Butterflies and Moths of Ontario

1751 Species Recorded in Ontario

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Ontario

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Most Recent Sightings in Ontario

See more recent sightings in Ontario

Armyworm Moth
Mythimna unipuncta

Observed: May 19, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Walnut sphinx
Amorpha juglandis

Observed: May 19, 2024

Submitted by: Sometimes

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Observed: May 18, 2024

Submitted by: Sometimes

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Four-barred Gray
Aethalura intertexta

Observed: May 18, 2024

Submitted by: RStankiewicz

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Cottonwood Dagger Moth
Acronicta lepusculina

Observed: May 18, 2024

Submitted by: Sometimes

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Observed: May 17, 2024

Submitted by: BeaLaporte

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Observed: May 17, 2024

Submitted by: BeaLaporte

Verified: May 19, 2024

Verified by: jmgesell

Details

Powdered Bigwing
Lobophora nivigerata

Observed: May 17, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Confused Woodgrain
Morrisonia confusa

Observed: May 17, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Ipsilon Dart
Agrotis ipsilon

Observed: May 17, 2024

Submitted by: rapids

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Toadflax Brocade
Calophasia lunula

Observed: May 16, 2024

Submitted by: RStankiewicz

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Probole amicaria

Observed: May 16, 2024

Submitted by: Sometimes

Verified: May 17, 2024

Verified by: curtis.lehman

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Ontario

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.
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.
Northern Crescent Phyciodes cocyta	Antennal clubs of male are orange. Females are darker than males. Upperside is orange-brown with dark borders; median orange-brown areas are mostly open, with few dark markings. Underside of hindwing is orange with a tan patch surrounding the pale marginal crescent.
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.
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes	Upper surface of wings mostly black; on inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. Male has yellow band near edge of wings; female has row of yellow spots. Female hindwing with iridescent blue band. In the Southwest, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies P. coloro.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa	Short projections on both wings, borders irregular. Upperside is purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots at the inner edge of the border.
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.
Virginia Ctenucha Ctenucha virginica	The largest and most broad-winged of wasp moths in North America. Body metallic blue; head and sides of collar orange. Forewing deep grayish brown, metallic blue at base. Hindwing black. Fringes on all wings partly white.
European Skipper Thymelicus lineola	Wings are brassy burnt orange; upperside of both wings with black borders and black on the outer portions of the veins. The male forewing has a narrow black stigma. A pale form (pallida) is very rare.
Eastern Tailed-Blue Cupido comyntas	One narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male iridescent blue; summer females uniformly brown, spring females smaller with much blue at the wing bases. Underside of hindwing pale gray with black bar at end of cell, distinct black spots, and three large orange spots at outer margin near tail.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

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1751 Species Recorded in Ontario

Featured Species

Coenonympha tullia

100 Most Recent Sightings in Ontario

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Most Recent Sightings in Ontario

Armyworm Moth
Mythimna unipuncta

Walnut sphinx
Amorpha juglandis

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Four-barred Gray
Aethalura intertexta

Cottonwood Dagger Moth
Acronicta lepusculina

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Powdered Bigwing
Lobophora nivigerata

Confused Woodgrain
Morrisonia confusa

Ipsilon Dart
Agrotis ipsilon

Toadflax Brocade
Calophasia lunula

Probole amicaria

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Northern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Virginia Ctenucha
Ctenucha virginica

European Skipper
Thymelicus lineola

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Ontario

1751 Species Recorded in Ontario

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Ontario

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Ontario

Armyworm MothMythimna unipuncta

Walnut sphinxAmorpha juglandis

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

Four-barred GrayAethalura intertexta

Cottonwood Dagger MothAcronicta lepusculina

Juvenal's DuskywingErynnis juvenalis

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Powdered BigwingLobophora nivigerata

Confused WoodgrainMorrisonia confusa

Ipsilon DartAgrotis ipsilon

Toadflax BrocadeCalophasia lunula

Cabbage WhitePieris rapae

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Northern CrescentPhyciodes cocyta

Clouded SulphurColias philodice

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Virginia CtenuchaCtenucha virginica

European SkipperThymelicus lineola

Eastern Tailed-BlueCupido comyntas

Armyworm Moth
Mythimna unipuncta

Walnut sphinx
Amorpha juglandis

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Four-barred Gray
Aethalura intertexta

Cottonwood Dagger Moth
Acronicta lepusculina

Juvenal's Duskywing
Erynnis juvenalis

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Powdered Bigwing
Lobophora nivigerata

Confused Woodgrain
Morrisonia confusa

Ipsilon Dart
Agrotis ipsilon

Toadflax Brocade
Calophasia lunula

Cabbage White
Pieris rapae

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Northern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta

Clouded Sulphur
Colias philodice

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Virginia Ctenucha
Ctenucha virginica

European Skipper
Thymelicus lineola

Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas