Adirondack Butterflies

All butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera. Seven families of butterflies occur in the Adirondacks . Butterflies are distinguished from moths in being active during the day, having clubbed antennae and lacking a frenulum. Of the 700 species of butterflies that occur in North America, 74 occur in the Adirondacks .

Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ~ Papilio glaucus
Black Swallowtail ~ Papilio polyxenes
Spicebush Swallowtail ~ Palilio troilus

Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae)

Veined white ~ Pieris napi
Cabbage white ~ Pieris rapae
Clouded sulpher ~ Colias philodice
Orange sulpher ~ Colias eurtheme
Pink-edged sulpher ~ Colias interior
Little yellow ~ Pyrisitia lisa

Gossamer Wings (Family Lycaenidae)

Harvester ~ Feniseca targuinius
American copper ~ Lycaena phaeas
Bronze copper ~ Lycaena hyllus
Bog copper ~ Lycaena epixanthe
Coral hairstreak ~ Harkenclenus titus
Acadian hairstreak ~ Satyrium acadica
Edward's hairstreak ~ Satyrium edwardsii
Banded hairstreak ~ Satyrium calanus
Striped hairstreak ~ Satyrium liparops
Brown elfin ~ Callophrys augustinus
Eastern pine elfin ~ Callophrys niphan
Gray hairstreak ~ Stryman melinus
Early hairstreak ~ Eurora laeta
Eastern tailed blue ~ Everes comyntas
Spring azure ~ Celastrina ladon

Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

Great spangled fritillary ~ Speyeria cybele
Aphrodite fritillary ~ Speyeria aphrodite
Atlantis fritillary ~ Speyeria atlantis
Silver-bordered fritillary ~ Boloria selen
Meadow fritillary ~ Boloria bellana
Silvery checkerspot ~ Chlosyne nycteis
Harris' checkerspot ~ Chlosyne harrissi
Pearl crescent ~ Phyciodes tharos
Tawny crescent ~ Phyciodes batesii
Baltimore ~ Euphydryas phaeton
Question mark ~ Polygonia interrogationis
Eastern Comma ~ Polygonia comma
Green comma ~ Polygonia faunus
Hoary comma ~ Polygonia gracilis
Gray comma ~ Polygonia progne
Compton Tortoise shell ~ Nymphaslis vaualbum
Mouring cloak ~ Nymphaslis antiopa
Milbert's tortoise shell ~ Nymphaslis milberti
American lady ~ Vanessa virginiensis
Painted lady or cosmopolitan ~ Vanessa cardui
Red admiral ~ Vanessa atalanta
White admiral or Red-spotted purple ~ Limenitis arthemis
Viceroy ~ Limenitis archippus

Browns and Wood Nymphs (Family Satyridae)

Northern pearly eye ~ Enodia anthedon
Eyed brown ~ Satyrodes eurydice
Appalachian brown ~ Satyrodes appalachia
Little wood satyr ~ Megisto cymela
Common wood nymph ~ Cercyonis pegala

Milkweed butterflies (Family Danaidae)

Monarch ~ Danaus plexippus

Skippers (Family Hesperidae)

Silver-potted skipper ~ Epargyreus clarus
Northern cloudywing ~ Thorybes pylades
Dreamy duskywing ~ Erynnis icelus
Juvenal's duskywing ~ Erynnis juvenalsi
Mottled duskywing ~ Erynnis martialis
Colombine duskywing ~ Erynnis lucillius
Persius duskywing ~ Erynnis persius
Common sootywing ~ Pholisora catuluus
Artic skipper ~ Carterocephales palae mon
Least skipper ~ Ancyloxpha numitor
European skipper ~ Thymelicus lineola
Leonard's skipper ~ Hesperia leonardus
Indian skipper ~ Hesperia sassacus
Peck's skipper ~ Polites coras
Tawny-edged skipper ~ Polites themistocles
Long dash ~ Polites mystic
Northern golden skipper ~ Poanes hobomak
Two-spotted skipper ~ Euphyes bimacula
Dun skipper ~ Duphyes ruricola
Pepper and salt skipper ~ Amblyscirtes hegon
Common Roadside skipper ~ Amblyscirtes vialis

Source: Saunders, D.A. 1989. A Guide to Adirondack Butterflies. AEC Special Report No. 11pp.