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Types of Butterflies in North Carolina

North Carolina has about 175 recorded butterfly species, one of the longest lists on the East Coast, because the state runs from the highest peaks in the Appalachians through the Piedmont and the longleaf-pine Sandhills to pocosins, salt marshes and barrier islands on the Atlantic. The official state butterfly is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, adopted in 2012 (not the Monarch, as older lists claim). The Diana Fritillary of the mountains, the Palamedes Swallowtail of the coastal swamps, more than 70 skippers and the Crystal Skipper, a species found only on the state's barrier islands, are what make North Carolina special.

Identification chart of the butterflies found in North Carolina, with the common species arranged by family — Butterflies in North Carolina (NC)

Species recordedAbout 175, including more than 70 skippers

State butterflyEastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), since 2012

Peak seasonMay–June and again August–September; the coast has butterflies in every month

LargestEastern Tiger and Giant Swallowtails, to about 140 mm

Only in North CarolinaCrystal Skipper (Atrytonopsis quinteri), on the barrier islands from Bogue Banks to Bear Island; St. Francis' Satyr at Fort Liberty

Notable migrationMonarchs down the Outer Banks and over Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks in September–October

On this page

Butterflies found in North Carolina
Butterflies of North Carolina at a glance
Signature North Carolina butterflies
The North Carolina butterfly calendar
Where to see butterflies in North Carolina
Host plants and butterfly gardening in North Carolina
Rare and threatened butterflies in North Carolina
How to identify butterflies in North Carolina, and the strays on the list
Frequently asked questions

Butterflies of North Carolina at a glance

Few eastern states cover as much ground as North Carolina. Mount Mitchell, at 2,037 m the highest point east of the Mississippi, has spruce-fir forest and grassy balds with northern butterflies at the southern end of their range; the Piedmont has the everyday fauna of fields and hardwood forest; the Sandhills are a northern outpost of the longleaf-pine ecosystem; and the Coastal Plain, with its pocosins, pine savannas, cypress swamps and salt marshes, holds a subtropical fauna that is shared with the Gulf states. Roughly 175 species have been recorded across all of this, about 150 of them regular residents.

The brush-footed butterflies are the most conspicuous family, but the real strength of the state is its skippers: more than 70 species, from the giant-skippers of the yucca barrens to a dozen wetland Euphyes and Poanes species and the roadside-skippers of canebrakes and pine woods, which is why the skipper section of the chart below is longer than any other. Seven swallowtails, 16 whites and sulphurs, 28 blues and hairstreaks and one metalmark, the Little Metalmark of the coastal savannas, complete the list.

Signature North Carolina butterflies

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail became the official state butterfly in 2012, chosen because it flies in all 100 counties from March to October. Its black females, which mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail, are especially common in the Piedmont and mountains. The Palamedes Swallowtail is the swallowtail of the coastal swamps, sometimes the commonest large butterfly in the Croatan and the Green Swamp, and the Zebra, Spicebush, Black and Giant Swallowtails are all widespread.

The Diana Fritillary is the mountain prize: a huge fritillary whose orange-and-black male and blue-and-black female look like two different species, flying along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Smokies from June to September and drinking at milkweed, thistle and coneflower. It shares the high country with the Aphrodite Fritillary, the northern anglewings and, on the balds, Milbert's Tortoiseshell. The Monarch breeds statewide and migrates through in autumn in two streams, one along the barrier islands and one over the mountain ridges. The Red-spotted Purple, Hackberry Emperor, Common Buckeye, Pearl Crescent and Great Spangled Fritillary are the brush-foots of any summer walk, and on the coast the Gulf Fritillary breeds on passion vine and is joined by the Cloudless Sulphur, Long-tailed Skipper and Fiery Skipper moving north in late summer.

Diana Fritillary Butterfly — Diana fritillary (Speyeria diana): a male, with the dark brown inner half of the wing giving way to a broad orange band · Diana Fritillary profile →

Two butterflies are found almost nowhere but North Carolina. St. Francis' Satyr, federally endangered, lives only in the wet beaver meadows of Fort Liberty in the Sandhills, and the Crystal Skipper, described as a species only in 2015, is confined to the dunes of the barrier islands between Bogue Banks and Bear Island, where its caterpillars feed on seaside little bluestem.

The North Carolina butterfly calendar

On the Coastal Plain there is no month without butterflies: Cloudless Sulphurs, Sleepy Oranges, Gulf Fritillaries and Common Buckeyes fly on mild winter days, and the anglewings and Mourning Cloak wake from hibernation in February. The Falcate Orangetip, Spring Azure, elfins and Juniper Hairstreak open the spring in March, and by April the swallowtails, Silvery Checkerspot, Zabulon Skipper and the first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail brood are everywhere. May and June are the first peak, with the hairstreaks on the wing, the Diana emerging in the mountains and the sandhills skippers, including the Yucca Giant-Skipper, flying in the longleaf pinelands.

July is hot and a little quieter, but late August and September bring the second peak, when the summer broods coincide with the northward push of southern immigrants, Ocola, Brazilian and Long-tailed Skippers, Little Yellow, Dainty Sulphur and, on the coast, the occasional White Peacock or Queen. The Monarch migration runs from mid-September to late October; our guide to butterfly migration explains the route. Sulphurs, buckeyes and skippers fly on the coast well into November.

Where to see butterflies in North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the Diana and Aphrodite Fritillaries in July, migrating Monarchs at overlooks such as Cherry Cove in late September, and the northern species on the Roan Mountain balds.
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve and the Sandhills Game Land — longleaf-pine country for the giant-skippers, Frosted Elfin, Dusted Skipper and the Little Metalmark.
Croatan National Forest and the Green Swamp Preserve — pocosin and pine savanna with Palamedes Swallowtail, Hessel's Hairstreak in Atlantic white cedar, Yehl and Dukes' Skippers.
Fort Fisher, Bald Head Island and the Outer Banks — the Monarch migration down the coast in October, Salt Marsh, Aaron's and Rare Skippers in the marshes, and the Crystal Skipper on Bogue Banks.

North Carolina shares its mountain butterflies with Virginia and Tennessee and its coastal species with South Carolina, where the subtropical fauna becomes richer still.

Host plants and butterfly gardening in North Carolina

North Carolina's long season and rich native flora make it one of the easiest states in which to garden for butterflies, provided caterpillar plants are included; the principle is set out in our guide to butterfly host plants.

Common, swamp and butterfly milkweed — Monarch and, on the coast, the Queen.
Tulip tree, wild cherry and sweet bay — Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; spicebush and sassafras — Spicebush Swallowtail; red bay — Palamedes Swallowtail; pawpaw — Zebra Swallowtail.
Parsley, dill and fennel — Black Swallowtail; hoptree and citrus — Giant Swallowtail.
Passion vine — Gulf Fritillary and, in the south-east, the Variegated Fritillary.
Violets — Diana, Great Spangled and Meadow Fritillaries.
Senna and partridge pea — Cloudless Sulphur, Sleepy Orange and Little Yellow.
Hackberry — Hackberry and Tawny Emperors, American Snout, Question Mark.
Little bluestem, switchgrass and river cane — the grass skippers and roadside-skippers.

For nectar, butterfly milkweed, Joe-Pye weed, ironweed, mountain mint, blazing star, coneflower, lantana and, in autumn, asters and goldenrod draw the most species; a puddling spot of wet sand brings in the swallowtails and blues.

Rare and threatened butterflies in North Carolina

St. Francis' Satyr is the state's rarest butterfly and one of the rarest in the world: it was described in 1989 from Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, and survives only in wet sedge meadows created by beavers and by artillery-range fires on the base. The Regal Fritillary once flew on mountain meadows and balds but has not been seen in North Carolina since the 1990s and is considered extirpated. The Diana is a species of special concern, dependent on rich mountain forest with abundant violets and nectar; the Crystal Skipper and the Rare Skipper of the brackish marshes are tracked by the state's Natural Heritage Program; and Hessel's Hairstreak, tied to Atlantic white cedar, and the Frosted Elfin of the Sandhills are declining.

Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) nectaring with the wings open: orange forewings and blackish hindwings spotted with cream · Regal Fritillary profile →

The newest threat is laurel wilt, a fungal disease spread by an introduced beetle that has killed red bay across the Coastal Plain since the 2010s; red bay is the host plant of the Palamedes Swallowtail, and the butterfly has already thinned out where the trees have died. Fire suppression in the longleaf pinelands and drainage of pocosins and savannas are the older problems.

Butterflies found in North Carolina

160 species listed for North Carolina, grouped by family. Linked names have a full profile on this site with pictures of every life stage.

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

Limenitis arthemisRed Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)The red-spotted purple is a large, tailless North American brush-footed butterfly whose upperside shines iridescent blue-black, a pattern copied from

Limenitis archippusViceroy (Limenitis archippus)The viceroy (Limenitis archippus) is an orange-and-black North American butterfly that looks like a small monarch but carries one extra black line cur

Asterocampa celtisHackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)The hackberry emperor is a medium-sized tan and brown butterfly of eastern and central North America that never strays far from a hackberry tree, and

Speyeria aphroditeAphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)The Aphrodite fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) is a large orange-and-black butterfly of prairies, dry fields and open woodland across southern Canada a

Speyeria dianaDiana Fritillary (Speyeria diana)The Diana fritillary is a large woodland butterfly of the southern Appalachians and the Ozarks in which the two sexes look like different species: the

Speyeria cybeleGreat Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)A big orange butterfly of summer meadows, the great spangled fritillary is named for the sheet of silver spangles on the underside of its hindwings.

Agraulis vanillaeGulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)The Gulf fritillary is a long-winged orange butterfly of the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and tropical America, and its defining mark

Boloria bellonaMeadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)The meadow fritillary is a small orange-and-black butterfly of damp meadows and pastures across southern Canada and the northern United States, and th

Speyeria idaliaRegal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)Big, fast and unmistakable, the regal fritillary is the butterfly of the North American tallgrass prairie: orange forewings, near-black hindwings stud

Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)Half fritillary and half longwing, the variegated fritillary is the orange butterfly of American roadsides, pastures and vacant lots.

Danaus plexippusMonarch (Danaus plexippus)The monarch is a large orange butterfly with black-outlined wing veins and a black, white-spotted border, found across North America and now on severa

Danaus gilippusQueen (Danaus gilippus)A warm chestnut-brown milkweed butterfly of the southern states and the tropics, the queen is the monarch's smaller, darker cousin.

Danaus eresimusSoldier (Danaus eresimus)The soldier (Danaus eresimus) is a milkweed butterfly of the American subtropics, found from southern Florida and south Texas through the West Indies

Euphydryas phaetonBaltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)Black wings tiled with cream squares and rimmed in brick orange, the Baltimore checkerspot is the state insect of Maryland and one of the most tightly

Junonia coeniaCommon Buckeye (Junonia coenia)Six large eyespots on a brown ground make the common buckeye one of the easiest North American butterflies to name and one of the hardest to approach.

Polygonia commaEastern Comma (Polygonia comma)The eastern comma is an orange-and-black woodland butterfly of eastern North America with deeply ragged wing edges and a silvery comma-shaped mark on

Aglais milbertiMilbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)Milbert’s tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti) is a medium-sized brush-footed butterfly of northern North America, from Alaska and Canada south through the

Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)The mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is a large dark butterfly of woodland, riverbank and suburb across North America and temperate Eurasia, and not

Vanessa carduiPainted Lady (Vanessa cardui)No other butterfly lives on so much of the planet.

Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)Small, orange and endlessly busy, the pearl crescent is one of the butterflies most people in North America see without ever naming.

Polygonia interrogationisQuestion Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)The question mark is the largest of the North American anglewings, an orange-and-black woodland butterfly of the eastern United States, southeastern C

Vanessa atalantaRed Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)The red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a medium-sized blackish butterfly marked with one bright orange-red band across each forewing and a scatter of w

Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)A medium-sized orange-and-black brush-foot of damp meadows and stream banks across eastern North America, the silvery checkerspot is named for the pal

Anartia jatrophaeWhite Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)A pale, pearly butterfly of ditches, pond margins and wet weedy fields from Florida and Texas to Argentina.

Show all 12 other brush-footed species names

Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Mimic (Hypolimnas misippus)
Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii)

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

Lycaena phlaeasCommon Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)The common copper (Lycaena phlaeas), known as the small copper in Europe and the American copper in North America, is a small, fast-flying butterfly o

Atlides halesusGreat Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)The great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus) is the largest hairstreak in the United States, a tailed gossamer-wing of the southern states and Mexico

Callophrys gryneusJuniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)The juniper hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) is a small North American butterfly, barely over an inch across, whose underside is a clear leaf green cro

Calycopis cecropsRed-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)The red-banded hairstreak is a small grey-brown butterfly of the southeastern United States, named for the broad white-and-red line that runs across t

Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)Small, slate-grey and almost impossible to avoid, the gray hairstreak is the most widespread hairstreak in North America and probably the least fussy

Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas)Barely an inch across and never far from a clover lawn, the eastern tailed blue is one of the most abundant butterflies in the eastern United States a

Celastrina ladonSpring Azure (Celastrina ladon)The spring azure is often the first butterfly of the year, a small violet-blue flake that appears along a woodland edge while the trees are still bare

Celastrina neglectaSummer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)A pale, frosted blue butterfly barely an inch across, the summer azure is the one that flies when the spring azures have finished.

Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)One of the first blues on the wing each spring, the silvery blue flashes metallic silver-blue in flight and then settles to show a plain grey undersid

Show all 19 other gossamer-winged species names

Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys hesseli)
Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
Early Hairstreak (Erora laeta)
White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album)
Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
Oak Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius)
Edwards' Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii)
King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
Hickory Hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorus)
Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus)
Henry's Elfin (Callophrys henrici)
Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus)
Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon)
Appalachian Azure (Celastrina neglectamajor)
Holly Azure (Celastrina idella)
Dusky Azure (Celastrina nigra)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

Pieris rapaeCabbage White (Pieris rapae)The cabbage white is probably the most-seen butterfly on the planet: a small, chalk-white insect with one or two black spots that drifts over allotmen

Pontia protodiceCheckered White (Pontia protodice)The checkered white is a medium-sized white butterfly of dry, open, disturbed ground across the United States and northern Mexico, recognised by the g

Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)The clouded sulphur is the plain yellow butterfly of North American roadsides, clover lawns and alfalfa fields, common from Alaska to the Gulf.

Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)The orange sulphur is a medium-sized orange-and-black butterfly of open fields, roadsides and alfalfa farms across almost the whole of North America,

Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)The cloudless sulphur is a large, fast-flying lemon-yellow butterfly of the Americas, resident from Argentina north through the tropics to the souther

Eurema nicippeSleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)The sleepy orange is a small, deep-orange sulphur of the southern United States, Mexico and Central America, easily known by the ragged black border t

Eurema lisaLittle Yellow (Eurema lisa)A thumbnail-sized sulphur that flutters low over roadsides and fallow fields, the little yellow is one of the most numerous butterflies in eastern Nor

Show all 9 other whites and sulphurs species names

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)
Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia)
Great Southern White (Ascia monuste)
West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis)
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)
Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea)
Barred Yellow (Eurema daira)

Metalmark (Riodinidae)

Little Metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis)

Swallowtail (Papilionidae)

Papilio polyxenesBlack Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)The black swallowtail is a black, yellow-spotted butterfly of open country across most of North America, and its caterpillar is the familiar green-and

Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)The eastern tiger swallowtail is a large yellow butterfly with four black tiger stripes on each forewing and a tail on each hindwing, and it is the co

Papilio cresphontesGiant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)The largest butterfly in the United States and Canada, the giant swallowtail sails over citrus groves and woodland edges on dark wings crossed by a ba

Papilio palamedesPalamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)The big dark swallowtail of southern swamp forests, the palamedes is tied almost entirely to one tree, the redbay.

Battus philenorPipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)The pipevine swallowtail is a large black North American swallowtail with an iridescent blue to blue-green hindwing and a single curved row of seven o

Papilio troilusSpicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)The spicebush swallowtail is a black swallowtail of eastern North American woodland edges and swamps, marked by a row of ivory spots along the forewin

Protographium marcellusZebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus)The zebra swallowtail is a white-and-black striped butterfly of the eastern United States with the longest tails of any North American swallowtail, an

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Pyrgus malvaeGrizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)The grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae) is a very small black-and-white chequered butterfly of warm, sheltered grassland and woodland clearings across Eu

Urbanus proteusLong-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)A stocky brown skipper with a shimmer of blue-green over its body and wing bases and two long tails trailing from the hindwings, the long-tailed skipp

Epargyreus clarusSilver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)The silver-spotted skipper is a large, chocolate-brown butterfly of gardens, field edges and woodland clearings across almost the whole of North Ameri

Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)A small orange rocket of a butterfly that sits on a flower with its forewings cocked up and its hindwings flat, the fiery skipper is one of the most f

Show all 68 other skipper species names

Cofaqui Giant-Skipper (Megathymus cofaqui)
Yucca Giant-Skipper (Megathymus yuccae)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Confusing Cloudywing (Thorybes confusis)
Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes)
Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
Hayhurst's Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor)
Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus)
Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)
Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor)
Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minimus)
European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin)
Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola)
Pepper and Salt Skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon)
Carolina Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes carolina)
Reversed Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes reversa)
Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aesculapius)
Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)
Dusky Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes alternata)
Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier)
Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus)
Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea)
Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus)
Meske's Skipper (Hesperia meskei)
Indian Skipper (Hesperia sassacus)
Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius)
Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles)
Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes)
Long Dash (Polites mystic)
Whirlabout (Polites vibex)
Southern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia otho)
Northern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia egeremet)
Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna)
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
Arogos Skipper (Atrytone arogos)
Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus)
Rare Skipper (Problema bulenta)
Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok)
Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator)
Aaron's Skipper (Poanes aaroni)
Yehl Skipper (Poanes yehl)
Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan)
Palatka Skipper (Euphyes pilatka)
Berry's Skipper (Euphyes berryi)
Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion)
Dukes' Skipper (Euphyes dukesi)
Two-spotted Skipper (Euphyes bimacula)
Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna)
Crystal Skipper (Atrytonopsis quinteri)
Twin-spot Skipper (Oligoria maculata)

How to identify butterflies in North Carolina, and the strays on the list

Region and season narrow the choices quickly. A large yellow-and-black butterfly anywhere is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; a large dark swallowtail with a yellow band underneath in a coastal swamp is the Palamedes, while in the mountains a dark swallowtail with a single row of orange spots is the Pipevine and one with two rows is the Black or a female Tiger. An enormous fritillary in July in the mountains with a blue-and-black female is the Diana. Orange butterflies with black veins are Monarchs, or Viceroys if they have the hindwing line; on the coast an orange butterfly with silver spangles beneath is the Gulf Fritillary. The skippers are the hard part: the grass skippers are separated by the pattern of pale spots on the hindwing below, and habitat helps, since the salt-marsh, sandhill and canebrake species rarely stray from their plants.

Several butterflies on the chart are not residents. The Queen, Soldier and White Peacock are rare coastal strays from Florida, the Mimic is an Old World butterfly known from a single accidental record, the Compton Tortoiseshell, Green Comma and Milbert's Tortoiseshell are northern species seen only occasionally in the highest mountains, and the Great Southern White, Large Orange Sulphur and Orange-barred Sulphur are irregular visitors from the south. The state-by-state guides show where each is a resident.

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina butterflies

What is the state butterfly of North Carolina?

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) has been North Carolina's official state butterfly since 2012. It is the large yellow butterfly with black tiger stripes seen in all 100 counties from March to October; many females are black instead, mimicking the Pipevine Swallowtail. The Monarch, named on some older lists, has never been the state butterfly of North Carolina.

How many species of butterflies live in North Carolina?

About 175 butterfly species have been recorded in North Carolina, roughly 150 of them regular residents and the rest strays from the Deep South and the North. More than 70 of the species are skippers, the largest skipper fauna of any East Coast state. The total is high because the state spans the highest Appalachians, the Sandhills and the subtropical Coastal Plain.

What are the main butterfly habitats in North Carolina?

The spruce-fir forest, hardwood coves and grassy balds of the Blue Ridge; the fields and hardwood forest of the Piedmont; the longleaf-pine savannas of the Sandhills; and on the Coastal Plain the pocosins, pine savannas, cypress swamps, salt marshes and barrier-island dunes. Each has its own specialists, from the Diana Fritillary in the mountains to the Crystal Skipper on the coast.

When do Monarchs migrate through North Carolina?

Monarchs move through North Carolina from mid-September to late October, peaking in the first half of October. One stream follows the coast down the Outer Banks, Bald Head Island and Fort Fisher; another crosses the mountains, where hundreds can pass Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks such as Cherry Cove on a good day in late September. Spring Monarchs return in April.

Where is the Diana Fritillary found in North Carolina?

In the mountains of western North Carolina, especially rich hardwood forest and roadside meadows along the Blue Ridge Parkway, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and around the Roan and Black Mountains. Males, orange and black, fly from mid-June; the blue-and-black females appear later and are on the wing into September. It is a species of special concern in the state.

Which butterflies are rare or endangered in North Carolina?

St. Francis' Satyr, federally endangered, survives only at Fort Liberty in the Sandhills. The Regal Fritillary is considered extirpated from the state, and the Diana Fritillary, Crystal Skipper, Rare Skipper, Hessel's Hairstreak and Frosted Elfin are of special concern. The Palamedes Swallowtail is declining as laurel wilt disease kills its red bay host trees on the Coastal Plain.

What is the Crystal Skipper?

The Crystal Skipper (Atrytonopsis quinteri) is a small brown skipper found nowhere in the world except the dunes of North Carolina's barrier islands between Bogue Banks and Bear Island, near Morehead City. Long treated as a form of the Dusted Skipper, it was described as a full species in 2015. Its caterpillars feed on seaside little bluestem grass, and it flies in two broods, April to May and July to August.

What fritillaries live in North Carolina?

The Great Spangled Fritillary is common statewide, the Diana and Aphrodite Fritillaries fly in the mountains, the Meadow Fritillary in mountain and Piedmont meadows, and the Variegated Fritillary in open country everywhere. The Gulf Fritillary breeds on passion vine on the Coastal Plain and Piedmont. The Regal Fritillary has not been seen in the state since the 1990s.

Which brush-footed butterflies are common in North Carolina?

The Red-spotted Purple, Common Buckeye, Pearl Crescent, Monarch, Viceroy, Red Admiral, American Lady, Question Mark, Eastern Comma, Hackberry Emperor, Great Spangled Fritillary and, on the coast, the Gulf Fritillary are the brush-footed butterflies most often seen in the state. The Silvery Checkerspot and Baltimore Checkerspot are locally common in the mountains and Piedmont.

What gossamer-winged butterflies are found in North Carolina?

About 28 blues, coppers and hairstreaks are recorded, including the Eastern Tailed-Blue, Spring and Summer Azures, Gray, Red-banded, Juniper and Great Purple Hairstreaks, the American Copper, the Harvester and a rich set of Satyrium hairstreaks such as the Banded, Striped, Coral, Edwards' and King's Hairstreaks. Hessel's Hairstreak lives only in Atlantic white cedar swamps on the coast.

Published January 8, 2020 · Last updated September 21, 2026