Types of Butterflies in North Dakota
North Dakota is home to about 150 species of butterflies. Some species, such as the cabbage butterfly may reproduce several times each year while others, like the Canadian tiger swallowtail, have one brood per year. Some migratory species like the variegated fritillary come here on an annual basis and live until the first frost of autumn, whereas the Monarch butterfly travels through North Dakota each year to reach warmer breeding grounds. The butterfly hotspots in the state are the Fort Berthold Reservation, Devils lake basin, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the various national wildlife refuges.
This midwestern U.S. state has not designated any species as its state butterfly.
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
- Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
- Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
- Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
- White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis)
- Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
- Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
- Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
- Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
- Edwards’ Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
- 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)
- Queen (Danaus gilippus)
- American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
- American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
- California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
- Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
- Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
- 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)
- Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)
- Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
- Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
- Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii)
- Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)
- Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
- West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
- American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus)
- Gray Copper (Lycaena dione)
- Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus)
- Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)
- Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii)
- Olive (Juniper) Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
- Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
- Acadian Hairstreak (Satyrium acadica)
- Edwards’ Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii)
- Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
- Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
- Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
- Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polios)
- Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon)
- Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas)
- Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula)
- Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
- Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)
- Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
- Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa)
- Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola)
- Greenish Blue (Icaricia saepiolus)
- Boisduval’s Blue (Aricia icarioides)
- Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini)
- Arctic Blue (Agriades glandon)
- Shasta Blue (Icaricia shasta)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia)
- Large Marble (Euchloe ausonides)
- Mustard White (Pieris oleracea)
- Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
- Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
- Western White (Pontia occidentalis)
- Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii)
- Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
- Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
- Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur (Colias alexandra)
- Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)
- Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
- Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana)
- Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa)
- Mimosa Yellow (Pyrisitia nise)
- Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
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)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
- Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
- Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Strecker’s Giant-Skipper (Megathymus streckeri)
- Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius)
- Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
- Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
- Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
- Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
- Mohave Sootywing (Hesperopsis libya)
- Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
- Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
- Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
- Small Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus scriptura)
