Types of Butterflies in Nebraska
This mid-western US state is home to 206 butterfly species. Butterfly activities are high in the summer months between May and August when the weather is warm, and there is little wind. Butterflies make their colonies in places exposed to sunlight where the low plants provide them with nectar. They are seen fluttering in the gardens, wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands of the state.
Nebraska does not have a designated butterfly species.
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
- Common Mestra (Mestra amymone)
- Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
- Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
- Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
- Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
- Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
- Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
- Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
- Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
- Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
- Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
- Edwards’ Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
- Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
- Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
- Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
- Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
- Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- Queen (Danaus gilippus)
- American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
- American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
- Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
- California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
- Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
- Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
- Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
- Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
- Fulvia Checkerspot (Thessalia fulvia)
- Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
- Graphic Crescent (Phyciodes graphica)
- Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
- Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
- Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
- Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
- Painted Crescent (Phyciodes picta)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida)
- Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
- Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
- Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
- White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
- American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Gray Copper (Lycaena dione)
- Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus)
- Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)
- Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus)
- Western Green Hairstreak (Callophrys affinis)
- Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
- Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
- Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
- Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
- Acadian Hairstreak (Satyrium acadica)
- Hickory Hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorus)
- Edwards’ Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii)
- Olive (Juniper) Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
- Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Henry’s Elfin (Callophrys henrici)
- Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon)
- Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon)
- Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda)
- Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
- Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
- Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)
- Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas)
- Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula)
- Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis)
- Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus)
- Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
- Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes ancilla)
- Rita Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes rita)
- Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola)
- Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa)
- Greenish Blue (Icaricia saepiolus)
- Shasta Blue (Icaricia shasta)
- Boisduval’s Blue (Aricia icarioides)
- Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)
- Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides)
- Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia)
- Florida White (Appias drusilla)
- Pine White (Neophasia menapia)
- Margined White (Pieris marginalis)
- Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
- Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
- Western White (Pontia occidentalis)
- Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii)
- Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
- Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
- Christina Sulphur (Colias christina)
- Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)
- Yellow Angled-Sulphur (Anteos maerula)
- Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur (Colias alexandra)
- Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
- Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
- Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
- Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea)
- Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
- Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa)
- Barred Yellow (Eurema daira)
- Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana)
- Lyside Sulphur (Kricogonia lyside)
- Tailed Orange (Eurema proterpia)
- Mimosa Yellow (Pyrisitia nise)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)
- Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
- Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
- Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
- Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
- Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)
- Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
- Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
- Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
- Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
- Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
- Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator)
