Butterflies of Tucson, Arizona

This guide provides an overview of the butterflies that live in and around Tucson, Arizona. Skippers are not covered here, there are so many of them that they deserve their own field guide. There are 5 families of "true" butterflies: Gossamer-winged Butterflies (Lycaenidae, includes ...more ↓

American Lady 1
Vanessa virginiensis
American Snout 2
Libytheana carinenta
Arizona Metalmark 4
Calephelis arizonensis
Arizona Sister 5
Adelpha eulalia
Bordered Patch 6
Chlosyne lacinia
Brown Elfin 5
Callophrys augustinus
Canyonland Satyr 7
Cyllopsis pertepida
Ceraunus Blue 8
Hemiargus ceraunus
Checkered White 9
Pontia protodice
Cloudless Sulphur 9
Phoebis sennae
Common Buckeye 10
Junonia coenia
Dainty Sulphur 9
Nathalis iole
Desert Orangetip 11
Anthocharis cethura
Eastern Black Swallowtail 12
Papilio polyxenes
Eastern Tailed-Blue 13
Cupido comyntas
Elada Checkerspot 1
Texola elada
Empress Leilia 14
Asterocampa leilia
Fatal Metalmark 15
Calephelis nemesis
Giant Swallowtail 16
Papilio cresphontes
Gray Hairstreak 17
Strymon melinus
Great Purple Hairstreak 18
Atlides halesus
Gulf Fritillary 19
Agraulis vanillae
Hackberry Emperor 20
Asterocampa celtis
Large Orange Sulphur 9
Phoebis agarithe
Lupine Blue 4
Plebejus lupini
Lyside Sulphur 15
Kricogonia lyside
Mangrove Buckeye 22
Junonia evarete
Mangrove Buckeye 23
Junonia genoveva
Marine Blue 24
Leptotes marina
Mariposa almirante 25
Limenitis arthemis arizonensis
Mexican Yellow 18
Eurema mexicana
Monarch Butterfly 26
Danaus plexippus
Mormon Metalmark 21
Apodemia mormo
Mourning Cloak 27
Nymphalis antiopa
Mylitta Crescent 9
Phyciodes mylitta
Painted Lady 28
Cynthia cardui
Palmer's Metalmark 29
Apodemia palmerii
Queen Butterfly 24
Danaus gilippus
Reakirt's Blue 30
Echinargus isola
Red Admiral 31
Vanessa atalanta
Red Satyr 18
Megisto rubricata
Satyr Comma 30
Polygonia satyrus
Southern Dogface 32
Zerene cesonia
Spring Azure Blue 14
Celastrina ladon
Spring White 33
Pontia sisymbrii
Tailed Orange 4
Pyrisitia proterpia
Tawny Emperor 34
Asterocampa clyton
Texan Crescent 35
Anthanassa texana
Theona Checkerspot 7
Chlosyne theona
Tiny Checkerspot 7
Dymasia dymas
Two-tailed Swallowtail 36
Papilio multicaudata
West Coast Lady 37
Vanessa annabella
Western Pygmy Blue 38
Brephidium exilis
Zela Metalmark 18
Emesis zela
sleepy orange 39
Abaeis nicippe

Edited by Katja Schulz and Katy Prudic, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

  • 1. (c) Anne Toal, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 2. (c) ktratboy, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND)
  • 3. (c) Anita363, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 4. (c) Jim P. Brock, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 5. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 6. (c) Ronnie Pitman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 7. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 8. (c) Bob Peterson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 9. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 10. (c) Bill Bumgarner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 11. (c) kibuyu, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by kibuyu
  • 12. (c) Lisa Brown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 13. no rights reserved, uploaded by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory
  • 14. (c) pondhawk, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 15. (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley
  • 16. (c) Brian Peterson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 17. (c) NatureShutterbug, all rights reserved, uploaded by NatureShutterbug
  • 18. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 19. (c) Maegan Blansett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Maegan Blansett
  • 20. (c) Matthew O'Donnell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 21. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 22. (c) Cláudio Dias Timm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 23. (c) Dan Irizarry, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 24. (c) David Bygott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 25. (c) Al_HikesAZ, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 26. (c) TexasEagle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 27. (c) Aleta Rodriguez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 28. (c) Anne, all rights reserved
  • 29. (c) Natasha Moore, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Natasha Moore
  • 30. (c) Catherine Cook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 31. (c) rpayne72, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by rpayne72
  • 32. (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 33. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center - USGS, no known copyright restrictions (public domain)
  • 34. (c) Vicki DeLoach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 35. (c) Matthew High, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 36. (c) Carlos Galindo-Leal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Carlos Galindo-Leal
  • 37. (c) David Hofmann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 38. (c) stonebird, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 39. (c) Ken Slade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)