Types of Butterflies in Illinois
About 100 different species of butterflies are spotted in the state of Illinois where most are found in the surroundings of rivers and lakes. With the Shawnee National Forest and the Ohio River in the south, Mississippi river in the west and Lake Michigan in the north, Illinois provides a wide variety of butterflies with a spectacular natural habitat.
The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) has been designated the state butterfly of Illinois since 1975.
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
- Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
- ‘Astyanax‘ Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
- Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
- Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
- Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)
- Tropical Leafwing (Anaea troglodyta)
- Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
- Diana (Speyeria diana)
- Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
- Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
- Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
- Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
- Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- Queen (Danaus gilippus)
- American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
- American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
- Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
- Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
- Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
- Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
- Harris’ Checkerspot (Chlosyne harrisii)
- Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
- Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
- Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
- Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
- Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
- Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
- Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
- Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas)
- Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)
- coral hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
- gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
- Henry’s elfin butterfly (Callophrys henrici)
- Karner blue butterfly (Plebejus samuelis)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Orange Sulphur/ Alfalfa Butterfly (Colias eurytheme)
- Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
- Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
- Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
- Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
- Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
- Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus centaureae)
- Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
- Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
- Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
- Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
- Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
- Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
- Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
- Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)
- Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
- Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
- Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
- Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
- Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
- Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
- Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus)
