Carolinas Butterfly Monitoring Program

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Quick ID Guides

NOTE: As these Quick ID Guide PDFs are being developed more will appear here soon. Stay tuned!

The purpose of these guides is to introduce to you the most likely butterfly species you may encounter on your survey routes. If you are new to butterfly identification, this is a great place to start! Because different species of butterflies occur in different regions of the state, first select your region, then review your Quick ID Guide for that region!

NC Mountains

Coming soon!

NC Piedmont

Click here for a modified PDF version of this regional Quick ID Guide NC Piedmont.pdf

SWALLOWTAILS

Pipevine Swallowtail
(Battus philenor)		 Black Swallowtail
(Papilio polyxenes) 		Spicebush Swallowtail
(Pterourus troilus) 		Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
(Pterourus glaucus) 		Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
(Pterourus glaucus)		 Zebra Swallowtail
(Eurytides marcellus)

SULPHURS

Sleepy Orange
(Abaeis nicippe)		 Orange Sulphur
(Colias eurytheme)		 Clouded Sulphur
(Colias philodice) 		Cloudless Sulphur
(Phoebis sennae) 		Little Yellow
(Pirisitia lisa)

WHITES

Falcate Orangetip
(Anthocharis midea)
spring only 		Cabbage White
(Pieris rapae)

(More common) GOSSAMERWINGS: HARVESTER, HAIRSTREAKS AND BLUES

Red-banded Hairstreak
(Calycopis cecrops)		 Gray Hairstreak
(Strymon melinus)		 Banded Hairstreak
(Satyrium calanus), May/June		 Summer/Spring Azure
(Celastrina neglecta/ladon)		 Eastern Tailed-Blue
(Cupido comyntas)

(Less common) GOSSAMERWINGS

Harvester
(Feniseca tarquinius)		 Great Purple Hairstreak
(Atlides halesus)		 Juniper Hairstreak
(Callophrys gryneus)		 Eastern Pine Elfin
(Callophrys niphon)
Spring only		 White M Hairstreak
(Parrhasius m-album)

BRUSHFOOTS

Monarch
(Danaus plexippus)		 Variegated Fritillary
(Euptoieta claudia)		 Pearl Crescent
(Phyciodes tharos)		 Question Mark
(Polygonia interrogationis)

 Eastern Comma
(Polygonia comma)
Viceroy
(Limenitis archippus)		 Great Spangled Fritillary
(Speyeria cybele)		 Silvery Checkerspot
(Chlosyne nycteis)		 Question Mark
(Polygonia interrogationis)

 Eastern Comma
(Polygonia comma)
American Snout
(Libytheana carinenta)		 American Lady
(Vanessa virginiensis)		 Painted Lady
(Vanessa cardui)		 Red Admiral
(Vanessa atalanta)		 Mourning Cloak
(Nymphalis antiopa)
Common Buckeye
(Junonia coenia)		 Hackberry Emperor
(Asterocampa celtis)		 Tawny Emperor
(Asterocampa clyton)		 Common Wood-Nymph
(Cercyonis pegala)		 Red-spotted Purple
(Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
N. Pearly-eye
(Lethe anthedon)		 Appalachian Brown
(Lethe appalachia)		 Little Wood-Satyr
(Megisto cymela)		 Carolina Satyr
(Hermeuptychia sosybius)		 Gemmed Satyr
(Cyllopsis gemma)
The species in this bottom row above of brushfoots are mostly found in forested habitats.

SPREADWING SKIPPERS

Long-tailed Skipper
(Urbanus proteus)		 Silver-spotted Skipper
(Epargyreus clarus)		 Hoary Edge
(Thorybes lyciades)		 Southern Cloudywing
(Thorybes bathyllus)		 Northern Cloudywing
(Thorybes pylades)
Common Chekered-Sk.
(Burnsius communis)
male		 Common Checkered-Sk.
(Burnsius communis)
female		 Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
uncommon		 Hayhursts's Scallopwing
(Staphylus hayhurstii)
rare		 Zarucco Duskywing
(Erynnis horatius)
Sleepy Duskywing
(Erynnis brizo)
Spring only		 Juvenal's Duskywing
(Erynnis juvenalis)
Spring only		 Horace's Duskywing
(Erynnis horatius)
female		 Horace's Duskywing
(Erynnis horatius)
male		 Wild Indigo Duskywing
(Erynnis baptisae)

FOLDWING (GRASS) SKIPPERS

Swarthy Skipper
(Nastra lherminier)		 Dusted Skipper
(Atrytonopsis hianna)
late Spring only		 Zabulon Skipper
(Lon zabulon)
female		 Clouded Skipper
(Lerema accius)		 Ocola Skipper
(Panoquina ocola)
Swarthy Skipper
(Nastra lherminier)		 Dusted Skipper
(Atrytonopsis hianna)
late Spring only		 Zabulon Skipper
(Lon zabulon)
female		 Clouded Skipper
(Lerema accius)		 Ocola Skipper
(Panoquina ocola)
Fiery Skipper
(Hylephila phyleus)
male		 Fiery Skipper
(Hylephila phyleus)
female		 Sachem
(Atalopedes campestris)
male		 Sachem
(Atalopedes campestris)
female
Zabulon Skipper
(Lon zabulon)		 Delaware Skipper
(Anatrytone logan)		 Least Skipper
(Ancyloxypha numitor)		 S. Broken-Dash
(Polites otho)		 Crossline Skipper
(Polites origenes)
Little Glassywing
(Pompeius verna)		 N. Broken-Dash
(Polites egeremet)		 Dun Skipper
(Euphyes vestris)		 Tawny-edged Skipper
(Polites themistocles)		 Dion Skipper
(Euphyes dion)
Zabulon Skipper
(Lon zabulon)		 Fiery Skipper
(Hylephila phyleus)
male		 Fiery Skipper
(Hylephila phyleus)
female		 Sachem
(Atalopedes campestris)
male		 Sachem
(Atalopedes campestris)
female
Little Glassywing
(Pompeius verna)		 S. Broken-Dash
(Polites otho)		 Crossline Skipper
(Polites origenes)
male		 Crossline Skipper
(Polites origenes)
female		 Dun Skipper
(Euphyes vestris)

NC Coastal PLain

Coming soon!

SC Mountains

Coming soon!

SC Piedmont

Coming soon!

SC Coastal Plain

Coming soon!

Click here to see species account for most of the butterfly species found in the Carolinas

NOTE: Also coming soon. Stay tuned!

North Carolina Butterflies | North American Butterflies

Created on ... March 8, 2023 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com