SUNY ESF
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 selene
- Meadow fritillary ~ Boloria bellona
- 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
- 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