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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