List of butterflies of Oklahoma facts for kids
Welcome to the amazing world of butterflies and skippers found right here in Oklahoma! These beautiful creatures are all part of a larger group of insects called Lepidoptera. You might know them for their colorful wings and graceful flight. While they look a lot like moths, butterflies and skippers have some special differences. This article will introduce you to many of the different types you can spot in Oklahoma.
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Amazing Butterflies of Oklahoma
Butterflies belong to the order Lepidoptera and the superfamily Papilionoidea. They are known for their bright colors and often fly during the day.
Meet the Swallowtails!
Family: Papilionidae Swallowtails are some of the largest and most striking butterflies. Many have "tails" on their hindwings, which look a bit like the tails of swallows.
Swallowtails: Papilioninae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
- Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor)
- Zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
- Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
- Thoas swallowtail (Papilio thoas)
- Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
- Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
- Two-tailed swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
- Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
- Palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)
Whites and Sulphurs: Bright Wings!
Family: Pieridae This family includes many common butterflies that are often white or yellow. They are frequently seen in gardens and open fields.
Whites
Subfamily: Pierinae
- Florida white (Appias drusilla)
- Becker's white (Pontia beckerii)
- Spring white (Pontia sisymbrii)
- Checkered white (Pontia protodice)
- Cabbage white (Pieris rapae)
- Large marble (Euchloe ausonides)
- Olympia marble (Euchloe olympia)
- Falcate orangetip (Anthocharis midea)
Sulphurs
Subfamily: Coliadinae
- Clouded sulphur (Colias philodice)
- Orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
- Southern dogface (Zerene cesonia)
- White angled-sulphur (Anteos clorinde)
- Cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
- Orange-barred sulphur (Phoebis philea)
- Large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
- Lyside sulphur (Kricogonia lyside)
- Barred yellow (Eurema daira)
- Mexican yellow (Eurema mexicana)
- Little yellow (Eurema lisa)
- Sleepy orange (Eurema nicippe)
- Dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole)
Gossamer-Wing Butterflies: Small and Delicate
Family: Lycaenidae These butterflies are usually small and often have very delicate wings. Many have tiny "tails" or spots that look like eyes to trick predators.
Harvester
Subfamily: Miletinae
- Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
Coppers
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
- American copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Gray copper (Lycaena dione)
- Bronze copper (Lycaena hyllus)
- Purplish copper (Lycaena helloides)
Hairstreaks
Subfamily: Theclinae
- Great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus)
- Soapberry hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis)
- Coral hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
- Behr's hairstreak (Satyrium behrii)
- Edwards' hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii)
- Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
- Striped hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
- Southern hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius)
- Frosted elfin (Callophrys irus)
- Henry's elfin (Callophrys henrici)
- Eastern pine elfin (Callophrys niphon)
- Thicket hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum)
- Juniper hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
- White M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album)
- Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
- Red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
Blues
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
- Western pygmy-blue (Brephidium exile)
- Cassius blue (Leptotes cassius)
- Marine blue (Leptotes marina)
- Reakirt's blue (Echinargus isola)
- Eastern tailed-blue (Cupido comyntas)
- Spring azure (Celastrina ladon)
- Summer azure (Celastrina neglecta)
- Silvery blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
- Melissa blue (Plebejus melissa)
- Lupine blue (Icaricia lupini)
Metalmarks: Tiny Beauties
Family: Riodinidae Metalmarks are often small butterflies with tiny metallic spots on their wings, which give them their name.
- Little metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis)
- Northern metalmark (Calephelis borealis)
Brush-Footed Butterflies: Diverse and Dazzling
Family: Nymphalidae This is the largest family of butterflies, with many different shapes, sizes, and colors. They get their name because their front legs are often small and brush-like.
Snouts
Subfamily: Libytheinae
- American snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Heliconians and Fritillaries
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
- Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Zebra heliconian (Heliconius charithonia)
- Variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
- Diana (Speyeria diana)
- Great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
- Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
- Edwards' fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
True Brush-Foots
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
- Dotted checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
- Fulvia checkerspot (Thessalia fulvia)
- Bordered patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
- Gorgone checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
- Silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
- Texan crescent (Phyciodes texana)
- Graphic crescent (Phyciodes graphica)
- Phaon crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
- Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
- Field crescent (Phyciodes pratensis)
- Painted crescent (Phyciodes picta)
- Variable checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
- Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
- Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
- Eastern comma (Polygonia comma)
- Gray comma (Polygonia progne)
- Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- American lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
- West Coast lady (Vanessa annabella)
- Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Common buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Admirals and Relatives
Subfamily: Limenitidinae
- Red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis)
- 'Astyanax' red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
- Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
- Weidemeyer's admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
- California sister (Adelpha bredowii)
- Common mestra (Mestra amymone)
Leafwings
Subfamily: Charaxinae
- Goatweed leafwing (Anaea andria)
Emperors
Subfamily: Apaturinae
- Hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
- Tawny emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
Satyrs
Subfamily: Satyrinae
- Southern pearly eye (Enodia portlandia)
- Northern pearly eye (Enodia anthedon)
- Creole pearly eye (Enodia creola)
- Canyonland satyr (Cyllopsis pertepida)
- Gemmed satyr (Cyllopsis gemma)
- Carolina satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius)
- Georgia satyr (Neonympha areolata)
- Little wood satyr (Megisto cymela)
- Red satyr (Megisto rubricata)
- Common wood-nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
- Ridings' satyr (Neominois ridingsii)
Monarchs: Famous Migrators
Subfamily: Danainae
Skippers: The Fast Fliers
Order: Lepidoptera Family: Hesperiidae Skippers are a unique group that share features of both butterflies and moths. They are known for their quick, darting flight, like they are "skipping" through the air.
Spread-Wing Skippers
Subfamily: Pyrginae These skippers often rest with their wings spread flat.
- Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
- Long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus)
- Golden banded-skipper (Autochton cellus)
- Hoary edge (Achalarus lyciades)
- Southern cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
- Northern cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
- Confusing cloudywing (Thorybes confusis)
- Outis skipper (Cogia outis)
- Hayhurst's scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
- Dreamy duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
- Sleepy duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
- Juvenal's duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
- Rocky Mountain duskywing (Erynnis telemachus)
- Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
- Mottled duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
- Zarucco duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)
- Funereal duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
- Wild indigo duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
- Common checkered-skipper (Pyrgus communis)
- Common streaky-skipper (Celotes nessus)
- Common sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Grass Skippers
Subfamily: Hesperiinae Grass skippers are usually smaller and often have a hooked antenna tip. They are commonly found in grassy areas.
- Swarthy skipper (Nastra lherminier)
- Clouded skipper (Lerema accius)
- Least skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor)
- Orange skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiacia)
- Southern skipperling (Copaeodes minima)
- Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
- Uncas skipper (Hesperia uncas)
- Ottoe skipper (Hesperia ottoe)
- Leonard's skipper (Hesperia leonardus)
- Cobweb skipper (Hesperia metea)
- Green skipper (Hesperia viridis)
- Dotted skipper (Hesperia attalus)
- Peck's skipper (Polites peckius)
- Rhesus skipper (Polites rhesus)
- Carus skipper (Polites carus)
- Tawny-edged skipper (Polites themistocles)
- Crossline skipper (Polites origenes)
- Whirlabout (Polites vibex)
- Southern broken-dash (Wallengrenia otho)
- Northern broken-dash (Wallengrenia egeremet)
- Little glassywing (Pompeius verna)
- Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
- Arogos skipper (Atrytone arogos)
- Delaware skipper (Anatrytone logan)
- Byssus skipper (Problema byssus)
- Hobomok skipper (Poanes hobomok)
- Zabulon skipper (Poanes zabulon)
- Broad-winged skipper (Poanes viator)
- Dion skipper (Euphyes dion)
- Black dash (Euphyes conspicua)
- Dun skipper (Euphyes vestris)
- Dusted skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna)
- Viereck's skipper (Atrytonopsis vierecki)
- Bronze roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes aenus)
- Linda's roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes linda)
- Oslar's roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes oslari)
- Lace-winged roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes aesculapius)
- Nysa roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes nysa)
- Dotted roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes eos)
- Common roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)
- Bell's roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes belli)
- Dusky roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes alternata)
- Eufala skipper (Lerodea eufala)
- Brazilian skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
- Ocola skipper (Panoquina ocola)
Giant-Skippers
Subfamily: Megathyminae These are the largest skippers, often found near yucca plants.
- Yucca giant-skipper (Megathymus yuccae)
- Strecker's giant-skipper (Megathymus streckeri)
