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.
Codling Moth
The codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is a member of the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. They are major pests to agricultural crops, mainly fruits such as apples and pears. Because the larvae are not able to feed on leaves, they are highly dependent on fruits as a food source and thus have a significant impact on crops. The caterpillars bore into fruit and stop it from growing, ...more ↓
Fruit-tree Leafroller Moth
Archips argyrospila, the fruit-tree leafroller moth, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in most of the United States and southern Canada.
Clemens' Clepsis Moth
Clepsis clemensiana, Clemens' clepsis moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from southern Canada, the north-eastern and north-western United States, as well as from northern Utah to northern California.
Garden Tortrix
Clepsis peritana, the garden tortrix or strawberry garden tortrix, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Spain, Cuba, as well as North America, where it has been recorded from southern Canada throughout the United States.
Large Aspen Tortrix
Choristoneura conflictana, the large aspen tortrix, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast and from Alaska to California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Oblique-banded Leafroller Moth
Choristoneura rosaceana, the oblique banded leaf roller or rosaceous leaf roller, is a moth of the Tortricidae family. It is native to North America, but has been accidentally introduced into other parts of the world.
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.
Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae (spurge hawk-moth) is a European moth of the family Sphingidae. This hawk moth is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed known as leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), but usually only in conjunction with other agents. The larvae consume the leaves and bracts of the plant.
Bedstraw Hawkmoth
Hyles gallii (bedstraw hawk-moth, galium sphinx) is a moth of the family Sphingidae.
White-lined Sphinx
The White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. Its range extends from Central America, through the United States and into parts of Canada.
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.
Five-spotted Hawk Moth
Manduca quinquemaculata, the five-spotted hawkmoth, is a brown and gray hawk moth of the family Sphingidae. The caterpillar, often referred to as the tomato hornworm, can be a major pest in gardens; they get their name from a dark projection on their posterior end and their use of tomatoes as host plants. Tomato hornworms are closely related to (and sometimes ...more ↓
Carolina Sphinx
Manduca sexta is a moth of the family Sphingidae present through much of the American continent. Commonly known as the tobacco hornworm and the goliath worm, it is closely related to and often confused with the very similar tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata); the larvae of both feed on the foliage of various plants of the family Solanaceae. The ...more ↓
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.
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 ↓
Waved Sphinx
The Waved Sphinx (Ceratomia undulosa) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in the United States, and southern Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains.
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
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 ↓
Coloradia doris
Coloradia doris or Doris' pinemoth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae ("giant silkworm and royal moths"), in the superfamily Bombycoidea ("silkworm, sphinx, and royal moths"). The species was described by William Barnes in 1900. It is found in North America.
Pandora Pinemoth
The Pandora Pinemoth or Pandora Moth, Coloradia pandora, is an insect belonging to the Coloradia genus of moths. It is native to the western United States. The larvae of the Pandora Moth feed on the foliage of several species of pine trees, including the lodgepole, Jeffrey, and ponderosa pines. The larvae populations sometimes reach high enough levels to cause ...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 ↓
Phoebus Apollo
Parnassius phoebus, known as the Phoebus Apollo or Small Apollo, is a butterfly species of the family of Swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae) found in Eurasia and North America.
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
The Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, 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 ↓
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus, the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, where it is common in many different habitats. It flies from spring to fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, ...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
Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus ...more ↓
Yucca Giant-skipper
Megathymus yuccae, commonly known as the Yucca Giant-Skipper, is a rare early season butterfly that is widespread across the southern United States. It belongs in the family Hesperiidae, subfamily Megathyminae.
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.
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.
Fiery Skipper
The fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae and is approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. The males are orange or yellow with black spots while the females are dark brown with orange or yellow spots. The caterpillars are greenish pink with a black head. The caterpillars are often considered pests and can feed on Bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, ...more ↓
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.
Common Branded Skipper
The Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is known as the Common Branded Skipper or Holarctic Grass Skipper in North America, where the butterfly Epargyreus clarus, a spread-winged skipper, also has the common name of "Silver-spotted Skipper".
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.
Leonard's Skipper
The Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. There are three subspecies. Next to the nominate species, these are the Pawnee Skipper (ssp. pawnee), which is found from western Montana and south-eastern Saskatchewan east to Minnesota, south to central Colorado and Kansas. Leonard's Skipper ranges from Nova Scotia and Maine west ...more ↓
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
The Uncas Skipper or White-vein Skipper (Hesperia uncas) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. 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.
Peck's Skipper
The Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius) is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges across Canada from British Columbia, as far north as Cartwright, Labrador; Moar Lake, Ontario; Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and the Hay River area in Alberta. In the US, it ranges in most of the northern and central ...more ↓
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
The Dun Skipper, Sedge Witch or Dun Sedge Skipper (Euphyes vestris) is a species of butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found 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 Coast.
Dusted Skipper
Atrytonopsis hianna, the dusted skipper, is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in the United States from eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, northern New Mexico and central Texas east to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, south to peninsular Florida and the Gulf Coast.
Delaware Skipper
The Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges from the southern Prairies in Canada and southern Ontario and southwards through the midwestern and eastern states in the US.
Least Skipper
Ancyloxypha numitor, the least skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. They have a weak, Satyrinae-like flight.
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.
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
The Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is claimed to be the most recognized skipper in North America.
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
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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.
