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 Hairstreaks, Blues and Coppers), Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae, includes Fritillaries, Admirals, Browns, and Monarchs), Swallowtails (Papilionidae), Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs (Pieridae), and Metalmarks (Riodinidae). There are over 13,000 species of butterflies worldwide, and about 60 of them are commonly observed in the Tucson area. less ↑