Insects of Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Golden Gate Canyon State Park lies approximately 25 miles west of downtown Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The park consists of 11,700 acres that lies across the boundary between the western edge of Jefferson County and the eastern edge of Gilpin County. Elevations range between ...more ↓
Achemon Sphinx
The Achemon sphinx (Eumorpha achemon) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is native to North America, where it is known from most of the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. It is rare or absent in the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, and Southeastern United States except Florida.
Juanita Sphinx Moth
The Juanita Sphinx (Proserpinus juanita) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from North Dakota south to Arizona and east to Missouri and Texas.
White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata, also known as the white-lined sphinx or hummingbird moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. They are sometimes referred to as the hummingbird moth because of their bird-like size (2-3 inch wingspan) and flight patterns.
Snowberry Clearwing
The Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) is a moth of the order Lepidoptera, family Sphingidae.
Rocky Mountain Clearwing
The Rocky Mountain clearwing or California Clearwing (Hemaris thetis) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah west to California and north to British Columbia. The habitat consists of streamsides and meadows in mountainous areas.
Asella Sphinx
The Asellus Sphinx Moth (Sphinx asellus) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from pinyon-juniper woodland and similar arid areas in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, extreme south-western Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico and south-western Texas.
Great Ash Sphinx
The Great Ash Sphinx or Northern Ash Sphinx (Sphinx chersis) is a moth that belongs to the family Sphingidae.
Wild Cherry Sphinx
The Wild Cherry Sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from the temperate parts of the United States to southern Canada.
Elegant Sphinx
The Elegant Sphinx (Sphinx perelegans) is a species of hawkmoth. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California and to New Mexico.
Vashti Sphinx Moth
The Vashti Sphinx (Sphinx vashti) is a member of the Sphingidae family of moths. It is found from British Columbia east to Manitoba, south to southern California, Nevada, central Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas.
Apple Sphinx
The Apple Sphinx (Sphinx gordius) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found in the northern parts of the United States and southern Canada, mostly east of the Rocky Mountains, additionally it is found along the east coast to Florida and in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado.
Elm Sphinx
The Elm sphinx, (Ceratomia amyntor), sometimes called the Four-horned Sphinx, is a North American species of moth in the Sphingidae family. It has a wingspan of 3¼ - 4½ inches (8.2 - 11.5 cm). As the name suggests, the larvae (caterpillars) feed on elm trees (Ulmus), but they can also be found feeding on birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), and cherry ...more ↓
One-eyed Sphinx
Smerinthus cerisyi (one-eyed sphinx or Cerisy's sphinx) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from south-eastern Alaska, the southern parts of all Canadian provinces and in the northern border states of the United States south into northern Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio and along the west coast to southern California, eastward to the Rocky Mountains and ...more ↓
Twin-spotted Sphinx
The Twin-spotted Sphinx (Smerinthus jamaicensis) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is widely distributed across North America and is found everywhere except in the southern half of western California. It has been taken as far north as the Yukon.
Modest Sphinx
The Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx (Pachysphinx modesta) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It ranges from the southern United States up and throughout Canada.
Western Poplar Sphinx
The Big Poplar Sphinx (Pachysphinx occidentalis) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It lives throughout Canada and the United States. The habitat consists of riparian areas and suburbs.
Blinded Sphinx Moth
The Blinded Sphinx (Paonias excaecatus) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and across the rest of Canada all the way to British Columbia. In the United States it ranges south to Florida in the east, and westward to eastern California and as far south as central Texas.
Small-eyed Sphinx
The Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops) is a species of moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from south-eastern Canada to Florida and westward almost to the Pacific Coast. It is also known from Mexico.
Cecropia Moth
The Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is North America's largest native moth. It is a member of the Saturniidae family, or giant silk moths. Females with a wingspan of six inches (160 mm) or more have been documented. It is found as far west as the Rocky Mountains and north into the majority of Canadian provinces. The larvae of these moths are most commonly found on ...more ↓
Columbia Silk Moth
The Columbia Silkmoth or Larch Silkmoth (Hyalophora columbia) is a moth of the Saturniidae family. In the east it is found from Quebec and Ontario to Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and south-eastern Manitoba. In the west it is found from Alberta and Montana south through the Rocky Mountains to south-western Texas and into central Mexico. Glover's Silkmoth, ...more ↓
Polyphemus Moth
The Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths. It is a tan colored moth, with an average wingspan of 15 cm (6 inches). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hindwings. The eye spots are where it gets its name – from the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. ...more ↓
Western Sheep Moth
The sheep moth, or common sheep moth (Hemileuca eglanterina), is a member of the Saturniidae family of silk moths and is native to California west of the Sierran crest and the mountains of Southern California ranging near to the coast. The moth is dayflying and appears in summer. It feeds on plants of three genera: Ceanothus, Rhamnus (including ...more ↓
Io Moth
The Io Moth (Automeris io) is a very colorful North American moth in the Saturniidae family. It ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, and in the US it is found from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the ...more ↓
Rocky Mountain Parnassian
The Rocky Mountain Parnassian or Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus) is a high-altitude butterfly which is found in the U.S. and Canada. It is a member of the Snow Apollo genus Parnassius of the Swallowtail (Papilionidae) family.
Indra Swallowtail
Papilio indra, the Indra swallowtail, short-tailed black swallowtail, or cliff swallowtail, is a western North American butterfly in the family Papilionidae.
Black Swallowtail
The (Eastern) Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), also called the American Swallowtail or Parsnip Swallowtail, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma. An extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae, occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio ...more ↓
Anise Swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon, the anise swallowtail, is a common swallowtail butterfly of western North America. Both the upper and lower sides of its wings are black, but the upper wing has a broad yellow stripe across it, which gives the butterfly an overall yellow appearance. There are striking blue spots on the rear edge of the rear wing, and the characteristic tails of the ...more ↓
Pale Swallowtail
Papilio eurymedon, the pale swallowtail or pallid swallowtail, is a relatively common swallowtail butterfly found throughout much of the western North America. It is found on the Pacific coast from northern Baja California to southernmost British Columbia and inland to New Mexico and the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is present from the coast to western Montana ...more ↓
Two-tailed Swallowtail
The Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) is a species of the Papilionidae family found in western North America from British Columbia to Central America.
Western Tiger Swallowtail
The Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) is a common swallowtail butterfly of western North America, frequently seen in urban parks and gardens as well as in rural woodlands and riparian areas. It is a member of the Papilio genus, of which Papilio appalachiensis and Papilio xuthus are also members. It is a large, brightly colored and active butterfly, ...more ↓
Pipevine Swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail or Blue Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. The butterflies are black with iridescent blue hind wings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. The black or red caterpillars feed on Aristolochia species, making them poisonous as both ...more ↓
Common Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes vialis (the Common Roadside Skipper) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Maine and Nova Scotia, south to central California, northern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf states and northern Florida.
Oslar's Roadside-Skipper
The Oslar's roadside skipper (Amblyscirtes oslari) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and North Dakota south through the high plains and Rocky Mountains to Arizona, New Mexico, and south Texas.
Orange-headed Roadside-Skipper
Amblyscirtes phylace (the Orange-headed Roadside-Skipper or Red-headed Roadside Skipper) is a species of butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and western Texas to Mexico.
Taxiles Skipper
Poanes taxiles, the taxiles skipper, is a species of grass skipper in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Arogos Skipper
The Arogos Skipper or Beard-grass Skipper (Atrytone arogos) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in isolated colonies in Georgia peninsular Florida, the Gulf Coast, south-east North Dakota and central Minnesota south to southern Texas and the Colorado front range. Strays are found up to western Virginia, northern Arkansas and Illinois.
Sachem
Atalopedes campestris (called the Sachem in the United States) is a small skipper. It is just over 1 inch long and has orange-and-brown adults. Females are slightly larger and have paler markings on their wings compared to males.
Woodland Skipper
The Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from British Columbia south to southern California, east to Montana, Colorado and Arizona.
Western Branded Skipper
The Western Branded Skipper (Hesperia colorado) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family.
Juba Skipper
The Juba Skipper, Yuba Skipper, or Jagged-border Skipper (Hesperia juba) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from British Columbia, south to southern California, east to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and north-western New Mexico.
Nevada Skipper
The Juba Skipper, Yuba Skipper, or Jagged-border Skipper (Hesperia juba) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from British Columbia, south to southern California, east to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and north-western New Mexico.
Uncas Skipper
Hesperia uncas, the Uncas skipper or white-vein skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from US Midwest to southern portions of the three Canadian Prairie provinces, north as far as Edmonton, Alberta.
Long Dash
The Long Dash or Long Dash Skipper (Polites mystic) is a species of butterfly. The species is commonly found in north of North America and in mountains in the south of North America, in grassy habitats. The grassy areas include meadows, marshes, streamsides, wood edges, and prairie swales. On the top, the species is dark brown reddish to yellowish orange markings. The ...more ↓
Crossline Skipper
The Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) is a butterfly in the Hesperiidae family. It is found in the eastern United States, excepting Florida, southern Ontario, and Quebec.
Sonoran Skipper
The Sonoran Skipper or Western Long Dash (Polites sonora) is a butterfly in the Hesperiidae family. It is found along the Pacific coast of the U.S., reaching Canada only in the extreme southern interior of British Columbia.
Draco Skipper
The Draco Skipper, Rocky Mountain Skipper, or Dragon Skipper (Polites draco) is a butterfly in the Hesperiidae family. It is found on the Rocky Mountain states and provinces from Arizona to the Yukon Territory.
Sandhill Skipper
The Sandhill Skipper or Saltgrass Skipper (Polites sabuleti) is a butterfly in the Hesperiidae family. It is found from southern British Columbia and eastern Washington, south through California and northern Arizona to Baja California and east to south-eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, and north-eastern New Mexico. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles) is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.
Rhesus Skipper
The Rhesus Skipper or Plains Gray Skipper (Polites rhesus) is a butterfly in the Hesperiidae family. It is found from Texas to North Dakota, as far north, but infrequently, as Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Dun Skipper
Euphyes vestris, the dun skipper, sedge witch or dun sedge skipper, is a species of butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia west across southern Canada to southern Alberta, south to Florida, the Gulf Coast and eastern Texas. There are disjunct populations in the High Plains and Rocky Mountains and along the Pacific ...more ↓
Garita Skipperling
The Garita Skipperling, Western Skipperling, or Garita Skipper (Oarisma garita) is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges southeastern Manitoba to British Columbia and south through the American Midwest as far south as Mexico.
European Skipper
The Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola) is a butterfly in family Hesperiidae. In North America, it is known as the European skipper.
Mexican Cloudywing
The Mexican Cloudywing, Mountain Cloudy Wing or Nevada Cloudy Wing (Thorybes mexicana) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in the high elevation mountains of the western United States south into Mexico.
Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus, the silver-spotted skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is claimed to be the most recognized skipper in North America. E. clarus occurs in fields, gardens, and at forest edges and ranges from southern Canada throughout most of the United States to northern Mexico, but is absent in the Great Basin and western Texas.
Afranius Duskywing
Afranius Duskywing or Bald Duskywing (Erynnis afranius) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from northern Mexico through central United States to southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Sleepy Duskywing
E. brizo is a species of Hesperiidae that occurs throughout North America and is commonly confused with E. juvenalis and E. lucilius.
Funereal Duskywing
The Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, south to Argentina. Strays can be found north up to northern Illinois, north-eastern Nebraska, central Colorado, southern Nevada and central California.
Horace's Duskywing
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from Massachusetts, west to eastern South Dakota, south through most of the eastern United States to Florida, the Gulf Coast, and southern Texas, south in the west through south-eastern Utah, Colorado, north-eastern Arizona, and New Mexico. Fringes are brown. Upperside of male forewing is ...more ↓
Dreamy Duskywing
The Dreamy Duskywing or Aspen Dusky Wing (Erynnis icelus) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in boreal North America, from the Northwest Territories east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia, south in the western mountains to southern Arizona and southern New Mexico, south in the east to Arkansas, north-eastern Alabama and northern Georgia.
Mottled Duskywing
Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in most of the eastern United States and in southern Ontario, Quebec, and southeastern Manitoba.
Pacuvius Duskywing
Pacuvius Duskywing, Dyar's Duskywing, or Buckthorn Dusky Wing (Erynnis pacuvius) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in most of the western United States and in southern British Columbia.
Persius Duskywing
Erynnis persius, the Persius duskywing, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae that occurs in North America. It is a threatened species in Michigan and is protected by law.
Two-banded Checkered Skipper
The Two-banded Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis) is a species of skipper (family Hesperiidae). Subspecies lagunae is known by the common name Laguna Mountains Skipper. This subspecies is on the Endangered Species list. It is found from the mountains from British Columbia and Alberta to southern California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Small Checkered Skipper
The Small Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus scriptura) is a species of skipper (family Hesperiidae). It is found from the Texas to Montana, southeastern Alberta, and southwestern Saskatchewan.
Hayhurst's Scallopwing
Hayhurst's Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from eastern Nebraska east across the southern Midwest to southern Pennsylvania and south to Florida, the Gulf states and central Texas.
Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus (the Common Sootywing or Roadside Rambler) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found from the central parts of the United States, south to central Mexico. Strays may colonizes up to southern British Columbia, northern Michigan, southern Quebec and southern Maine. It is not found on Peninsular Florida.
Common Mestra
Mestra is a monotypic genus of nymphalid butterfly. It contains only one species, the Jamaican Mestra (Mestra dorcas), which is found from southern North America to South America.
Hackberry Emperor
The Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) is a North American butterfly that belongs to the family of brushfooted butterflies, Nymphalidae.
Bredow's Sister
Adelpha bredowii, commonly known as Bredow's Sister, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is endemic to western, central, and southern Mexico. Adelpha bredowii belongs to the serpa species-group in the genus Adelpha (sisters). Adelpha bredowii previously included two subspecies, the California Sister (Adelpha bredowii ...more ↓
Weidemeyer's Admiral
Limenitis weidemeyerii, or Weidemeyer's admiral, is a butterfly from the Nymphalinae subfamily, found in western North America.
Texan Crescent
Anthanassa texana, the Texan Crescentspot, is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. It is found from Guatemala north through Mexico to southern California, east across the southern United States to northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Strays may be found up to Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota and central Nevada. The habitat consists of ...more ↓
Anicia Checkerspot
Euphydryas anicia, the anicia checkerspot, is a species of crescents, checkerspots, anglewings, etc. in the family of butterflies known as Nymphalidae. It is found in North America.
Variable Checkerspot
The Variable Checkerspot or Chalcedon Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in western North America, where its range stretches from Alaska in the north to Baja California in the south and extends east through the Rocky Mountains into Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming. The butterfly is usually brown or ...more ↓
Northern Crescent
The Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the Nearctic ecozone.
Pale Crescent
The Pale Crescent or Pallid Crescentspot (Phyciodes pallida) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the western North America.
Field Crescent
The Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the Nearctic ecozone.
Gorgone Checkerspot
Chlosyne gorgone, the gorgone checkerspot, is a species of Nymphalinae butterfly that occurs in North America.
Silvery Checkerspot
The Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) is a species of Nymphalinae that occurs in North America.
Northern Checkerspot
Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla) is a member of the Nymphalidae family that is found in North America. They range from southern British Columbia to Alberta, south to California, Utah, and Colorado, excluding Nevada.
Dotted Checkerspot
Poladryas is a monotypic genus of butterflies from USA and Central America in the family Nymphalidae that contains the species Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta).
West Coast Lady
The West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) is one of three North American species of brush-footed butterflies known colloquially as the "painted ladies". V. annabella occurs throughout much of the western US and south western Canada. The other two species are the cosmopolitan Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) and the eastern Vanessa virginiensis (American ...more ↓
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta, the red admiral or previously, the red admirable,is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, orange bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about 2 inches (5 cm). It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The red admiral is widely distributed across temperate regions of ...more ↓
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui is a well-known colourful butterfly, known as the Painted Lady, or in North America as the Cosmopolitan. This butterfly has a strange pattern of flying in a sort of screw shape.
