Types of Butterflies in New Mexico
New Mexico is home to about 300 species of butterflies that constitute six families. With so many species, it comes before many US states in terms of butterfly population and diversity. As the spring comes, flowers bloom, and the vibrant radiance of the butterflies attracts visitors.
The state has designated the Sandia Hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys mcfarlandi) as the state butterfly since 2003.
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- ‘Astyanax‘ Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
- Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
- Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
- Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
- Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
- Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)
- Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
- Silver Emperor (Doxocopa laure)
- Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
- Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
- Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
- Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis)
- Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
- Edwards’ Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
- Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija)
- Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
- Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Isabella’s Heliconian (Eueides isabella)
- Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia)
- Mexican Silverspot (Dione moneta)
- Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
- Nokomis Fritillary (Speyeria nokomis)
- Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)
- Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
- Banded Orange Heliconian (Dryadula phaetusa)
- Isabella’s Heliconian (Eueides isabella)
- Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- Queen (Danaus gilippus)
- Soldier (Danaus eresimus)
- American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
- American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
- California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
- Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais)
- Definite Patch (Chlosyne definita)
- Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
- Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
- Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
- Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
- Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
- Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla)
- Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
- Painted Crescent (Phyciodes picta)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- 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)
- Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia)
- Nabokov’s Satyr (Cyllopsis pyracmon)
- Canyonland Satyr (Cyllopsis pertepida)
- Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata)
- Magdalena Alpine (Erebia magdalena)
- Common Alpine (Erebia epipsodea)
- Ridings’ Satyr (Neominois ridingsii)
- Polixenes Arctic (Oeneis polixenes)
- Melissa Arctic (Oeneis melissa)
- Chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus)
- Alberta Arctic (Oeneis alberta)
- Uhler’s Arctic (Oeneis uhleri)
- Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
- Mead’s Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis meadii)
- Great Basin Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis sthenele)
- Small Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis oetus)
- Red-bordered Satyr (Gyrocheilus patrobas)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus)
- Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)
- Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cuprea)
- Gray Copper (Lycaena dione)
- Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus)
- Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)
- Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea)
- Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)
- Olive (Juniper) Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
- Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
- Poling’s Hairstreak (Satyrium polingi)
- Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium)
- Black Hairstreak (Satyrium pruni)
- Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinum)
- Behr’s Hairstreak (Satyrium behrii)
- Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
- Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
- Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
- Oak Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius)
- Ilavia Hairstreak (Satyrium ilavia)
- Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii)
- Apama Western Green (Callophrys apama)
- Xami Hairstreak (Callophrys xami)
- Sandia Hairstreak (Callophrys mcfarlandi)
- Thicket Hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum)
- Western Green Hairstreak (Callophrys affinis)
- Red-lined Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bebrycia)
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon istapa)
- Arizona Hairstreak (Erora quaderna)
- Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda)
- Soapberry Hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis)
- Silver-banded Hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis)
- Colorado Hairstreak (Hypaurotis crysalus)
- Henry’s Elfin (Callophrys henrici)
- Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus)
- Desert Elfin (Callophrys fotis)
- Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polios)
- Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon)
- Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
- Cyna Blue (Zizula cyna)
- Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis)
- Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas)
- Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula)
- Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
- Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus)
- Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
- Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)
- Western Square-dotted Blue (Euphilotes battoides)
- Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes ancilla)
- Rita Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes rita)
- Spalding’s Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes spaldingi)
- Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa)
- Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola)
- Greenish Blue (Icaricia saepiolus)
- Acmon Blue (Icaricia acmon)
- Boisduval’s Blue (Aricia icarioides)
- Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini)
- Arctic Blue (Agriades glandon)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Desert Orangetip (Anthocharis cethura)
- Southern Rocky Mountain Orangetip (Anthocharis julia)
- Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis sara thoosa)
- Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia)
- Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides)
- Desert Marble (Euchloe lotta)
- Florida White (Appias drusilla)
- Becker’s White (Pontia beckerii)
- Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
- Western White (Pontia occidentalis)
- Pine White (Neophasia menapia)
- Margined White (Pieris marginalis)
- Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
- Chiricahua White (Neophasia terlooii)
- Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii)
- Great Southern White (Ascia monuste)
- Giant White (Ganyra josephina)
- Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
- Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)
- Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
- Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
- Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur (Colias alexandra)
- Mead’s Sulphur (Colias meadii)
- Scudder’s Sulphur (Colias scudderi)
- Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
- Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
- Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea)
- Statira Sulphur (Aphrissa statira)
- Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
- Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa)
- Barred Yellow (Eurema daira)
- Boisduval’s Yellow (Eurema boisduvaliana)
- Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana)
- Lyside Sulphur (Kricogonia lyside)
- Tailed Orange (Eurema proterpia)
- Mimosa Yellow (Pyrisitia nise)
- Yellow Angled-Sulphur (Anteos maerula)
- White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde)
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis)
- Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis)
- Zela Metalmark (Emesis zela)
- Ares Metalmark (Emesis ares)
- Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
- Mexican Metalmark (Apodemia duryi)
- Sonoran Metalmark (Apodemia mejicanus)
- Palmer’s Metalmark (Apodemia palmeri)
- Nais Metalmark (Apodemia nais)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)
- Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
- Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
- Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astyalus)
- Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
- Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Ornythion Swallowtail (Papilio ornythion)
- Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)
- Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
- Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
- Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas)
- Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
- Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
- Short-tailed Skipper (Zestusa dorus)
- Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
- Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
- Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana)
- Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus)
- Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos)
- Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
- Mexican Sootywing (Pholisora mejicanus)
- Saltbush Sootywing (Hesperopsis alpheus)
- Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
- Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
- Rocky Mtn. Duskywing (Erynnis telemachus)
- Meridian Duskywing (Erynnis meridianus)
- Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
- Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis)
- Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius)
- Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
- Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius)
- Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
- Common Streaky-Skipper (Celotes nessus)
- Mountain Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus xanthus)
- Small Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus scriptura)
- Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
- Russet Skipperling (Piruna pirus)
- Four-spotted Skipperling (Piruna polingii)
- Yucca Giant-Skipper (Megathymus yuccae)
- Strecker’s Giant-Skipper (Megathymus streckeri)
- Garita Skipperling (Oarisma garita)
- Edward’s Skipperling (Oarisma edwardsii)
- Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiaca)
- Bronze Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aenus)
- Oslar’s Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes oslari)
- Dotted Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes eos)
- Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)
- Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
- Uncas Skipper (Hesperia uncas)
- Apache Skipper (Hesperia woodgatei)
- Pahaska Skipper (Hesperia pahaska)
- Green Skipper (Hesperia viridis)
- Nevada Skipper (Hesperia nevada)
- Carus Skipper (Polites carus)
- Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti)
- Draco Skipper (Polites draco)
- Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles)
- Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok)
- Taxiles Skipper (Poanes taxiles)
- Morrison’s Skipper (Stinga morrisoni)
- Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
- Snow’s Skipper (Paratrytone snowi)
- Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
- Viereck’s Skipper (Atrytonopsis vierecki)
- Python Skipper (Atrytonopsis python)