Butterflies in Egypt
Due to its harsh, arid climate, there aren’t many butterflies that call Egypt home. However, not only have some species adapted well to the hot weather, like the Plain Tiger – the most common butterfly in the country – but a few species are seen here that cannot be found elsewhere. This includes the Sinai Baton Blue, which is one of the smallest butterflies in the entire world.
Butterflies in Egypt
List of Different Butterfly Species of Egypt
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Cream-banded Charaxes (Charaxes hansali)
- Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
- Dark Brown (Chazara persephone)
- Desert Fritillary (Melitaea deserticola)
- Lesser Spotted Frillitary (Melitaea trivia)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Yellow Pansy (Junonia hierta)
- Pseudotergumia pisidice
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
- Large Jewel Blue (Plebejidea loewii)
- Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)
- Lesser Grass-blue (Zizina otis)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Moroccan Blue (Pseudophilotes abencerragus)
- Plains Cupid (Luthrodes pandava)
- Pomegranate Playboy (Deudorix livia)
- Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus)
- Sinai Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes sinaicus) [Endemic]
- Sky-Blue Cupid (Chilades eleusis)
- Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Cigaritis myrmecophila
- Iolana alfierii
- Kretania philbyi
- Satyrium jebelia [Endemic]
- Tarucus rosaceus
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
- Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)
- Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
- Crimsontip (Colotis danae)
- Desert Orange Tip (Colotis liagore)
- Desert White (Pontia glauconome)
- Golden Arab-tip (Colotis chrysonome)
- Green-striped White (Euchloe belemia)
- Large Salmon Arab (Colotis fausta)
- Pale Grass Blue (Catopsilia florella)
- Pioneer White (Belenois aurota)
- Scarce Green Striped (Euchloe falloui)
- Silver Orange-tip (Colotis phisadia)
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Sooty Orange Tip (Zegris eupheme)
- Yellow Splendour Tip (Colotis protomedia)
- Calopieris eulimene
- Elphinstonia charlonia
- Euchloe aegyptiaca
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Sahara Swallowtail (Papilio saharae)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Borbo Skipper (Borbo borbonica)
- Dingy Swift (Gegenes nostrodamus)
- Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
- Marbled Skipper (Gomalia elma)
- Orange Flat (Sarangesa phidyle)
- Pale Small-branded Swift (Pelopidas thrax)
- Carcharodus stauderi ambigua
- Carcharodus stauderi ramses
- Spialia doris amenophis
- Spialia doris doris
The best place to see butterflies in Egypt is the Aswan Botanical Garden.
