ID, Thomas! See his full-size images here and here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 22 May, 2017.

Eastern tiger swallowtail, Papilio glaucus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This eastern tiger swallowtail is showing off its underwings and its black-striped body. The photo at right gives a view of the glistening light-blue patches on the topside of the hindwings.
Photographed and identified by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Well done, Sheldon! Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 28 August, 2018.

Eastern tiger swallowtail, Papilio glaucus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Eastern tiger swallowtails are found in the central and eastern United States. Other than their location, they are difficult to distinguish from western tiger swallowtails, which are seen elsewhere on this page.
Photographed by: Gene Fleszar. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Finland Gardens, Livonia, Michigan, USA. Date: July 2013.

Eastern tiger swallowtail, Papilio glaucus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ These three photos are the same species of butterfly: the eastern tiger swallowtails. The left and center photos are the dark morph (different appearances are called morphs). Despite this dark color, however, the tiger pattern can just be seen in the forewings of the center photo.
Photographed and identified by: Anna Venjencie Clifton Arnold. Nice job, Anna! Location: Paris, Tennessee, USA. Date: 29 July, 2021.

Canadian tiger swallowtail, Papilio canadensis, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The Canadian tiger swallowtail looks much like the eastern tiger swallowtail, but the Canadian is smaller than the eastern. The Canadian also tends to have a less blue on the margin of its hindwing when viewed from the top.
Photographed and identified by: Dave Hare. Nice job on the ID, Dave! Location: Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. Date: 5 August, 2022.

Lime swallowtail, also known as lemon swallowtail or checkered swallowtail, Papilio demoleus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The lime swallowtail, also known as a lemon swallowtail, is so-named because is often found on lemon or lime trees. Many swallowtails have a long and narrow extension (the “tail” of the swallowtail) on their hindwings, but some species (like this one) do not.
Photographed by: Spoorthi Sv. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Shivamogga (Shimoga), Karnataka state, southwest India. Date: 29 September, 2020.

Lime swallowtail, also known as lemon swallowtail or checkered swallowtail, Papilio demoleus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The lime swallowtail has a more checkered appearance on its hindwings compared to its forewings (seen in the previous photo). It is sometimes known by the alternate common name of checkered swallowtail.
Photographed and identified by: Abhirup Saha. Nicely done, Abhirup! Location: Mekhliganj, India. Date: 30 August, 2020.

Lime swallowtail, also known as lemon swallowtail or checkered swallowtail, Papilio demoleus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The lime swallowtail likes open land, and does well in agricultural and urban areas, which makes this a widespread and populous species.
□ Although native to southern Asia and Australia, it has made its way to many countries, including the United States, where it has become a pest on citrus trees.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Nicely done, Eric! Location: Bang Krang, Nonthaburi, Thailand. Date: 24 January, 2023.

Palamedes swallowtail, Papilio palamedes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The palamedes swallowtail has a distinctively striped body. In this photo, its straw-like proboscis is extended to draw up nectar from the flowers. When not in use, the proboscis is coiled up. Its wings may be brown, as shown here, or black.
Photographed and identified to family by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Great job, Sheldon! Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Brookgreen Gardens (a botanical and butterfly garden), South Carolina, USA. Date: 31 August, 2017.

Palamedes swallowtail, Papilio palamedes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ One of the stand-out features of the palamedes swallowtail is the yellow slash on each hindwing (seen in this photo), which sets it apart from the very similar-looking eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius). The palamedes swallowtail is native to the southeastern United States.
Photographed and identified by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Well done, Sheldon! Location: Brookgreen Gardens (a botanical and butterfly garden), South Carolina, USA. Date: 24 July, 2018.
Sheldon says, “I find it amazing that they can coil the proboscis so symmetrically.”

Torquatas swallowtail, Papilio torquatas, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The torquatas swallowtail has a wide band of cream to yellow through each forewing (as shown) with a smaller band running perpendicularly at the tip of each forewing. This species is found in from Mexico to far northern Argentina. This individual was photographed in a butterfly exhibit in the United States.
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org with help from the Florida Museum. Location: Butterfly Rainforest, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Date: 25 May, 2018.

Eastern giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This photo shows the topside of the wings of this eastern giant swallowtail, which are brown and decorated with rows of yellow markings.
□ The eastern giant swallowtail was once known as simply giant swallowtail; adding “eastern” distinguishes it from the almost identical western giant swallowtail pictured elsewhere on this page.
Photographed by: Barb Bradley. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: near Dexter, Michigan, Washtenaw County, Michigan, USA. Date: 28 August, 2013.

Eastern giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The undersides of the eastern giant swallowtail’s wings (shown here) and the body are mainly this pale-yellow color. Compare the body in particular with that of the palamedes swallowtail ( Papilio palamedes), which is pictured elsewhere on this page.
Photographed and identified to family by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Good job, Sheldon! Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina, USA. Date: 31 August, 2017.

Eastern giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The caterpillars of the eastern giant swallowtail are called “orangedogs” because they have a penchant for citrus leaves. To see the caterpillar, click here (KnowYourInsects.org caterpillar/pupa page).
Photographed by: Manzeal Khanal. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Uvalde, Texas, USA. Date: 17 August, 2019.
Manzeal found the swallowtails on yellow lantana flowers in the office garden.

Western Giant Swallowtail (Papilio rumiko)

Western giant swallowtails, male and female, Papilio rumiko, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ These photos of a mating pair of western giant swallowtails show the difference between the top- and bottomsides.
□ This species is very similar in appearance to the eastern giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), also pictured on this page. To see some of the subtle differences between the two, which both live in Arizona (where this photo was taken) click here and look at Figure 13 (Zookeys) journal.
Photographed and identified by: Judith Malmstrom. Excellent ID, Judith! Location: Green Valley, Arizona, USA. Date: 11 September, 2022.

□ Most swallowtail species have extensions of their hindwings: the “tails.” It is believed the tails are protective. When a bird attacks a swallowtail, the tails look so attractive that the bird focuses on nipping at the tail, and the butterfly can escape.

Black swallowtail, male, Papilio polyxenes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Adult black swallowtails have a black-centered, red eyespot on each hindwing, as seen in the left and center photos. Similar butterflies include the dark form (or morph) of the eastern tiger swallowtail and the spicebush swallowtail, but neither have the black spot in the center of the red eyespot.
□ With the wings spread, the male (left) has two prominent lines of yellow markings on his forewings, and minimal blue splotches at the base of his hindwings. The female (center) has a large splash of blue on her hindwings.
□ The caterpillars of the black swallowtail can be quite numerous on plants, and occasionally will eat nearly every leaf.
Photographed and identified to family by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Great ID, Sheldon! Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina, USA. Date: 31 August, 2017.

Anise swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The anise swallowtail gets its name from what its caterpillars prefer to eat: the fennel plant (Foeniculum vulgare), which also known as wild anise. The anise swallowtail is native to the U.S., where this photo was taken, but fennel is not. The caterpillars will also eat native plants, such as water hemlock (Cicuta maculata).
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. Well done, Thomas! See his full-size image here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 20 July, 2016.

Anise swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ These photos of an anise swallowtail show the top- and bottomsides of the wings. In the topside shot, the red eyespot on the hindwings is hidden. The bottomside shot shows that this butterfly has nearly identical patterning on the top-and bottomsides of the forewings. This is often not the case with butterflies.
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. Excellent ID, Thomas! See his full-size images here and here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 3 July, 2018.

□ Insects are poikilothermic which means that their body temperature varies based on the surrounding temperature. The term “cold-blooded” is sometimes used instead, but insects are only cold when the surrounding temperature is low.

Spicebush swallowtail, female, Papilio troilus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The spicebush swallowtail has similar underwing coloration to the black swallowtail (pictured elsewhere on this page), but the markings are not as large or numerous. The caterpillars do favor the leaves of spicebush (Lindera benzoin), but will also eat the leaves of other shrubs and trees, including sassafras (Sassafras albidum).
Photographed and identified by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Nice ID, Sheldon! Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 31 August, 2017.

Spicebush swallowtail, Papilio troilus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Viewed dorsally (from the top), the spicebush swallowtail has mainly black forewings with white dashes along the edge, plus a row of large white spots, and often a row of faint and small white spots. The hindwings are mainly blue with a row of very large white spots. This individual shows all of these features.
Photographed and identified by: Sue Isaac. Well done, Sue! Location: Granger, Indiana, USA. Date: 10 July, 2018.

Spicebush swallowtail, Papilio troilus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Like many butterflies, this spicebush swallowtail often sits with its wings folded, but will open them to soak up some warmth from the sun.
Photographed and identified by: Gail Rowley, Ozark Stream Photography. Excellent ID, Gail! Location: Texas County, Missouri, USA. Date: 2020.

Spicebush swallowtail, Papilio troilus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This spicebush swallowtail is rather unusual in that it shows all seven of the larger orange spots in about the middle of each hindwing. In the vast majority of individuals, the third spot from the bottom shows little if any orange (as seen in the previous photo).
Photographed by: Lisa M. Walden. Location: upstate New York, USA. Date: 30 July, 2021.
Lisa says, “A recent visitor to my petunias!”

Common mime, Papilio clytia, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The pupa of this common mime looks almost exactly like a twig, so its name of “mime” is a good one. To see the pupa, click here (Wikipedia).
□ The adult comes in a couple of different patterns. One, like this photo, is a bold arrangement of black and white stripes. The other is mostly black with white patterns relegated mainly to the edges of the wings.
Photographed and identified by: Margaret Minor. Great ID, Margaret! Location: Tai O Fishing village, Hong Kong. Date: 12 May, 2019.

Citrus swallowtail, Papilio demodocus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ From the top view, the citrus swallowtail has a beautiful pattern of ivory-colored spots on a black background, and the hindwings each have two eye spots in deep red, shimmering light blue and black. The bottom view has even more color!
Photographed and identified by: Natalie Rowles. Excellent ID, Natalie! Location: Pinetown, South Africa (near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal). Date: 29 March, 2020.
Natalie says, “I just love these colourful citrus swallowtail butterflies. They are like Mother Nature’s flying jewelry!” This one was sitting on a wild garlic herb (Allium ursinum) next to a wormwood herb (Artemisia absinthium) in her garden.

Citrus swallowtail, Papilio demodocus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The citrus swallowtail gets its name because its caterpillars will eat the leaves of citrus trees. An interesting feature of the caterpillar is that when it feels threatened — for instance, when a spider or some other predator tries to bite it — the caterpillar will evert a fleshy, Y-shaped organ from its prothorax (right behind the head). Called an osmeterium, this organ emits a predator-repelling odor as a defensive measure.
Photographed and identified to order by: Joni Thavar. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Pinetown, South Africa (near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal). Date: 6 April, 2020.

Common mormon, male and female, Papilio polytes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The male common mormon (right) is black with a row of white markings at the edge of his forewings and through the middle of his hindwings. The female (left) has several different appearances, or morphs, that mimic species birds find bad-tasting, such as the common rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae), which can be seen elsewhere on this page. This type of mimicry helps the common mormons to ward off predators.
□ This butterfly is often seen in the morning sitting on the ground or low vegetation with its wings outspread and soaking up the early heat of the sun. Once it warms up, it is quite an active flier.
Photographed and identified by: Abhirup Saha. Nicely done, Abhirup! Location: Mekhliganj, India. Date: 29 August and 1 September, 2020.

Common Mormon Swallowtail (Papilio polytes)

Common mormon swallowtail, female, Papilio polytes, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Common mormon swallowtails are large butterflies with wingspans up to 11 cm (4.3 inches).
□ Females can vary in their appearance with some having only white spots on the upperside of the hindwing, and others (as shown) with pink. To see some of the variety in the females, click here (Butterflies of India).
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Great ID, Eric! Location: Bang Krang, Nonthaburi, Thailand. Date: December 2023.

Red helen, Papilio helenus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The wing veins of the red helen looks like they are dusted in gold in this photo. The long and rounded swallowtails, as well as the red and black eye spots are two other features of this beautiful butterfly. The hindwings also have large white splotches, but they are hidden behind the forewings in this photo.
Photographed by: Margaret Minor. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Lamma Island, Hong Kong. Date: 18 May, 2019.

Blue mormon, Papilio polymnestor, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The blue mormon is a very large butterfly. Its wingspan can reach 15 cm (5.9 inches).
Photographed and identified by: Alfa Rasak. Well done, Alfa! Location: Kerala, India. Date: 17 July, 2020.

□ We have compiled a handy list of all the butterfly and moth families — all in one place! To see it, click here.

Golden birdwings, male and female, Troides aeacus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The common name of golden birdwing is shared by several species. In this one, which has the scientific name of Troides aeacus, the female (left) has forewings with considerable white color in the cells between the veins, and a complex pattern of dark spaces on her yellow hindwings. The male (right) is less patterned than the female.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Nicely done, Eric! Location: Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, Bangkok, Thailand. Date: 2 December, 2020.

A golden birdwing, Troides rhadamantus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This species of golden birdwing has black forewings with its veins outlined in yellow or white. The hindwings are yellow with black veins. Some individuals have considerably more black on the hindwings.
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org with help from the Florida Museum. Location: Butterfly Rainforest, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Date: 25 May, 2018.

A golden birdwing, Troides rhadamantus, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This species of golden birdwing is found in southeastern Asia from northern India to China and Taiwan and south to Malaysia.
□ This is a huge butterfly with a wingspan of 15 cm (nearly 6 inches). Its size and beauty make it a popular addition to butterfly exhibits (where this one was photographed), and it is bred for that purpose. In the wild, however, it is native to the Philippines.
Photographed by: Bob Carpenter. Identified by: Bill Mertz and KnowYourInsects.org with help from the Florida Museum. Location: Butterfly exhibit, Arizona, USA. Date: 2019.

Common birdwing, Troides helena, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This common birdwing was photographed in flight so its forewings look like they come to a point, but they are actually much more rounded. To see the more rounded shape and its underwings, click here (iNaturalist).
□ Its caterpillars feed only on the leaves and tender shoots of a vine called Dutchman’s pipe or Indian birthwort (Aristolochia acuminata). To learn more about how it survives in areas where the plant is not native, click here (National University of Singapore ).
Photographed and identified by: Eric Bleheut. Nice ID, Eric! Location: Doi Tung, Mae Fah Luang, Thailand. Date: 18 January, 2024.

Common Bluebottle, or Blue Triangle, butterfly (Graphium sarpedon)

Common bluebottle, also known as blue triangle, male, Graphium sarpedon, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The neon blue to green patches are stunning in this common bluebottle, and are seen on both the top- abd bottomsides of the wings. The male, shown here, has red spotting on the hindwing (the female does not).
Photographed and identified by: Margaret Minor. Nice job on the ID, Margaret! Location: Kam Shan Country Park, Hong Kong. Date: 20 July, 2019.
Margaret says, “My favorite!”

Tailed jay, Graphium agamemnon, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Gorgeous in green, the tailed jay has very short “tails” on its hindwings (they are not evident in this photo). This butterfly drinks a lot of mineral-rich water: It filters out the minerals, and expels the water back onto the ground, where it helps to dissolve more minerals.
□ It is found in southeastern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to southern China, and south all the way to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. This one was photographed in a butterfly exhibit in the United States.
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org with help from the Florida Museum. Location: Butterfly Rainforest, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Date: 25 May, 2018.

Common rose, Pachliopta aristolochiae, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ Native to southern and southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Thailand, the common rose has mainly black forewings with gray streaking. The underside of its hindwings may either have all red markings (as shown here) or both red markings and white blotches.
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: The Butterfly Garden (exhibit), Gainesville, Florida, USA. Date: 25 May, 2018.

Pipevine swallowtail, also known as a blue swallowtail, Battus philenor, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The pipevine swallowtail has black forewings with tiny white spots toward the outside edge (barely visible here), and shimmering blue hindwings with a row of larger white spots. From the underside, the forewings look about the same, but the hindwings have seven large orange spots.
Photographed and identified by: Gail Rowley, Ozark Stream Photography. Excellent ID, Gail! Location: Texas County, Missouri, USA. Date: 1 June, 2012.
Gail reports that this one was nectaring on butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Butterflies do love to visit this plant!

Pipevine swallowtail, also known as a blue swallowtail, Battus philenor, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This pipevine swallowtail is obviously a female — she is laying eggs!
Photographed and identified by: Gail Rowley, Ozark Stream Photography. Well done, Gail! Location: Texas County, Missouri, USA. Date: 19 July, 2014.

Pipevine swallowtail, also known as a blue swallowtail, Battus philenor, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The pipevine swallowtail can be found throughout much of the eastern and southern United States. A separate subspecies in northern California has a hairier body and is known as a California pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor hirsuta).
Photographed by: Bob McCarthy. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Butterfly exhibit, Arizona, USA. Date: 2019.

Pipevine swallowtail, also known as a blue swallowtail, Battus philenor, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The pipevine swallowtail has a wingspan that can range from 3-5 inches (about 7.5-10 cm).
Photographed by: Manzeal Khanal. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Uvalde, Texas, USA. Date: 17 August, 2019.
Manzeal found the swallowtails on yellow lantana flowers in the office garden.

Polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ This view of the underside of the polydamas swallowtail’s wings shows rows of white, heart-shaped markings on its forewings, and small orange markings on the margin on its hindwings — all on a dark brown, nearly black background. To see this butterfly from a top view, click here (University of Florida “Featured Creatures” website).
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 14 August, 2019.

Iphidamas cattleheart, Parides iphidamas, subfamily Papilioninae, family Papilionidae.
□ The row of large pink markings on the hindwing and row of large white markings on the forewing (greenish white in males), plus the little white spots at the margins of the wings help to identify this iphidamas cattleheart.
□ Another common name for this butterfly is the transandean cattleheart. It is found in southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.
Photographed by: Dustin Marlowe. Submitted by: Scott Lysle. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: near Mount Le Conte, Tennessee, USA. Date: 1 November, 2022.

Hesperiidae, the skippers

Common checkered skipper, female, Burnsius communis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Through some investigative work on BugGuide, the photographer found that the female common checkered skipper (shown here) has less of a bluish cast on the dorsal (top) side of the body and head, compared to the male (shown in next photos).
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. Nicely done on the ID, Thomas! See his full-size images here and here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 18 August, 2016.

Common checkered skipper, male, Burnsius communis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ See the photographer’s comment below about the blue cast on this male common checkered skipper.
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. Good ID, Thomas! See his full-size images here and here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 17 August, 2020.
Thomas says, “When I first saw this guy, the blue color was very striking and I thought I had something other than a common checkered skipper, until he opened his wings to catch the early morning sun.”

Common checkered-skipper, Burnsius communis, male, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Some common checkered-skippers, like this one, have more white than brown on their wings. Others are more brown than white.
□ Note: The common checkered-skipper was formerly known by the scientific name of Pyrgus communis, but the genus was changed. Its current scientific name is Burnsius communis.
Photographed and identified by: Robert E. Carpenter. Nicely done on the ID, Robert! See Robert’s collection of butterflies of Texas here. Location: Streeter, Texas. Date: 23 March, 2024.

□ Butterflies in the Pyrginae subfamily are known as spreadwing skippers because they hold their wings out to side when they are at rest, unlike butterflies in most other skipper subfamilies that typically sit with their wings folded.

Rocky Mountain duskywing, Erynnis telemachus, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The duskywings can be difficult to tell apart, this appears to be a Rocky Mountain duskywing based on its geographic location and the early time of year when this photo was taken.
Photographed by: Bill Flor. Identified to tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, USA. Date: 22 March, 2015.
Bill says he took this photo “on a warm early spring day that had teased some of the flowering trees to bloom almost two months before our frost-free date.”

Juvenal’s duskywing, Erynnis juvenalis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Juvenal’s duskywing looks very similar to the mottled duskywing (Erynnis martialis). Both have dark wings, including some mottling on the forewings and small cream-colored markings, but the pattern of the markings is a bit different. To see the mottled duskywing, click here (Butterflies and Moths of North America).
Photographed by: Denise Rulason. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mayville, Michigan, USA. Date: 17 May, 2018.

Juvenal’s duskywing, Erynnis juvenalis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The male juvenal’s duskywing has very tiny white hairs here and there on the wings. The female lacks the white hairs. Click on the photo to zoom in and see the white hairs.
Photographed and identified by: Kelly McKinne (@gonzonaturalist). Great ID, Kelly! Location: Michigan, USA. Date: 10 August, 2012.

Horace’s duskywing, Erynnis horatius, male, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Horace’s duskywing has an undulating row of five closely spaced white spots near the rear outward edge of each forewing. The male is mostly dark brown, as seen above, while the female is lighter brown, often with several large dark-brown patches on her forewings. To see the female, click here (BugGuide).
Photographed and identified by: Robert E. Carpenter. Nicely done on the ID, Robert! See Robert’s collection of butterflies of Texas here.Location: Streeter, Texas. Date: 23 March, 2024.

Mournful duskywing, Erynnis tristis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The photographer artfully described this mournful duskywing’s hindwings as having “a thin hem” of light blue, a feature that shows up well in this photo and in person.
Photographed by: Nora Schwab. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Fair Oaks California, USA. Date: 11 August, 2023.
Nora chased this butterfly for several days before scoring a few quick pictures. She says, “Finally, when it appeared last Friday, I had my phone at the ready.”

Funereal duskywing, Erynnis funeralis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The funereal duskywing has just a narrow white border on its hindwings, much of which has worn away in this individual. The name funereal comes from its nearly all-brown, rather somber color that might be fit for a funeral.
Photographed and identified by: Robert E. Carpenter. Nicely done on the ID, Robert! See Robert’s collection of butterflies of Texas here. Location: Kerrville, Texas, USA. Date: 28 March, 2020.
Robert says he found this duskywing on the “Guadalupe River Arcadia Loop crossing, feeding on southern dewberry” (Rubus trivialis).

Duskywing, quite possibly funereal duskywing, Erynnis funeralis, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The funereal duskywing is a dark skipper. Its hindwing is nearly solid dark brown, but with a sharp, white border. The forewings are also dark brown but some individuals may have just a bit of mottling, and each forewing has four tiny white spots: three grouped together and one slightly separated from the three. A close look at this photo shows the four tiny spots.
Photographed and identified to family by: Margaret Minor. Thank you for the ID, Margaret! Identified to genus and tentative species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, California, USA. Date: 24 July, 2019.

Laviana white-skipper, Heliopetes laviana, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ This laviana white-skipper appears to be a bit faded (originally collected in 1983 and now in an insect collection), but still shows hints of the lacy brown pattern at the wing edges. Photographed and identified by: Robert Carpenter. Thank you for the ID, Robert! See Robert’s slow-motion nature video here. Location: Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Date: 12 February, 1983.
Robert says he is readying his insect collection to pass on to his son, who is “an enthusiastic entomologist.”

Northern cloudywing, Thorybes pylades, subfamily Pyrginae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The male of the northern cloudywing has a small fold on each forewing, and inside are “scent scales.” Beneath the scales is a scent organ that releases an odor to attract females. The scent scales have tiny hair plumes that waft the scent into the air.
Photographed and identified by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Thank you for the ID, Sheldon! Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 4 November, 2018.

□ Skippers get their name from their flight: They flit and skip along through the air.

Common roadside skipper, Amblyscirtes vialis, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Some adult butterflies are partial to certain colors, and that is true of the common roadside skipper. This little butterfly is often seen nectaring on blue flowers.
Photographed and identified by: Kelly McKinne (@gonzonaturalist). Thank you for the ID, Kelly! Location: Michigan, USA. Date: 10 August, 2012.

Pale palm dart, Telicota colon, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The pale palm dart is orange and dark brown. The topside of its wings have noticeable brown veining, a wide dark-brown border on all four wings, and a dark brown swath of color on each forewing. From the underside, the wings are mainly orange edged with a thin brown line.
Photographed and identified to subfamily by: Margaret Minor. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Hong Kong Park, Hong Kong. Date: 28 October, 2019.

Dart in the genus Potanthus, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Darts in the genus Potanthus have varying appearances that can overlap from one species to another, so identifying them further than genus is nearly impossible without looking at the male’s reproductive organs under a magnifing glass or microscope. This one was photographed in Thailand, and could be a Chinese dart (Potanthus confucius), lesser band dart (Potanthus trachala), vestigial-spot dart (Potanthus pamela), or one of the nearly 20 other species that live there.
□ This dart shows the typical resting pose with forewings and hindwings perpendicular to one another. It also shows a common dorsal and ventral pattern for the wings of Potanthus species; brown markings on an orange background. Other individuals within these species may have paler brown markings on a yellow background. To see some of the variety of dart species in Thailand, click here (inaturalist.org).
Photographed and identified to genus by: Eric Blehaut. Location: Thailand. Date: 7 October, 2023.

Banana skipper, Erionota torus, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The banana skipper, sometimes called a rounded palm-redeye, has a caterpillar that is a major pest of banana plants. The caterpillars not only much on banana leaves, but also roll them to make themselves tubular homes. This gives them yet another common name of banana leaf-roller.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Bleheut. Great ID, Eric! Location: Cha Am, Phetchaburi, Thailand. Date: 25 January, 2024.

Peck’s skipper, Polites peckius, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Peck’s skipper has a yellow-and-brown checker-board-like pattern on the underside of its wings.
Photographed by: Kyle Lengerich. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Indiana, USA. Date: 2018.
Kyle says, “These little guys loved this plant and my English lavender. They would rest on my peach tree saplings in the day and come over the the garden in the evening. I didn’t realize till after I took this picture you could see its proboscis.”

Sandhill skipper, Polites sabuleti, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The sandhill skipper frequents grassy areas, including dunes and salt marshes. For more on this skipper, click here (Art Shapiro’s Butterfly Site, University of California Davis). Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Thomas Langhans. Identified to species by: Arthur Shapiro. Thank you, Dr. Shapiro! See Thomas’s full-size image here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 13-14 July, 2016.

Umber skipper, Lon/Poanes melane, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The umber skipper is often seen among low grasses, where the females lay their eggs. A 2019 paper proposed moving this species to the Lon genus based on a genetic analysis.
Photographed by: Thomas Langhans. Identified to species by: Arthur Shapiro, who runs “Art Shapiro’s Butterfly Site.” Thank you, Dr. Shapiro! See Thomas’s full-size image here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 10 September, 2016.

Zabulon skipper, Poanes zabulon, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The zabulon skipper is a frequent visitor in gardens, which is where the photographer got this photo on a purple butterfly bush.
□ A 2019 paper proposed moving this species to the Lon genus based on a genetic analysis.
Photographed and identified by: Victoria Virgona. Nicely done on the ID, Victoria! Location: East Setauket, New York, USA. Date: 31 July, 2020.
Victoria says, “In my experience, skippers of all kinds are the most friendly, playful, and courteous butterflies out there! You can't help but to smile when you see them flutter around.”

Julia’s skipper, Nastra julia, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Julia’s skipper is mainly seen within a few hundred miles of the southeast Texas/Mexico border, but occasionally shows up as far west as California and Arizona, or farther south in Central America. This one was photographed on Texas nodding thistle (Carduus nutans).
Photographed and identified by: Robert E. Carpenter. Nicely done, Robert! See Robert’s collection of butterflies of Texas here. Location: Kerrville, Texas, USA. Date: 24 May, 2022.
Robert says, “She will pose for 2 minutes for this ventral shot, but a good wing-spread dorsal pose only lasts 2 milliseconds.”

Fiery skipper, male, Hylephila phyleus, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ In many butterfly species, the caterpillars are active at night rather than during the day. That is the case with the fiery skipper. To see the caterpillar and learn more about this skipper’s natural history, click here (University of Florida “Featured Creatures” website).
Photographed and identified by: Kelly McKinne (@gonzonaturalist). Thank you for the ID, Kelly! Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Date: 22 August, 2012.

Fiery skipper, male, Hylephila phyleus, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Thomas Langhans. Identified to species by Arthur Shapiro, who runs “Art Shapiro’s Butterfly Site.” Thank you, Dr. Shapiro! See Thomas’s full-size image here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 13-14 July, 2016.

Fiery skipper, male, Hylephila phyleus, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The male fiery skipper (shown here) has mainly orange wings with brown markings. The female has considerably more brown on its wings.
Photographed and identified by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Thank you for the ID, Sheldon! Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 13 January, 2019.

Fiery skipper, mating pair, Hylephila phyleus, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The photographer caught this pair of fiery skippers mating, and in different views! The male is the one that is more orange; the female is more gray-brown. He describes the play-by-play in his comments below.
Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Thomas Langhans. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. See Thomas’s full-size images here, here and here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 25 October, 2019.
Thomas says, “This whole event lasted about 55 minutes; I was there at the beginning! They were at the angled position for about 35 minutes and then straightened out until they separated. They flew off to a close branch where they landed about a foot apart, but stayed for only a few seconds before they left.”

Common grass dart, Taractrocera maevius, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The photographer suspected this was an Indian palm bob (Suastus gremius gremius) — a great guess! — but butterfly expert Krushnamegh Kunte, determined it to be a sparsely marked specimen (perhaps from a dry season) of the common grass dart. Thank you, Dr. Kunte! See the palm bob elsewhere on this page.
Photographed and identified to family by: Priya Sharma. Identified to species by: Krushnamegh Kunte of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bengaluru, India. Location: Himachal Pradesh, India. Date: 9 June, 2018.

A heliconian, possibly in the genus Altinotes, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Heliconians are a group of butterflies that are very difficult to identify, even when views of both the top- and bottomsides of the wings is available. This photo was taken in Ecuador, so it might be a species in the South American genus Altinotes.
Photographed by: Carol Darling. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mindo, Ecuador. Date: 1 November, 2021.

Indian palm bob, Suastus gremius, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Like many skippers, the palm bob is usually viewed with only the underside of its wings visible: each hindwing with five to seven black spots, and each forewing with three white spots, as shown. Note also the narrow, white bands on the abdomen.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Great ID, Eric! Location: Bang Krang, Nonthaburi, Thailand. Date: 6 February, 2024.

Sachem's Skipper/Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris)

Sachem’s skipper (also known as a field skipper), Atalopedes campestris, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ This mating pair Sachem’s skippers (male behind the female in the left photo) gives an excellent look at the bluish-tinged hair on the body, as well as the white border on the wings. This pair has black markings.
Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Thomas Langhans. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. See Thomas’s full-size images here and here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 13-21 September, 2020.
Thomas says, “This pair of skippers fluttered around together for at least 20 minutes; wherever the one went the other one would follow and land behind it. The leader would feed but the follower never did.”

Sachem’s skipper, Atalopedes campestris, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ In the Sachem’s skipper, the underside of the male’s wings are often nearly all orange with just the slightest hints of whitish squares here and there (as seen here), whereas the female has more noticeable squares set in a V pattern. To see a comparison of male and female, click here (North American Butterfly Association).
Photographed by: Alex Rivera. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Berlin, New Jersey, USA. Date: 18 July, 2023.

A grass skipper, possibly Sachem’s skipper, Atalopedes campestris, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The Sachem’s skipper and many other species of skippers can be distinguished by slight differences in the patterning of the topside of the wings. Unfortunately, they typically close their wings as soon as they land, making identification to species very difficult (sometimes impossible).
Photographed by: Maggie Merriman. Location: Ringgold, Georgia, USA. Date: 28 August, 2020.

A grass skipper, quite possibly Sachem’s skipper, Atalopedes campestris, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Sachem’s skippers can become quite dark by the autumn, as seen here. Earlier in the season, they are more orange in color (see examples elsewhere on this page).
Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Thomas Langhans. See his full-size image here. Identified to species by: Robert E. Carpenter. Thank you, Robert! Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 6 October, 2019.

□ Skippers are tough to identify to species because they often only show the undersides of their wings ... and important identifying features are on the topsides.

Long-tailed skipper, Urbanus proteus, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Although this is a photo of a long-tailed skipper that had been in a stored collection for nearly four decades, it still shows the white, hourglass-shaped checkers on its forewings, and a hint of the lovely blue hairs on its thorax and hindwings.
Photographed and identified by: Robert E. Carpenter. Thank you for the ID, Robert! See Robert’s collection of butterflies of Texas here. Location: Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Date: 12 February, 1983.

Dorantes longtail, Urbanus dorantes, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ This dorantes longtail skipper has lost the tails on its hindwings, which is quite common among the longtail skippers. Adults are often seen sipping nectar from lantana (plants in the scientific genus Lantana).
Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified to species by: Robert E. Carpenter. Thank you, Robert! Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 8 September, 2018.

Long-tailed skipper in the genus Urbanus, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Long-tailed skippers (in the genus Urbanus) have hindwings with graceful-looking, trailing sweeps. It gives these small butterflies an elegant look.
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 24 September, 2018.

Long-tailed skipper in the genus Urbanus, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The color variation of this long-tailed skipper is beautiful.
Photographed and identified by: Ron Andrew. Nicely done, Ron! Location: St. Lucia. Date: 23 November, 2020.

Formosan swift, Borbo cinnara, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Butterflies in this family (Hesperiidae) can be difficult to identify, and several in Thailand (where this photo was taken) have a similar pattern of white spotting on the hindwing. This, however, appears to be the species known as a Formosan swift, determined in part by the presence of apiculi (the short hair-like extensions the curve out from the tips of the antennae). Click on either photo to get a better look at the apiculi.
Photographed and identified to subfamily by: Eric Blehaut. Identified to species by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Bang Krang, Thailand. Date: 17 October, 2023.

Formosan swift, Borbo cinnara, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ Formosan swifts are also known as rice swifts or rice-leaf folders, because their caterpillars feed on rice leaves, and will also live in and pupate in curled-up rice leaves.
□ Formosan swifts can wit with the forewings and hindwings in a perpendicular fashion, as seen here, but they can also hold their wings flat against one another, as shown in other photos of this species on this page.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Well done on the ID, Eric! Location: Bang Krang, Thailand. Date: 12 October, 2023.

Formosan swift, Borbo cinnara, subfamily Hesperiinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The formosan swift is a tan butterfly with a scattering of tiny white spots on the underside of each forewing and hindwing. The top- and bottomsides of each forewing also has a few larger white blotches, but they are often hidden from view.
Photographed and identified by: Eric Blehaut. Excellent ID, Eric! Location: Bang Krang area of Thailand. Date: 10 August, 2023.

□ One of the unusual features of the skippers (family Hesperiidae) is that the tips of their antennae are shaped into hooks rather than clubs, as is typical of other butterfly families. Some have a noticeable hair-like extension, called an apiculus, at the tip of each antenna.

Silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ This view of a silver-spotted skipper shows the orange stripe on the top wing as well as the white blotch on the underside of the lower wing.
□ To see the caterpillar, click here (BugGuide).
Photographed by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina, USA. Date: 31 August, 2017.

Silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ This silver-spotted skipper is busily probing a plant with its proboscis. Its caterpillars, which have a dark brown head and bright yellow body with dozens of very thin black bands, make shelters for themselves by curling leaves into tubes and securing them with a bit of silk.
Photographed by: Sarah McKay-Mertz. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA. Date: 3 June, 2022.
Sarah says, “This cutie was hanging out with me while I was weeding.”

Oriental common banded awl, Hasora chromus, subfamily Coeliadinae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The hindwing of the Oriental common banded awl has a little fold with a black marking, which is just barely seen in this photo. The similar-looking plain banded awl (Hasora vitta) typically has a broader white band on its wings.
Photographed and identified by: Raj Bhuvan. Thank you for the ID, Raj! Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Date: 23 February, 2020.

Skipper in the genus Phocides, quite possibly a thermus skipper, Phocides thermus, subfamily Eudaminae, family Hesperiidae.
□ The thermus skipper has striping down the length of its thorax; horizontal white banding on its abdomen; and wide and narrow bands on its forewings. It is capped off with blue dashes on its wing edges.
Photographed by: Carol Darling. Identified by: KnowYourInsects.org. Location: Mindo, Ecuador. Date: 3 November, 2021.

Unidentified skipper, family Hesperiidae.
□ The typical posture of most skippers is either wings completely closed, or wings at 90-degree angles to one another. Both postures can make identification difficult, especially when no distinctive striping, banding or other patterning is visible.
Photographed and identified as a skipper by: Sheldon L. Boyd. Location: The Villages, Florida, USA. Date: 12 December, 2017.

Pieridae, the whites, yellows and sulphurs

Cabbage white, male and female, Pieris rapae, subfamily Pierinae, family Pieridae.
□ Female cabbage whites have two circular, black spots on each forewing; the male has one on each forewing. To see the eggs and caterpillars of this species, click here.
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. See his full-size image here. Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 14 July, 2016.

Cabbage white, mating pair, Pieris rapae, subfamily Pierinae, family Pieridae.
□ These wonderful photos show a mating pair of cabbage whites from two angles.
Photographed and identified by: Thomas Langhans. See his full-size images here and here See the photographer’s comment below.
Location: San Bruno, county of San Mateo, California, USA. Date: 5 July, 2019. Thomas says, “I saw a really weird-looking and weird-flying butterfly and didn’t realize what it was exactly until they landed.”

Cabbage white, Pieris rapae, subfamily Pierinae, family Pieridae.
□ The cabbage white gets around: This shot was taken on a different continent from the butterflies shown in the previous photos.
Photographed and identified by: Bryan Wenham-Baker. Thank you for the ID, Bryan! Location: Ivybridge, South Hams, South Devon, England, UK. Date: 8 August, 2016.