thirty or more types of butterflies you may see around your garden

These types of butterflies are seen in the United States. Use the photos and information to identify the butterflies you see.

Gain a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty that thrives in our own backyards. People have admired butterflies for centuries.

The stunning Blue Morpho Butterfly (photo below) is a popular attraction in public butterfly gardens. They are an amazing gift from God.

Identify the 30 popular types of butterflies found in the United States.

It's fun learning the butterflies.

Blue Morpho

Amazingly, their beautiful blue wings are brown on the underside. This camouflages them when their wings are up.

The Blue Morphos are not native to the United States. Instead, they are from the tropical forests of Mexico, Central and South America.

They are quite large for a butterfly with their wing-span often reaching eight inches.

Let's look at butterflies that live in the states.

types of butterflies seen in the united states

Identify the general type and click down the page for more information.

Swallowtail Butterflies are fairly large and common in our gardens.

Monarch Butterflies belong to the interesting group of Milkweed Butterflies.

Longwing Butterflies are easy to identify by their long, narrow wings.

Brush-footed Butterflies include many colorful types of butterflies.

Sulphur-and-White Butterflies navigation

White and Sulphur Butterflies are basically white or yellow.

Skippers are small butterflies that skip from flower to flower.

How do we tell if it's a moth or a butterfly?

swallowtail butterflies

Their tails identify the group of swallowtails.

The types of butterflies known as Swallowtails are the most recognizable butterflies in the United States. They capture our imagination with their distinctive elongated tails and vibrant colors.

They are noted for their impressive size, with wingspans that can reach up to six inches.

There is often a false eye on the swallowtail. It is for their protection to keep birds from pecking their real eyes.

These magnificent butterflies are found in a wide range of environments from forests to our backyard gardens.

black swallowtail

Black Swallowtail

The male Black Swallowtails have an orange spot on the back of the hind-wing. The orange spot on both male and females has black in the center of the orange spot.
2 1/2" to 3 1/2"

black swallowtail

Black Swallowtail, female

The black swallowtails are wide-spread from southern Canada to Florida, thru the mid-western states to the west side of the Rocky Mountains and southwest into Arizona, southern California and into northern Mexico.

black swallowtail

Black Swallowtail

Black Swallowtails lay their eggs on carrot plants, parsley, dill and fennel.

art by carol May

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly painting by Carol May

WC Butterfly Painting

It's my joy to do butterfly paintings, hummingbirds, flowers and landscapes.

Eastern
Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

This stunning butterfly is one of my favorite types of butterflies. The bold 'tiger' stripes make it easy to recognize.

It;s a large butterfly that flies so softly.
3 1/2" to 5 1/2"

eastern
Tiger Swallowtail

Brown Tiger Swallowtail

There is a brown form of some of the female Tiger Swallowtails.

All forms are seen in the eastern United States from Maine to Florida and west into the Great Plains.

Western
Tiger Swallowtail

Western Tiger Swallowtail

The Western Tiger Swallowtail is smaller than the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. It has an orange and several blue spots on each hind-wing, plus double swallowtails.
3" to 4"

tiger Swallowtails
puddling

Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies

Male Tiger Swallowtail butterflies getting minerals from the wet soil.

Only male butterflies do this to get the extra minerals.

Pipevine Swallowtail

This beautiful butterfly is seen from the Great Lakes to Southern California and down into Central America.
2 3/4" to 3 1/2"

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spicebush Swallowtail

The hind-wings are bluish or white. The orange spot on the hind-wing has no black in the center like Black Swallowtails.
3 1/2" to 4 3/4"

Palamedes swallowtail

Palamedes Butterfly with its wings open.

Palamedes Swallowtail

The Palamedes Swallowtail is seen in the swampy areas along the Southeastern United States down to the gulf coast.

They are distinctively larger than Black Swallowtails and brownish-black.
4 1/2" to 5 1/8"

Zebra Swallowtail

The Zebra Swallowtail of the eastern US may be confused with a Tiger Swallowtail.

It is black and white without any yellow. Also, it is considerably smaller than the Tiger Swallowtails.
2 1/2" to 3 1/2"

Giant Swallowtail

The Giant Swallowtail is one of the largest butterflies in North America. Its wing-span is up to 6". Some males can be 7" or more.

They reside east of the Rockies to the east coast and down to South America.

Giant Swallowtail

Giant Swallowtail, underside

Their top is bright yellow and black. The underside is mostly pale yellow with black markings.

It's hard to tell it is the same butterfly until you see it with its wings both open and closed.

milkweed butterflies

Notable Milkweed Butterflies

Milkweed Butterflies stand out from others types of butterflies for their remarkable adaptations.

They are pretty smart. They feed on milkweeds that contain cardiac glycoside. They have developed a tolerance for this chemical, but it is toxic to birds. So, the birds don't try to eat them.

From the vibrant colors of the Monarch to the intriguing patterns of the Queen Butterfly this group offers a glimpse into the intricate web of life that sustains our natural ecosystems.

Monarch Butterfly

Monarchs have no white spots out in the middle of their fore-wings.

They live from Canada to South America, Pacific islands, Hawaii and New Zealand.
3 1/2" to 4"

Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly, underside

Monarch Butterflies are the most well-known types of butterflies.

They are famous for their amazing life cycle and annual migration from the United States to Mexico and back again.

Queen Butterfly

Queen Butterflies are seen from southern California to South Georgia and Florida down to Argentina.
3" to 3 1/2"

Queen Butterfly

Queen Butterfly, underside

The Queen Butterfly may be confused with the Monarch, but it lacks the black veins of the Monarch. It also has white spots in the orange of the fore-wing.

longwing butterflies

The wing-shape identifies these butterflies.

The Longwing Butterflies, Heliconius are actually part of the Brush-footed family of butterflies.

But who looks at their feet, it's much easier to see their long wings. Their fore-wings are longer than they are wide.

From the striking patterns of the Zebra Longwing to the vibrant Gulf Fritillary this group of butterflies are a treat when we see them visiting our gardens.

Zebra Longwing

Zebra Longwings are the Florida State Butterfly.

They live several months longer than other butterflies.
2 3/4" to 3 1/2"

Julia Butterfly

Julia Butterfly

The Julia Butterfly, sometimes called Orange Longwing is actually a brush-footed butterfly.

But its wings are distinctly long.
3 1/4" to 3 1/2

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

The Gulf Fritillary is one of the most common butterflies in Florida. They have long orange wings with dark spots.
2 1/2" to 3 3/4"

Plant some Butterfly Flowers.

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary, underside

They have large silvery spots on the underside of their wings.

When you see the underside, you may think they are different types of butterflies until you see both sides.

brush-footed butterflies

Brush-footed Butterfly

The Brush-footed types of butterflies are a diverse and fascinating group.

They are named for their distinctive front legs that look a brush. They walk and stand mainly on their four back legs.

We probably don't look at their legs, but they are also known for their intricate patterns and bold colors. This group of showcases the incredible adaptability and resilience of these winged wonders.

Viceroy Butterfly

The Viceroy is seen in the states east of California. It's often confused with the Monarch.

It has a heavy black band across the hind-wing that's not on the Monarch.

Viceroy Butterfly

Viceroy Butterfly, underside

The band also shows on the underside of the wing. Monarchs don't have a black band.

The Viceroy, at 2 1/2" to 3" is smaller than Monarchs which are 3 1/2" to 4"

painted lady

Painted Lady

Painted Ladies are seen in many parts of the world. They have very interesting patterns on the underside of their wings.
2" to 2 1/4"

American Painted Lady

The American Painted Lady has a large eye-spot on the back wings. The Painted Lady does not have this eye-spot.
2" to 2 1/4"

malachite butterfly

Malachite Butterfly

The Malachite sports green patches with dark brown to black. It is seen in the southeastern states, mainly Florida and south Texas.
3" to 4"

Great Spangled Fritillary

The Great Spangled Fritillary is a common butterfly throughout much of the eastern United States. The underside has silvery white spots.
2 1/8" to 3"

Buckeye Butterfly

I see the Buckeyes often and they are one of my favorites because I see them so often.

They reside throughout the United States, southern Canada and some of the Caribbean.
2' to 2 1/2"

Red Admiral Butterfly

The first time I saw a Red Admiral Butterfly I was amazed at their brilliant red coloring.

It can be seen throughout the United States, Europe, central Asia and North Africa.
1 3/4" to 2 1/4"

White Peacock Butterfly

White Peacock Butterfly

The White Peacock Butterfly is seen in south Texas and Florida and down through Mexico, Central America and into Venezuela.

It flies close to the ground. The first one I ever saw was sitting on the grass.
2 1/8" to 2 3/4"

Pearl Crescent

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

The Pearl Crescent Butterfly has pearl colored crescents inside of the black edge of the hind-wings.

It lives in much of the United States, excluding the west coast, Canada and Mexico.
1" to 1 1/3"

Red-spotted Purple

Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

This beautiful butterfly is seen in much of the eastern United States. The purplish-orange color is on the end of the wings.

It mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail which is toxic. But they do not have a swallowtail.
3" to 3 3/8"

Question Mark Butterfly

The Question Mark Butterfly has a question mark on the underside of its hind-wing. Its wing edges look ragged.

It is from southern Canada and the United States east of the Rockies, except Florida.
2 3/8" to 2 5/8"

white and sulphur butterflies

Checkered White Butterfly

White and Sulphurs are just like their names imply, either white or sulphur, yellow colored.

Both sulphur and white butterflies are small and numerous. They are the most common types of butterflies in the United States.

Sulphur Butterflies are small pale to bright yellow, sometimes with variations of orange.

White butterflies come with various markings as noted below.

Cabbage White

The Cabbage White is the most numerous white butterflies across the United States.

The tip of their fore-wing is edged in black. Females have two black spots on the fore-wing, males have one spot.

Their larva are pests on cruciferous vegetables.
1 1/2" to 2"

great southern white

Great Southern White

The Great Southern White butterflies are white with a dark edge on the fore-wing.

They live in Florida, across the Gulf states to Texas and up the east coast as far as Maryland. Occasionally, they have been sighted in Colorado, Missouri, Kansas and the Dakotas.
2 1/2" to 3"

western pine white

Western Pine White

The beautifully marked Western Pine White Butterfly is named for their caterpillars that feed on the needles of pine and fir trees.

They are seen from western Nebraska and west to the Pacific.
1 3/4" to 2 1/4"

Checkered white

Checkered White

Checkered Whites have patterned fore-wings and faint marks on the hind-wing. The male’s markings are black and the female’s are brown.

They are residents in the southern states and seasonally north to Canada.
1 1/2" to 2 1/2"

Cloudless Sulphur

Cloudless Sulphurs

The Cloudless Sulphur are lemon to pale yellow. The females may fade to white. Their wings have tiny dark edges.

They are seen all across the lower fifty states. They live year-round in south Texas, throughout the deep south and Florida.
2 " to 2 3/4"

orange sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphurs, Alfalfa Butterflies are yellowish orange to white in some females.

The topside of the wings has dark borders and one black spot on each fore-wing. They live across the states, except Florida.
1 3/8" to 2 3/4"

skipper butterflies

The European Skipper in now quite common in the United States.

The European Skipper now resides here.

Skippers are a diverse type of butterfly often overlooked. These small, fast-flying butterflies, named for their distinctive flight pattern.

Their wings are small in proportion to their body, so they fly in a hurry. They 'skip' from flower to flower.

Skippers contribute to the health of our ecosystems by serving as important pollinators.

guava skipper

Guava Skipper

The Guava Skipper resides in south Texas. Their red-colored larva feed on Guava plants.
1 5/8" to 2 1/2".

Checkered Skipper

The delightful little Checkered Skipper is seen from southern Canada down into Argentina.
3/4" to 1 1/4"

Long-tailed Skippers

Long-tailed Skipper

These dark skippers have a blue-green iridescence and a long tail. They live in the southern United States to Argentina.
1 3/4" to 2 1/4"

Silver-spotted Skipper

The Silver-spotted Skipper is easy to identify. It is seen from southern Canada down to Florida and northern Mexico.
1 3/4" to 2 3/8"

It's fun learning the types of butterflies visiting our yards

Whether we know the names of the butterflies is not as important, as enjoying these wonderful garden gifts.

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