Identifying butterflies can be tricky. Butterflies have different colored wings with unique markings and their wings are of different shapes and sizes. When you see a butterfly you don’t recognize, make a mental note of the characteristics of its wings and where you saw it. Better yet, take a photo for future reference.
6 Tips for Identifying Butterfly
Observe the following:
- Which side of the butterfly are you observing? The upperside (wings are spread open) is the dorsal side and when the wings are closed, it’s called the ventral side.
- Is the butterfly small, medium, or large?
- What is the shape of the butterfly wings? See the wing shapes below.
- What is the main color of the butterfly wings?
- Do the butterfly wings have unique markings – lines, eyespots, dots, color patterns?
- Is the butterfly laying eggs on its host plant? Or sipping nectar from flowers?
Now that you have read through the six tips, you can now search by butterfly wing shapes, colors, sizes, and family.
Identify Butterflies by Common Names
Already know the name of the butterfly? Select the butterfly’s name from the dropdown list below. You’ll see photos of the adult butterfly, eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis, flight range map, and plants needed to survive.
Do you know the butterfly’s name? Great! Select its name from the dropdown list to see more photos and information about the butterfly including the plants they need to survive.
