Jeff's North Carolina Butterfly Page

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Jeff's Butterfly Page | Jeff's Nature Pages | CarolinaLeps Email List

North Carolina Butterflies

Approximately 174 species of butterflies are known from North Carolina. Most of these breed in the state, while some of them breed elsewhere but regularly disperse or migrate into the state. A few are rare strays with only a handful of records. All of my photos below are of live butterflies in the wild. Photos were taken under natural lighting using a Nikon CoolPix 4500 (2003-2005) or with a Canon EOS 20d using a flash (2006-present).

Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio appalachiensis)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) Updated!! 12 Apr 2012
Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)

Whites, Orangetips, & Sulphurs (Pieridae)

Checkered White (Pieris protodice)
West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis) Updated!! 12 Apr 2012
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) Updated 22 Apr 2012
Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia) NEW!! 12 Apr 2012
Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) Updated! 12 Apr 2012
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea) Updated 22 Apr 2012
Barred Yellow (Eurema daira) Updated 22 Apr 2012
Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa)
Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Harvesters, Hairstreaks, & Blues (Lycaenidae)

Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus
Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
Edwards' Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii)
Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
Oak Hairsteak (Satyrium favonius)
Brown Elfin (Deciduphagus (Callophrys) augustinus) New!! 19 May 2012
Frosted Elfin (Deciduphagus (Callophrys) irus)
Henry's Elfin (Deciduphagus (Callophrys) henrici)
Eastern Pine Elfin (Incisalia (or Deciduphagus or Callophrys) niphon)
Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) Updated!! 18 Sep 2011
Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys hesseli)
White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album)
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) Updated!! 12 Apr 2012
Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)

Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas, Everes comyntas) Updated!! 13 Apr 2012
Dusky Azure (Celastrina nigra)
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
Atlantic Holly Azure (Celastrina idella)
Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)
Appalachian Azure (Celastrina neglectamajor)
Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) Updated!! 17 May 2012

Metalmarks (Riodinidae)

Little Metalmark (Calephalis virginiensis)

Brushfoots (Nymphalidae)

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) Updated!! 30 May 2011
Diana Fritillary (Speyeria diana)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)

Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) Updated!! 14 July 2011
Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) Updated!! 14 July 2011
Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Mimic Crescent (Phyciodes incognitus) Updated!! 13 Apr 2012
Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii)
Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta) Updated!! 17 July 2011
Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus) Updated!! 17 May 2012
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) Updated 22 Apr 2012
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)

Northern Pearly-eye (Enodia anthedon) Updated!! 30 July 2011
Southern Pearly-eye (Enodia portlandia)
Creole Pearly-eye (Enodia creola)
Appalachian Brown (Satyrodes appalachia)
Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius)
Georgia Satyr (Neonympha areolata)
Helicta Satyr (Neonympha helicta)
Mitchell's Satyr (Neonympha mitchellii francisci)
Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela)
Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)
Soldier (Danaus eresimus)

Spread-wing Skippers (Hesperiidae: Pyrginae)

Silver-spotted Skipper(Epargyreus clarus)
Long-tailed Skipper(Urbanus proteus)
Dorantes Longtail(Urbanus dorantes) Updated 22 Apr 2012
Golden Banded-Skipper(Autochton cellus)
Hoary Edge(Achalarus lyciades)
Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) Updated!! 13 Apr 2012
Confused Cloudywing (Thorybes confusis)
Hayhurst's Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus) Updated!! 12 Apr 2012
Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) Updated!! 13 Apr 2012
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
mystery duskywings (Erynnis "messius")
Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)
Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Appalachian Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus wyandot)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) Updated!! 18 Sep 2011

Grass Skippers (Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae)

Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier)
Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor)
Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minimus)
European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) Updated!! 20 Aug 2011 Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus)
Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus)
Meske's Skipper (Hesperia meskei)
Indian Skipper (Hesperia sassacus)
Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius)
Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles)
Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Long Dash (Polites mystic)
Whirlabout (Polites vibex)

Southern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia otho)
Northern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia egeremet)
Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna)
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
Arogos Skipper (Anatrytone arogos)
Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan)
Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus)
Rare Skipper (Problema bulenta)
Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
Aaron's Skipper (Poanes aaroni)
Yehl Skipper (Poanes yehl)
Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator)
Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion)
Dukes' Skipper (Euphyes dukesi)
Berry's Skipper (Euphyes berryi)
Palatka Skipper (Euphyes pilatka)

Two-spotted Skipper (Euphyes bimacula)
Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna)
Crystal Skipper (Atrytonopsis new species I) (formerly called "Loammi Skipper on this website)
Pepper and Salt Skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon) Updated!! 12 Apr 2012
Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aesculapius) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Carolina Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes carolina)
Reversed Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes reversa)
Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis) Updated 12 Apr 2012
Dusky Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes alternata)
Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
Twin-spot Skipper (Oligoria maculata)
Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin)

Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola)

Giant-Skippers (Hesperiidae: Megathyminae)

Yucca Giant-Skipper (Megathymus yuccae)
Cofaqui Giant-Skipper (Megathymus cofaqui)

Great Links

Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina by Harry LeGrand and Tom Howard -- best source of NC butterfly info available! (This is the source of much of the information I present on each species page.)
Carolina Butterfly Society
Will Cook's Carolina Nature Site with lots of info about NC (and elsewhere) butterflies, birds, plants, and much more.
Randy Emmitt's Nature Photography with special attention to the Carolinas.
Ted Wilcox's NCWings.com
North American Butterfly Association South Texas Chapter
Search Butterfly Photos at Fotosearch

Jeff's Butterfly Page | Jeff's Nature Pages

Created on ... Apr 2, 2005 | jspippen@duke.edu