In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Butterflies and Moths of North America is an interactive, searchable, and updateable web-enabled database of butterfly and moth information. Data contained therein include distribution maps, species accounts, photographs, and checklists of species by U.S. county or by Mexican state. Go directly to the web site, or learn more about this project.
The Children's Butterfly Site is an educational opportunity for all ages. Investigate a butterfly's transformation during metamorphosis, browse images of species from across the globe, or print coloring book pages. Learn all about these magnificent creatures by reading answers to the extensive frequently asked questions.
Visit NBII LIFE to find well-documented images of nature contributed by individuals and organizations. Most images are in the public domain and can be used for free.
Butterflies and Moths
Butterflies and moths belong to a group of insects called Lepidoptera. Like all insects, butterflies and moths have a head, thorax, abdomen, two antennae, and six legs. Additionally, moths and butterflies have four wings that are almost always covered by colored scales, and a coiled proboscis for drinking liquids such as flower nectar. There are exceptions to these generalizations; some moths have wingless adults and some primitive moths lack a proboscis.
How many kinds of butterflies and moths exist? Butterflies and moths are found on all continents except Antarctica, and scientists estimate that there are approximately 12-15,000 species of butterflies and 150-250,000 species of moths. In the United States and Canada, more than 750 species of butterflies and 11,000 species of moths have been recorded. Many species of moths and a few kinds of butterflies are still being discovered.
What kinds of butterflies and moths live in my area? Visit Butterflies and Moths of North America to find regional checklists of species, photographs, distribution maps, and species information.
Where can I find out about metamorphosis, or the life cycle of butterflies and moths? Go to the Children's Butterfly Site to investigate a butterfly's transformation during metamorphosis, to print pictures to color, and to see beautiful photographs of butterflies and moths from around the world.
Where can I learn more about butterflies and moths? Find extensive information about behavior, appearance, catching/handling, and the life cycle of these magnificent creatures by reading the answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the Children's Butterfly Site. Additional useful sites are found below.
Where can I find information on all pollinators, including butterflies and moths? Extensive information is available at the Pollinators Project.
Description:Upperside of the male is iridescent green-blue; females are brown with blue at wing bases. Underside is pale gray with green at wing bases and rows of irregular black spots. Wingspan is 2.5 - 3.2 cm.
Life History:Males patrol near the host plants, close to the ground. Eggs are laid in flower buds of clover; caterpillars eat the developing flowers. Half-grown caterpillars hibernate, then resume feeding and development the following year.
Habitat:Bogs, roadsides, stream edges, open fields, meadows, open forests.
Distribution:Boreal western North America from central Alaska south along mountains to southern California and southwestern New Mexico; east across southern Canada and northern Great Lakes area to Maine.
Status:The species has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Resources:
Go to the Butterflies and Moths of North America to view the species account.
The NBII Program is administered by the Biological Informatics Program of the U.S. Geological Survey
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