Butterflies are colorful daytime flying insects of the order Lepidoptera, with over 20,000 species worldwide. English butterfly names have 15 main categories by family, region, and color.
English butterfly names have 15 main categories: swallowtails, monarchs and migratory species, brush-footed, peacock and pansy, blue, hairstreak, white, yellow and sulphur, skipper, tropical American, rainforest and glasswing, Indian, Southeast Asian, European, and world’s largest and rare butterflies.
Common Butterfly Names With Pictures
Each category is defined by butterfly family, region, or color. Swallowtails, monarchs, and brush-footed butterflies are the three most-recognized butterfly families. The other 12 are peacock and pansy, blue, hairstreak, white, yellow and sulphur, skipper, tropical American, rainforest and glasswing, Indian, Southeast Asian, European, and world’s largest and rare butterflies.
Swallowtail Butterfly Names in English (Papilionidae Family)
Swallowtail butterflies (family Papilionidae) are the largest most-recognized butterflies, named for the tail-like extensions on their hindwings.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
large North American swallowtail with bright yellow wings crossed by 4 black tiger stripes. Eastern tiger swallowtails are the state butterfly of Virginia, Georgia, and Delaware, with a 3-5.5 inch wingspan.
Black Swallowtail
medium North American swallowtail with black wings and rows of yellow spots along the edges. Black swallowtails feed on parsley, dill, and fennel as caterpillars in garden herb beds across the eastern USA.
Spicebush Swallowtail
medium black swallowtail with iridescent blue-green patches on the hindwings. Spicebush swallowtail caterpillars have false eyespots to scare predators and feed on spicebush and sassafras leaves.
Zebra Swallowtail
distinctive swallowtail with black-and-white zebra-striped wings and extremely long tail extensions. Zebra swallowtails are found in eastern American forests near pawpaw trees, their only caterpillar food plant.
Giant Swallowtail
largest butterfly in North America (6-inch wingspan) with black wings crossed by broad yellow bands. Giant swallowtails are found across the southern USA, Mexico, and Central America.
Anise Swallowtail
Western North American swallowtail with black wings marked by rows of yellow spots. Anise swallowtails feed on fennel, parsley, and citrus as caterpillars across the western USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Common Mormon
Asian swallowtail with two forms: males have plain black wings with white spots, and females mimic toxic butterflies in three color forms. Common mormons are found across India and Southeast Asia.
Monarch and Migratory Butterfly Names in English
Monarch butterflies and their migration cousins are the famous long-distance travelers of the butterfly world.
Monarch Butterfly
famous large orange butterfly with black veins and white-dotted borders. Monarchs migrate 3,000 miles between Canada and central Mexico as the only butterfly known for a long two-way migration.
Viceroy Butterfly
North American orange butterfly that mimics the toxic monarch to avoid predators. Viceroys are slightly smaller than monarchs and have a black horizontal line across the hindwings that monarchs lack.
Painted Lady
the world’s most widespread butterfly species, with salmon-orange and brown patterned wings. Painted ladies are found on six continents and migrate in millions across North Africa, Europe, and North America.
Plain Tiger
African and Asian orange butterfly with black wing edges dotted with white spots, closely related to the monarch. Plain tigers are toxic to predators due to milkweed feeding as caterpillars.
Brush-Footed Butterfly Names in English (Nymphalidae Family)
Brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae) are the largest butterfly family by well-known species, named for their reduced brush-like front legs.
Red Admiral
medium butterfly with black wings crossed by vivid red-orange bands and white spots at the tips. Red admirals are found across North America, Europe, and Asia, known for their bold territorial behavior.
Common Buckeye
brown American butterfly with 6 large eyespots (2 large plus 4 smaller) that mimic the stare of a bigger animal. Common buckeyes are found across the southern USA and Mexico.
Mourning Cloak
dark maroon-brown butterfly with pale yellow wing borders and rows of blue spots. Mourning cloaks are among the longest-living butterflies (10-11 months) and appear across North America and Europe.
American Lady
medium orange-and-brown butterfly with 2 large eyespots on each hindwing, similar to the Painted Lady but with 2 (not 4) eyespots. American ladies are found across North and Central America.
Question Mark
medium orange butterfly with jagged wing edges and a silver question-mark shape on the underside. Question marks get their name from this mark and are found across the eastern USA.
Peacock and Pansy Butterfly Names in English
Peacock and pansy butterflies are the eye-spot bearing beauties of gardens across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Peacock Butterfly
striking European butterfly with red-brown wings marked by 4 large peacock-feather eyespots. Peacock butterflies use their eyespots to startle predators and are common in gardens and parks across Europe.
Peacock Pansy
small Asian butterfly with brown wings marked by yellow-and-blue peacock eyespots. Peacock pansies are found across India, Southeast Asia, and Australia as one of the most common Asian garden butterflies.
Lemon Pansy
small Asian butterfly with lemon-yellow wings marked by black spots and eye-shaped patterns. Lemon pansies are found across South Asia and are one of the classic garden butterflies of the Indian subcontinent.
Chocolate Pansy
small Asian butterfly with rich chocolate-brown wings marked by orange bands and eyespots. Chocolate pansies are found across India, Southeast Asia, and southern China in open lightly-wooded habitats.
Grey Pansy
small Asian butterfly with pale grey wings marked by darker grey lines and small eyespots. Grey pansies are found across India and Southeast Asia in gardens, forest edges, and grasslands.
Blue Butterfly Names in English (Lycaenidae Family)
Blue butterflies (family Lycaenidae) are the delicate iridescent-winged fliers of meadows and grasslands worldwide.
Common Blue
small European butterfly with iridescent blue wings in males and brown wings with orange spots in females. Common blues are found across Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia in meadows.
Karner Blue
tiny endangered American blue butterfly with silvery-blue wings in males and grey-brown with blue in females. Karner blues have declined 90% and are protected under the US Endangered Species Act.
Blue Tiger
medium Asian butterfly with striking blue-and-black striped wings resembling a blue tiger’s pattern. Blue tigers are toxic to predators (like monarchs) and are found across India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Silver-Studded Blue
small European butterfly with iridescent blue wings marked by black borders and metallic silver dots along the hindwing edges. Silver-studded blues are found across Europe and temperate Asia in heaths and moors.
Common Grass Blue
tiny Asian and Australian butterfly with pale blue wings and orange-spotted hindwings. Common grass blues are found in every open grassy habitat across Asia and Australia.
Hairstreak Butterfly Names in English
Hairstreak butterflies are tiny fast-flying Lycaenidae species with hair-like tail extensions on the hindwings.
Green Hairstreak
small European butterfly with metallic green underwings and dull brown upperwings. Green hairstreaks are found across Europe and temperate Asia in heaths, moors, and woodland edges from spring through summer.
Purple Hairstreak
small European butterfly with iridescent purple upperwings in males and grey undersides marked by white streaks. Purple hairstreaks spend most of their time in the tops of oak trees.
Great Purple Hairstreak
American hairstreak with vivid iridescent blue-purple wings and red-orange abdomen. Great purple hairstreaks are found across the southern USA and Mexico, feeding on mistletoe as caterpillars.
White Butterfly Names in English (Pieridae Whites)
White butterflies (family Pieridae) are the mid-sized white-winged butterflies of gardens, grasslands, and crop fields.
Cabbage White
small white butterfly with one or two black wing spots, one of the most widespread butterflies in the world. Cabbage white caterpillars are the green pests on broccoli and cabbage.
Large White
larger European relative of the cabbage white with white wings and black wing tips. Large whites are found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and their caterpillars feed on cabbage-family plants.
Great Southern White
larger white butterfly with white wings and turquoise-tipped antennae. Great southern whites are found across the southern USA, Mexico, and Central America and migrate northward in large numbers each summer.
Orange Tip
small European butterfly with white wings and bright orange tips on the male’s forewings (females lack the orange). Orange tips appear early in spring across Europe and temperate Asia.
Yellow and Sulphur Butterfly Names in English
Yellow and sulphur butterflies (family Pieridae) are the yellow-winged mid-sized butterflies of grasslands, fields, and roadsides.
Clouded Sulphur
medium yellow butterfly with pale yellow wings marked by narrow black borders. Clouded sulphurs are found across North America in fields, meadows, and roadsides through summer and early autumn.
Common Emigrant
medium yellow butterfly with lemon-yellow wings marked by narrow black borders. Common emigrants are found across South and Southeast Asia and drink minerals at damp ground.
Common Brimstone
buttery-yellow European butterfly and one of the first to appear in spring. Its old English name, the “butter-coloured fly,” is thought to be where the word butterfly itself began.
Skipper Butterfly Names in English (Hesperiidae Family)
Skipper butterflies (family Hesperiidae) are the small fast-flying species with a distinctive skipping flight pattern.
Silver-Spotted Skipper
small brown American skipper with a large white silver spot on each hindwing. Silver-spotted skippers dart in fast skipping flight through meadows across North America as one of the most-recognized skippers.
Long-Tailed Skipper
tropical American skipper with dark brown wings, iridescent blue-green scales, and two long tail extensions from the hindwings. Long-tailed skippers are found across the southern USA and Latin America.
Fiery Skipper
small orange-brown American skipper with vibrant orange wings marked by dark spots. Fiery skippers are found across the southern USA, Mexico, and Central America in lawns, meadows, and gardens.
Tropical American Butterfly Names in English
Tropical American butterflies are the large brightly-colored species of Central and South American rainforests.
Blue Morpho
large tropical butterfly with brilliant iridescent blue wings that reflect light. Blue morphos are found in Central and South American rainforests, with a wingspan up to 8 inches (20 cm).
Julia Butterfly
long-winged bright orange tropical butterfly with narrow black wing borders. Julias are found across Central America and northern South America as one of the classic butterfly-house tropical species.
Malachite Butterfly
large tropical butterfly with black wings marked by vivid pale-green rectangular patches like the mineral malachite. Malachite butterflies are found across Central and South American rainforests and southern Florida.
Rainforest and Glasswing Butterfly Names in English
Rainforest and glasswing butterflies are the striped, eye-spotted, and transparent-winged species of the American tropics.
Zebra Longwing
striking tropical butterfly with narrow long black wings crossed by pale yellow zebra stripes. Zebra longwings are the state butterfly of Florida and are found across the southern USA and Latin America.
Owl Butterfly
large tropical butterfly with brown wings marked by enormous owl-eye eyespots. Owl butterflies are found in Central and South American rainforests as one of the largest American butterflies.
Glasswing Butterfly
tropical butterfly with transparent see-through wings that make it nearly invisible in flight. Glasswings are found across Central and South America and their wings have no pigment or scales in the transparent areas.
Indian Butterfly Names in English
Indian butterflies are the distinctive species of Indian subcontinent gardens, forests, and grasslands.
Common Jezebel
Asian white butterfly with white forewings and orange, yellow, and red patterns on the hindwings. Common jezebels are found across India and Southeast Asia as one of the most colorful garden butterflies.
Common Crow
Asian and Australian butterfly with dark chocolate-brown wings dotted with small white spots. Common crows are toxic to predators and are found across India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia.
Crimson Rose
Asian swallowtail with black wings marked by white spots and a bright crimson-red body. Crimson roses are found across India and Sri Lanka, protected under Indian wildlife law for their beauty.
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Asian butterfly with wings that fold into a perfect dead-leaf shape when at rest, complete with fake leaf veins and midrib. Indian leaf butterflies are found across India and Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asian Butterfly Names in English
Southeast Asian butterflies are the tropical species of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Painted Jezebel
Asian butterfly with striking white forewings and yellow, red, and black patterned hindwings. Painted jezebels are found across South and Southeast Asia in forested and garden habitats.
Tailed Jay
Asian butterfly with black wings marked by pale green patches and long tail extensions. Tailed jays fly fast and are found across India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, popular in butterfly gardens.
Autumn Leaf
Asian butterfly with wings shaped and colored like a dry autumn leaf, brownish-orange with veined patterns. Autumn leaves are found across India and Southeast Asia, camouflaging on the forest floor.
Red Lacewing
tropical Asian butterfly with distinctive red wings marked by delicate black lacework patterns. Red lacewings are found across India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia in forest edges and clearings.
European Butterfly Names in English
European butterflies are the classic species of British and continental European gardens, meadows, and mountain habitats.
Apollo Butterfly
rare European mountain butterfly with white wings marked by black spots and 4 red-orange eyespots. Apollo butterflies are found in the Alps, Pyrenees, and mountains of central and eastern Europe.
Purple Emperor
large European butterfly with dark brown wings that reflect iridescent purple in males. Purple emperors are found in oak forests of central and eastern Europe, spending most of their time in the treetops.
Small Tortoiseshell
small European butterfly with vibrant orange, black, and yellow wings marked by blue crescent edges. Small tortoiseshells are common in gardens across Europe and Asia as a classic European garden species.
Small Heath
small European butterfly with pale orange-brown wings marked by small eyespots on the forewings. Small heaths are found in dry grasslands across Europe and temperate Asia, with a weak fluttering flight.
World’s Largest and Rare Butterfly Names in English
World’s largest and rare butterflies are the record-holding species and rare specialties found in unique habitats worldwide.
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
the largest butterfly in the world with a wingspan up to 30 cm (nearly a foot). Queen Alexandra’s birdwings are found only in Papua New Guinea and are critically endangered.
Danaid Eggfly
Asian butterfly with black wings marked by 4 large white spots (males) or brown mottled patterns mimicking toxic butterflies (females). Danaid eggflies are found across India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Tawny Coster
Asian butterfly with orange wings marked by black spots and borders, related to passion flower butterflies. Tawny costers are found across India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia and toxic to predators.
Butterflies That Look Similar
Some butterfly names and species cause confusion for English learners and nature enthusiasts.
Butterfly vs Moth
| Trait | Butterfly | Moth |
|---|---|---|
| Antennae | Slim with clubbed tips | Feathery or straight |
| Rest position | Wings folded upright | Wings flat or folded down |
| Activity | Daytime (diurnal) | Mostly nighttime (nocturnal) |
| Colors | Bright and colorful | Muted brown or grey |
Butterflies and moths are both part of the insect order Lepidoptera, but butterflies fly by day with clubbed antennae and moths fly at night with feathered antennae.
Monarch vs Viceroy
| Trait | Monarch | Viceroy |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Larger (4-inch wingspan) | Smaller (3-inch wingspan) |
| Pattern | Orange with black veins | Same but with a black line across hindwings |
| Migration | Migrates 3,000 miles | Non-migratory |
Viceroys mimic monarchs to avoid predators since predators know monarchs are toxic from milkweed. The extra black horizontal line on the viceroy’s hindwing is the fastest way to tell them apart.
6 Main Butterfly Families
| Family | Common Name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Papilionidae | Swallowtails | Eastern tiger swallowtail, black swallowtail, birdwing |
| Pieridae | Whites and Sulphurs | Cabbage white, orange tip, jezebel |
| Nymphalidae | Brush-Footed | Monarch, red admiral, painted lady |
| Lycaenidae | Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks | Common blue, karner blue, hairstreak |
| Hesperiidae | Skippers | Silver-spotted skipper, long-tailed skipper |
| Riodinidae | Metalmarks | Metalmark butterflies (mostly tropical) |
Nymphalidae is the largest family by well-known species. Lycaenidae has the most species overall (6,000+ worldwide).
Camberwell Beauty vs Mourning Cloak
| Region | Name |
|---|---|
| British English | Camberwell Beauty |
| American English | Mourning Cloak |
Same butterfly under two different names. Named after Camberwell (London) where first spotted in Britain in 1748, and after its dark mourning-black wings in America.
Butterfly Life Cycle Stages
| Stage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Egg | Tiny egg laid on a host plant |
| Larva (Caterpillar) | Feeding stage that molts multiple times |
| Pupa (Chrysalis) | Transformation stage inside a hardened case |
| Adult (Imago) | Winged flying stage that reproduces |
Complete metamorphosis takes 4 weeks to 4 months depending on species and temperature.
FAQs
Q1. What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
Butterflies and moths are both part of the insect order Lepidoptera. Butterflies fly during the day, have slim antennae with clubbed tips, rest with wings folded upright, and come in bright colors. Moths fly at night, have feathery or straight antennae, rest with wings flat, and come in muted browns and greys. There are about 20,000 butterfly species and 160,000 moth species worldwide.
Q2. What are the 4 stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?
The 4 stages of a butterfly’s life cycle are: (1) egg, laid on the caterpillar’s host plant; (2) larva (caterpillar), the feeding stage that molts several times; (3) pupa (chrysalis), the transformation stage inside a hardened case; and (4) adult (imago), the winged flying stage that mates and lays eggs. Complete metamorphosis takes 4 weeks to 4 months depending on species and temperature.
Q3. What are the 6 main butterfly families?
The 6 main butterfly families are: Papilionidae (swallowtails and birdwings), Pieridae (whites and sulphurs, with cabbage white), Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies, the largest family by well-known species with monarchs, painted ladies, and admirals), Lycaenidae (blues, coppers, and hairstreaks, the family with the most species worldwide at 6,000+), Hesperiidae (skippers with fast skipping flight), and Riodinidae (metalmarks with metallic wing spots).
Q4. What is the largest butterfly in the world?
The largest butterfly in the world is the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) with a wingspan up to 30 cm (nearly a foot) in females. It is found only in the rainforests of northern Papua New Guinea and is critically endangered due to habitat loss. The largest butterfly in the Americas is the giant swallowtail with a 6-inch wingspan.
Q5. What is the most-common butterfly?
The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is the world’s most widespread and common butterfly species, found on six continents (every continent except Antarctica and South America). Painted ladies migrate in millions across North Africa, Europe, and North America each year. The most-common butterfly in most gardens worldwide is the Cabbage White, a small white pest butterfly with black wing spots.
Q6. How long do butterflies live?
Adult butterflies live from 1 week (small blues, some hairstreaks) to 9-11 months (monarchs and mourning cloaks). Most common garden butterflies live 2-4 weeks as adults. The whole butterfly life cycle from egg to death of adult takes 4 weeks to 12 months depending on species, region, and season. Butterflies that hibernate through winter (like mourning cloak) have the longest adult lifespan.
