Types of Butterflies in Minnesota
There are about 146 species of butterflies in Minnesota and most of these are spotted flying across the prairie regions, as well as the lowlands near the rivers Minnesota, Mississippi, and St. Croix, and the national forests that occupy the northern part of the state.
The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) has been declared as the state butterfly of this midwestern U.S. state.
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
- Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
- Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
- White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis)
- Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
- Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
- Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
- Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
- Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis)
- Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia)
- Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija)
- Frigga Fritillary (Boloria frigga)
- Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
- Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
- Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
- Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
- Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
- American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
- Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
- Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
- Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
- Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
- Harris’ Checkerspot (Chlosyne harrisii)
- Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
- Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
- Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
- Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
- Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii)
- Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
- American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinum)
- Common Hairstreak/Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Common (clouded) Sulphur (Colias philodice)
- Dogface Butterfly (Zerene eurydice)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
- Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
- Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
- Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Columbine Duskywing (Erynnis lucilius)
- Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
- Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
- Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
- Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus centaureae)
- Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
- Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
- Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
- Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
- Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
- Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
- Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
- Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
