Welcome

Welcome to my Michigan butterfly page. The butterfly images below are arranged as given in the book Michigan Butterflies & Skippers,  by Mogens C. Nielsen (MSU Extension, 1999), and use his species numbering system. There is one image for each butterfly species I have photographed. If I have not photographed a species in Michigan, I include a photo from a different state. If no image is shown, then I haven’t yet photographed that species. All the species shown on this page have been verified by the experts who volunteer for the website Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA). The exif data are included with the photos.

The plots next to each species show the number of times I observed the species within the state of Michigan in a given week of the year, regardless of the year. Note that the number of occurrences is independent of the number of individuals observed. If, for instance, I saw ten monarchs at a certain site on a given day, this is counted as a single occurrence. However, if I saw monarchs at two sites on the same day, that is counted as two occurrences.

To see maps of all of my observations, including those in Michigan, please visit my butterfly page.

Data are current to April 7, 2023. 

Summary

There are 162 species and subspecies listed in the book by Mogens Nielsen. There is at least one other species (Ocola skipper) that is not listed, for a total of 163 species and subspecies recorded in Michigan. Many of these are very rare strays that have only been recorded once or a few times (such as the Eufala skipper), or were once regularly recorded but now are most probably extirpated (such as the regal fritillary).

My goal is to photograph all 162 species and subspecies listed by Nielsen, plus the Ocola skipper (which I have already photographed). So far, I have photographed 116 of these in Michigan, and an additional 19 outside Michigan, for a total of 135. So, I have 28 yet to photograph, which gives me a fun goal to pursue! 

Family Papilionidae: Swallowtails

1     Battus philenor  (Pipevine swallowtail)

2     Papilio polyxenes  (Black swallowtail)

3     Papilio machaon  (Old world swallowtail)

4     Papilio cresphontes  (Giant swallowtail)

5     Papilio glaucus (Eastern tiger swallowtail)

6     Papilio canadensis  (Canadian tiger swallowtail)

7     Papilio troilus  (Spicebush swallowtail)

8     Eurytides marcellus  (Zebra swallowtail)

               Photographed in Arkansas

Family Pieridae: Whites, Sulphurs

9     Pontia protodice  (Checkered white)

10     Pontia occidentalis  (Western white)

11     Pieris oleracea  (Mustard white)

12     Pieris virginiensis  (West Virginia white)

13     Pieris rapae  (Cabbage white)

14     Euchloe ausonides  (Large marble)

15      Euchloe olympia  (Olympia marble)

16      Colias philodice  (Clouded sulphur)

17      Colias eurytheme  (Orange sulphur)

18      Colias interior  (Pink-edged sulphur)

19      Zerene cesonia  (Southern dogface)

20      Phoebis sennae  (Cloudless sulphur)

21      Phoebis philea  (Orange-barred sulphur)

22      Pyrisitia lisa  (Little yellow)

23      Abaeis nicippe  (Sleepy orange)

               Photographed in Arizona,

               Colorado, and New Mexico 

24      Eurema mexicana  (Mexican yellow)

               Photographed in Arizona

25      Nathalis iole  (Dainty sulphur)

               Photographed in Arizona, Kansas,

               Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas

Family Lycinidae: Harvesters, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Blues

26      Feniseca tarquinius  (Harvester)

27      Lycaena phlaeas  (American copper)

28      Lycaena hyllus  (Bronze copper)

29      Lycaena epixanthe  (Bog copper)

30      Lycaena dorcas  (Dorcas copper)

31      Lycaena helloides  (Purplish copper)

               Photographed in Washington

32      Satyrium titus  (Coral hairstreak)

33      Satyrium acadica  (Acadian hairstreak)

34      Satyrium edwardsii  (Edwards’ hairstreak)

35      Satyrium calanus  (Banded hairstreak)

36      Satyrium caryaevorus  (Hickory hairstreak)

37      Satyrium liparops  (Striped hairstreak)

38      Satyrium favonius  (Oak hairstreak)

39      Calycopis cecrops  (Red-banded hairstreak)

40      Callophrys augustinus  (Brown elfin)

41      Callophrys polios  (Hoary elfin)

42      Callophrys irus  (Frosted elfin)

43      Callophrys henrici  (Henry’s elfin)

44      Callophrys niphon  (Eastern pine elfin)

45      Callophrys eryphon  (Western pine elfin)

               Photographed in Washington

46      Parrhasius m-album  (White-M hairstreak)

47      Strymon melinus  (Gray hairstreak)

48      Erora laeta  (Early hairstreak)

49      Echinargus isola  (Reakirt’s blue)

               Photographed in Arizona,

               Kansas, and Texas

50      Cupido comyntas  (Eastern tailed-blue)

51      Cupido amyntula  (Western tailed-blue)

               Photographed in Washington

52      Celastrina ladon  (Spring azure)

53      Celastrina neglecta  (Summer azure)

54      Celastrina lucia  (Northern azure)

55      Glaucopsyche lygdamus  (Silvery blue)

56      Plebejus idas  (Northern blue)

57      Plebejus melissa samuelis  (Karner blue)

58      Plebejus saepiolus  (Greenish blue)

Family Riodinidae: Metalmarks

59      Calephelis muticum  (Swamp metalmark)

Family Nymphalidae: Brushfoots

60      Libytheana carinenta  (American snout)

61      Agraulis vanillae  (Gulf fritillary)

               Photographed in Texas

62      Euptoieta claudia  (Variegated fritillary)

63      Speyeria cybele  (Great spangled fritillary)

63a     Speyeria cybele krautwurmi  (Krautwurm’s fritillary)

64      Speyeria aphrodite  (Aphrodite fritillary)

65      Speyeria idalia  (Regal fritillary)

               Photographed in Indiana

66      Speyeria atlantis  (Atlantis fritillary)

67      Boloria eunomia  (Bog fritillary)

68      Boloria selene  (Silver-bordered fritillary)

68a    Boloria selene atrocostalis  (Bog silver-bordered fritillary)

69     Boloria bellona  (Meadow fritillary)

               Photographed in Iowa

70     Boloria frigga  (Frigga fritillary)

71     Boloria freija  (Freija fritillary)

72     Chlosyne gorgone  (Gorgone checkerspot)

               Photographed in Kansas

73     Chlosyne nycteis  (Silvery checkerspot)

74     Chlosyne harrisii  (Harris’ checkerspot)

75      Phyciodes tharos  (Pearl crescent)

76      Phyciodes cocyta  (Northern crescent)

77      Phyciodes batesii  (Tawny crescent)

78      Euphydryas phaeton  (Baltimore checkerspot)

79      Polygonia interrogationis  (Question mark)

80      Polygonia comma  (Eastern comma)

81      Polygonia satyrus  (Satyr comma)

               Photographed in Washington

82      Polygonia faunus  (Green comma)

83      Polygonia gracilis  (Hoary comma)

84      Polygonia progne  (Gray comma)

85      Nymphalis vaualbum  (Compton Tortoiseshell)

86      Nymphalis californica  (California Tortoiseshell)

               Photographed in Washington

87      Nymphalis antiopa  (Mourning cloak)

88      Aglias milberti  (Milbert’s tortoiseshell)

89      Vanessa virginiensis  (American lady)

90      Vanessa cardui  (painted lady)

91      Vanessa atalanta  (Red admiral)

92      Junonia coenia  (Common buckeye)

93      Limenitis arthemis arthemis  (White admiral)

93a     Limenitis arthemis astyanax  (Red-spotted purple)

94      Limenitis archippus  (Viceroy)

95      Anaea andria  (Goatweed leafwing)

               Photographed in Arkansas

96      Asterocampa celtis  (Hackberry emperor)

97      Asterocampa clyton  (Tawny emperor)

98      Enodia anthedon  (Northern pearly-eye)

99      Enodia creola  (Creole pearly-eye)

100     Satyrodes eurydice  (Eyed brown)

101     Satyrodes appalachia  (Appalachian brown)

102     Neonympha mitchellii  (Mitchell’s satyr)

103     Megisto cymela  (Little wood satyr)

104     Coenonympha tullia  (Common ringlet)

105     Cercyonis pegala  (Common wood-nymph)

106     Erebia discoidalis  (Red-disked alpine)

107     Oeneis macounii  (Macoun’s arctic)

108     Oeneis chryxus  (Chryxus arctic)

109     Oeneis jutta  (Jutta arctic)

110     Danaus plexippus  (Monarch)

111     Danaus gilippus  (Queen)

               Photographed in Arizona and Texas

Family Hesperiidae: Skippers

112     Epargyreus clarus  (Silver-spotted skipper)

113     Urbanus proteus  (Long-tailed  skipper)

114     Achalarus lyciades  (Hoary edge)

115     Thorybes bathyllus  (Southern cloudywing)

116     Thorybes pylades  (Northern cloudywing)

117     Erynnis icelus  (Dreamy duskywing)

118     Erynnis brizo  (Sleepy duskywing)

119     Erynnis juvenalis  (Juvenal’s duskywing)

120     Erynnis horatius  (Horace’s duskywing)

121     Erynnis martialis  (Mottled duskywing)

122     Erynnis lucilius  (Columbine duskywing)

123     Erynnis baptisiae  (Wild indigo duskywing)

124     Erynnis persius  (Persius duskywing)

125     Pyrgus centaureae  (Grizzled skipper)

126     Pyrgus communis  (Common checkered skipper)

127     Pholisora catullus  (Common sootywing)

128     Carterocephalus palaemon  (Arctic skipper)

129     Nastra lherminier  (Swarthy skipper)

130    Ancyloxypha numitor  (Least skipper)

131    Oarisma powesheik  (Powesheik skipperling)

132    Thymelicus lineola  (European skipper)

133    Hylephila phyleus  (Fiery skipper)

134    Hesperia comma  (Common Branded Skipper)

135    Hesperia ottoe  (Ottoe Skipper)

136    Hesperia leonardus  (Leonard’s Skipper)

137    Hesperia metea  (Cobweb Skipper)

138    Hesperia sassacus  (Indian Skipper)

139    Polites peckius  (Peck’s skipper)

140    Polites themistocles  (Tawny-edged skipper)

141    Polites origenes  (Crossline skipper)

142    Polites mystic  (Long dash)

143    Wallengrenia egeremet  (Northern broken-dash)

144    Pompeius verna  (Little glassywing)

145    Atalopedes campestris  (Sachem)

146    Anatrytone logan  (Delaware skipper)

147    Poanes massasoit  (Mulberry wing)

148    Poanes hobomok  (Hobomok skipper)

149    Poanes zabulon  (Zabulon skipper)

150    Poanes viator  (Broad-winged skipper)

151    Euphyes dion  (Dion skipper)

152    Euphyes dukesi  (Dukes’ skipper)

153    Euphyes conspicua  (Black dash)

154    Euphyes bimacula  (Two-spotted skipper)

155    Euphyes vestris  (Dun skipper)

156    Atrytonopsis hianna  (Dusted skipper)

157    Amblyscirtes hegon  (Pepper and salt skipper)

158    Amblyscirtes vialis  (Common roadside-skipper)

159    Lerodea eufala  (Eufala skipper)

               Photographed in Arizona

The following butterfly is not listed in Michigan Butterflies & Skippers

XXX    Panoquina ocola  (Ocola skipper)