Butterflies and Moths of California

1375 Species Recorded in California

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

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Most Recent Sightings in California

See more recent sightings in California

Propertius Duskywing
Erynnis propertius

Observed: May 16, 2024

Submitted by: robertpb

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Edith's Checkerspot
Euphydryas editha

Observed: May 16, 2024

Submitted by: robertpb

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis

Observed: May 14, 2024

Submitted by: shuckabone

Verified: May 14, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Lupine Blue
Plebejus lupini

Observed: May 13, 2024

Submitted by: ASchmierer

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

Observed: May 12, 2024

Submitted by: yhelfman

Verified: May 16, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Checkered White
Pontia protodice

Observed: May 12, 2024

Submitted by: Zencoyote

Verified: May 13, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Green Comma
Polygonia faunus

Observed: May 11, 2024

Submitted by: madamirie

Verified: May 11, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

Observed: May 11, 2024

Submitted by: Zencoyote

Verified: May 11, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

Observed: May 11, 2024

Submitted by: mstanek

Verified: May 12, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Observed: May 11, 2024

Submitted by: madamirie

Verified: May 11, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

Observed: May 11, 2024

Submitted by: mstanek

Verified: May 12, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

Observed: May 11, 2024

Submitted by: mstanek

Verified: May 12, 2024

Verified by: Ken Davenport

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of California

Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon	Upperside of males blue with dark narrow border; female brown. Underside white with black spot pattern. Hindwing above and below with red-orange submarginal band.
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.
Chalcedon Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona	Extremely variable. Forewing narrow. Upperside is black to dark orange-brown with yellow, red, and sometimes white spots. Underside with yellow and orange-red bands.
California Sister Adelpha californica	This is a medium to large sized brown-black colored butterfly with a relatively narrow dorsal forewing postdiscal creamy white colored band above with a relatively large orange patch on the forewing. Superficially similar looking above to Lorquin's Admiral (<em>Limenitis lorquini</em>) but can be readily separated by the lower placement of the orange forewing patch and the blue lines on the ventral surface of the wings. Can be difficult to separate from Bredow's Sister (<em>Adelpha bredowii</em>) which does not occur in the U.S. and the Arizona Sister (<em>Adelpha eulalia</em>) which does occur in the U.S. Ranges of <em>californica</em> and <em>eulalia</em> are not known to overlap in the USA. Generally, this species is smaller than <em>eulalia</em>. It is less violet below. The dark and bluish ventral hindwing postdiscal bands are poorly developed, sinuous. There are two basal orange bars on the HW below while <em>eulalia</em> has only one. The blue bar along outer edge of white HW bar is incomplete while <
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.
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus	One tail on hindwing. Upperside blue-gray with large red spot near tail. Underside of spring/fall form is dark gray, summer form is paler gray. Relatively straight postmedian line is white, bordered with orange on the inside edge.
Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquini	Upperside is black with white median bands on both wings; tip of forewing is orange-brown. Underside is reddish-brown with white markings.
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.
Boisduval's Blue Plebejus icarioides	Upperside of male lilac-blue with dark borders. Female may be brown, or blue with wide dark borders. Below, black or white postmedian spots are larger on forewing than on hindwing.
Gray Buckeye Junonia grisea

Butterflies and Moths of North America

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1375 Species Recorded in California

Featured Species

Erynnis tristis

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

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Most Recent Sightings in California

Propertius Duskywing
Erynnis propertius

Edith's Checkerspot
Euphydryas editha

Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis

Lupine Blue
Plebejus lupini

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

Checkered White
Pontia protodice

Green Comma
Polygonia faunus

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

California Sister
Adelpha californica

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

Acmon Blue
Plebejus acmon

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Gray Buckeye
Junonia grisea

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of California

1375 Species Recorded in California

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in California

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in California

Propertius DuskywingErynnis propertius

Edith's CheckerspotEuphydryas editha

Hoary CommaPolygonia gracilis

Lupine BluePlebejus lupini

Chalcedon CheckerspotEuphydryas chalcedona

Checkered WhitePontia protodice

Green CommaPolygonia faunus

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)Plebejus melissa

California DogfaceZerene eurydice

California SisterAdelpha californica

California DogfaceZerene eurydice

California DogfaceZerene eurydice

Acmon BluePlebejus acmon

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Chalcedon CheckerspotEuphydryas chalcedona

California SisterAdelpha californica

Painted LadyVanessa cardui

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

Lorquin's AdmiralLimenitis lorquini

Fiery SkipperHylephila phyleus

Boisduval's BluePlebejus icarioides

Gray BuckeyeJunonia grisea

Propertius Duskywing
Erynnis propertius

Edith's Checkerspot
Euphydryas editha

Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis

Lupine Blue
Plebejus lupini

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

Checkered White
Pontia protodice

Green Comma
Polygonia faunus

Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue)
Plebejus melissa

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

California Sister
Adelpha californica

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

California Dogface
Zerene eurydice

Acmon Blue
Plebejus acmon

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Chalcedon Checkerspot
Euphydryas chalcedona

California Sister
Adelpha californica

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Lorquin's Admiral
Limenitis lorquini

Fiery Skipper
Hylephila phyleus

Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides

Gray Buckeye
Junonia grisea