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Denver-Boulder Metro Area: Butterflies and Moths

This guide contains butterflies and moths that can be found in the Denver-Boulder Metro Area, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.

Clover Looper Moth 1
Caenurgina crassiuscula
Forage Looper Moth 2
Caenurgina erechtea
Aholibah Underwing Moth 3
Catocala aholibah
Sweetheart Underwing 4
Catocala amatrix
Western Underwing Moth 5
Catocala californica
Grote's Underwing Moth 6
Catocala grotiana
Joined Underwing Moth 7
Catocala junctura
Little Underwing 8
Catocala minuta
Semirelict Underwing Moth 9
Catocala semirelicta
Ultronia Underwing 10
Catocala ultronia
Shadowy Arches 11
Drasteria adumbrata
Drasteria howlandii 3
Northern Arches 12
Drasteria hudsonica
Inept Graphic 13
Drasteria inepta
Paler Graphic 14
Drasteria pallescens
Merry Graphic Moth 15
Melipotis jucunda
Black Witch 16
Ascalapha odorata
The Herald 17
Scoliopteryx libatrix
Common Idia Moth 18
Idia aemula
American Idia Moth 19
Idia americalis
Glossy Black Idia Moth 3
Idia lubricalis
Idia occidentalis 3
Bent-winged Owlet 20
Bleptina caradrinalis
Yellow-spotted Renia Moth 21
Renia flavipunctalis
Alfalfa Looper Moth 22
Tathorhynchus exsiccata
Salt Marsh Moth 23
Estigmene acrea
Fall Webworm Moth 20
Hyphantria cunea
Ruby Tiger Moth 24
Phragmatobia fuliginosa
California Tiger Moth 25
Leptarctia californiae
Isabella Tiger Moth 26
Pyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger Moth 2
Spilosoma virginica
Many-spotted Tiger Moth 8
Hypercompe permaculata
Painted Tiger Moth 27
Arachnis picta
Blake's tiger moth 28
Apantesis blakei
Carlotta's Tiger Moth 28
Apantesis carlotta
Apantesis f-pallida 29
Nevada tiger moth 30
Apantesis nevadensis
Parthenice Tiger Moth 31
Apantesis parthenice
Phyllira Tiger Moth 28
Apantesis phyllira
Williams' Tiger Moth 8
Apantesis williamsii
Garden Tiger 32
Arctia caja
St. Lawrence Tiger Moth 33
Arctia parthenos
Orange Virbia Moth 34
Virbia aurantiaca
Fragile Virbia 35
Virbia fragilis
Police Car Moth 36
Gnophaela vermiculata
Yellow-collared Scape Moth 37
Cisseps fulvicollis
Cresson's ctenucha 38
Ctenucha cressonana
Veined Ctenucha Moth 39
Ctenucha venosa
Oregon Cycnia Moth 28
Cycnia oregonensis
Freckled glassy-wing 40
Hemihyalea labecula
Red-banded aemilia 8
Pseudohemihyalea ambigua
Grote's bertholdia 41
Bertholdia trigona
Clio Tiger Moth 42
Ectypia clio
Blue-green lichen moth 43
Pygoctenucha terminalis
Ingens Tussock Moth 8
Lophocampa ingens
Spotted Tussock Moth 2
Lophocampa maculata
Lophocampa significans 44
Milkweed Tussock Moth 45
Euchaetes egle
Crambidia impura 46
Bicolored Moth 47
Manulea bicolor
Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth 48
Hypoprepia miniata
Grote's lycomorpha moth 28
Lycomorpha grotei
Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth 48
Lycomorpha pholus
Barnes' Lichen Moth 49
Cisthene barnesii
Powdered Footman 38
Bruceia pulverina
White-marked Tussock Moth 50
Orgyia leucostigma
Douglas-fir tussock moth 51
Orgyia pseudotsugata
Dark Marathyssa Moth 52
Marathyssa inficita
Zigzag Furcula Moth 2
Furcula scolopendrina
Common Gluphisia Moth 53
Gluphisia septentrionis
Elegant Prominent Moth 54
Odontosia elegans
White-dotted Prominent 55
Nadata gibbosa
Unicorn Prominent 3
Schizura unicornis
Sigmoid Prominent 56
Clostera albosigma
Brother Moth 52
Raphia frater
Florida Fern Moth 57
Callopistria floridensis
Dingy Cutworm Moth 8
Feltia jaculifera
Variegated Cutworm Moth 58
Peridroma saucia
Ipsilon Dart Moth 59
Agrotis ipsilon
Euxoa bochus 8
Army Cutworm Moth 2
Euxoa auxiliaris
Median-banded Dart 60
Euxoa medialis
White-striped Dart 61
Euxoa albipennis
Obelisk Dart 3
Euxoa obeliscoides
Euxoa basalis 30
Coastal Heathland Cutworm Moth 62
Abagrotis nefascia
Large Yellow Underwing 63
Noctua pronuba
Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth 53
Spodoptera ornithogalli
Civil Rustic Moth 64
Caradrina montana
American Ear Moth 2
Amphipoea americana
Bordered Apamea Moth 17
Apamea sordens
Yellow-headed Cutworm Moth 65
Apamea amputatrix
Glassy Cutworm Moth 8
Apamea devastator
Festive Midget 14
Elaphria festivoides
Bryolymnia semifascia 28
White-Speck 2
Mythimna unipuncta
Lasionycta impingens 66
Laudable Arches 18
Lacinipolia laudabilis
Thinker Moth 67
Lacinipolia meditata
Olive Arches Moth 63
Lacinipolia olivacea

Edited by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

  • 1. (c) Rob Curtis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Curtis
  • 2. (c) Dick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 3. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda
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  • 5. (c) Paul G. Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Paul G. Johnson
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  • 25. (c) Liam O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Liam O'Brien
  • 26. (c) Steve Jurvetson, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 27. (c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 28. (c) Jim Vargo at Moth Photographers Group, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 29. (c) Heidi Eaton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Heidi Eaton
  • 30. (c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey
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  • 66. (c) Robert Webster, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Robert Webster
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