List of butterflies of Guam facts for kids

Location of Guam

Guam is a beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean, and it's home to many interesting creatures, including a variety of butterflies! Butterflies are amazing insects known for their colorful wings and graceful flight. They start their lives as caterpillars and then transform into the beautiful winged adults we see fluttering around.

This article lists the different types of butterflies that have been found living on Guam. Scientists group butterflies into families based on their shared features. Let's explore some of the butterfly families you might find on this island!

Skippers (Hesperiidae)

Skippers are a family of butterflies that often have a quick, darting flight, almost like a skip! Their antennae usually have a hook at the tip.

Coeliadinae (Awls)

• Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius, 1775)
• Hasora chromus chromus (Cramer, 1780)

Hesperiinae (Grass Skippers)

• Erionota thrax (Linnaeus, 1767)
• Taractrocera luzonensis (Staudinger, 1889)

Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Swallowtails are often large and colorful butterflies. Many of them have tail-like extensions on their hindwings, which look a bit like the tails of swallows, giving them their name!

Papilioninae (True Swallowtails)

• Papilio polytes palewensis (Nakamura, 1933)

Whites and Yellows (Pieridae)

This family includes many common butterflies that are white, yellow, or orange. They are often seen flying in open areas and gardens.

Coliadinae (Sulphurs and Yellows)

• Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius, 1775)

Blues and Coppers (Lycaenidae)

This is a very large family of small to medium-sized butterflies. Many of them have bright blue, copper, or iridescent wings, especially the males.

Polyommatinae (Blues)

• Catochrysops panormus papuana (Tite, 1959)
• Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767)
• Zizula hylax dampierensis (Rothschild, 1915)

Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

This is the largest family of butterflies, and they are called "brush-footed" because their front pair of legs are often smaller and covered in brush-like hairs. This family includes many well-known butterflies like monarchs and admirals.

Danainae (Milkweed Butterflies)

• Danaus plexippus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Euploea eunice kadu (von Eschscholtz, 1821)
• Euploea algea eleutho (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

Satyrinae (Satyrs and Browns)

• Melanitis leda ponapensis (Mathew, 1889)

Limenitidinae (Admirals and Relatives)

• Neptis hylas guamensis (Swinhoe, 1916)

Nymphalinae (True Brush-footed Butterflies)

• Hypolimnas bolina nerina (Fabricius, 1775)

Heliconiinae (Longwings and Fritillaries)

• Vagrans egestina (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)