Butterflies in Iran

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

• Angled Castor (Ariadne ariadne)
• Baron (Euthalia aconthea)
• Black Prince (Rohana parisatis)
• Blue Admiral (Kaniska canace)
• Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya)
• Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace)
• Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)
• Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita)
• Clear Sailer (Neptis nata)
• Clipper (Parthenos sylvia)
• Colour Sergeant (Athyma nefte)
• Comma (Polygonia c-album)
• Commander (Moduza procris)
• Common Castor (Ariadne merione)
• Common Crow (Euploea core)
• Common Cruiser (Vindula erota)
• Common Jester (Symbrenthia lilaea)
• Common Lascar (Pantoporia hordonia)
• Common Maplet (Chersonesia risa)
• Common Mapwing (Cyrestis thyodamas)
• Common Nawab (Polyura athamas)
• Common Sergeant (Athyma perius)
• Common Tiger (Danaus genutia)
• Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
• Constable (Dichorragia nesimachus)
• Dalmatian Ringlet (Proterebia afra)
• Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
• Dark Brown (Chazara persephone)
• Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides)
• Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
• Dark Rock Brown (Chazara briseis)
• Desert Fritillary (Melitaea deserticola)
• Dryad (Minois dryas)
• Esper’s Marbled White (Melanargia russiae)
• European Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis)
• False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa)
• Freak (Calinaga buddha)
• Freyer’s Fritillary (Melitaea arduinna)
• Freyer’s Grayling (Hipparchia fatua)
• Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
• Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea)
• Gray Pansy (Junonia atlites)
• Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe)
• Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina)
• High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe)
• Himalayan Sergeant (Athyma opalina)
• Hungarian Glider (Neptis rivularis)
• Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius)
• Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa indica)
• Large Silverstripe (Argynnis childreni)
• Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
• Lemon Pansy (Junonia lemonias)
• Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)
• Lesser Spotted Frillitary (Melitaea trivia)
• Map (Araschnia levana)
• Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)
• Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)
• Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
• Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
• Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe)
• Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus)
• Orange Staff Sergeant (Athyma cama)
• Oriental Meadow Brown (Hipparchia syriaca)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Pales Fritillary (Boloria pales)
• Pallas’ Sailer (Neptis sappho)
• Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
• Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana)
• Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)
• Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
• Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)
• Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
• Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
• Red Lacewing (Cethosia biblis)
• Roxelana’s Grayling (Kirinia roxelana)
• Russian Heath (Coenonympha leander)
• Saadi Heath (Coenonympha saadi)
• Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
• Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)
• Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
• Southern Comma (Polygonia egea)
• Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)
• Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
• Sullied Sailer (Neptis soma)
• Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore)
• Thalonian Emperor (Thaleropis ionia)
• Turkish Meadow Brown (Maniola telmessia)
• Twin-spot Fritillary (Brenthis hecate)
• Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius)
• Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera)
• Western Courtier (Sephisa dichroa)
• White-edged Rock Brown (Hipparchia parisatis)
• Yellow Pansy (Junonia hierta)
• Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas)
• Hyponephele shirazica
• Melitaea casta
• Melanargia evartianae
• Melitaea consulis
• Melitaea jitka
• Melitaea meherparvari
• Melitaea sarvistana
• Melitaea saxatilis
• Melitaea wiltshirei
• Satyrus astyages

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

• Acamas Blue (Cigaritis acamas)
• Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus)
• African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous)
• Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amandus)
• American Copper (Polyommatus turcicus)
• Anatolian Odd-spot Blue (Turanana endymion)
• Balkan Pierrot (Tarucus balkanicus)
• Black-striped Hairtail (Anthene amarah)
• Blue Argus (Aricia anteros)
• Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)
• Bright Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus)
• Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
• Caucasian Vernal Copper (Tomares callimachus)
• Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites)
• Common Fig-tree Blue (Myrina silenus)
• Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa)
• Damonides Blue (Polyommatus damonides)
• Dark Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)
• Eastern Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama)
• Eastern Brown Argus (Kretania eurypilus)
• Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros)
• European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
• Gerhard’s Black Hairstreak (Satyrium abdominalis)
• Golden Copper (Lycaena thetis)
• Grass Jewel (Freyeria trochylus)
• Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)
• Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
• Hyrcanian Hairstreak (Satyrium hyrcanicum)
• Idas Blue (Plebejus idas)
• Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)
• Iolas Blue (Iolana iolas)
• Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
• Large Blue (Phengaris arion)
• Large copper (Lycaena dispar)
• Large Jewel Blue (Plebejidea loewii)
• Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)
• Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
• Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
• Meleager’s Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)
• Nina’s Blue (Polyommatus ninae)
• Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris)
• Persian Grass Blue (Luthrodes galba)
• Pomegranate Playboy (Deudorix livia)
• Powdered Oakblue (Arhopala bazalus)
• Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron)
• Red Pierrot (Talicada nyseus)
• Romanoff’s Hairstreak (Tomares romanovi)
• Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)
• Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
• Small Cupid (Chilades parrhasius)
• Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

• Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
• Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)
• Black-spotted White (Leptosia nina)
• Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi)
• Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)
• Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra)
• Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
• Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
• Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe)
• Common Gull (Cepora nerissa)
• Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis)
• Crimsontip (Colotis danae)
• Dark Clouded Yellow (Colias fieldii)
• Dark-veined White (Pieris bryoniae)
• Desert Orange-tip (Colotis liagore)
• Desert White (Pontia glauconome)
• Eastern Bath White (Pontia edusa)
• Eastern Dappled White (Euchloe ausonia)
• Eastern Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe penia)
• Eastern Orange Tip (Anthocharis damone)
• Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias erate)
• Eastern Wood White (Leptidea duponcheli)
• Greek Clouded Butterfly (Colias aurorina)
• Green-striped White (Euchloe belemia)
• Green-underside White (Anthocharis gruneri)
• Hill Jezebel (Delias belladonna)
• Himalayan Blackvein (Aporia leucodice)
• Indian Cabbage White (Pieris canidia)
• Krüper’s Small White (Pieris krueperi)
• Large Salmon Arab (Colotis fausta)
• Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona)
• Lemon White (Euchloe charlonia)
• Lesser Bath White (Pontia chloridice)
• Lesser Brimstone (Gonepteryx mahaguru)
• Lesser Clouded Yellow (Colias chrysotheme)
• Lined Grass-yellow (Eurema laeta)
• No-brand Grass-yellow (Eurema brigitta)
• Orange Albatross (Appias nero)
• Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
• Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale)
• Pale Grass Blue (Catopsilia florella)
• Peak White (Pontia callidice)
• Persian White (Pieris ergane)
• Pioneer White (Belenois aurota)
• Powdered Brimstone (Gonepteryx farinosa)
• Red Tip (Colotis antevippe)
• Silver Orange-tip (Colotis phisadia)
• Small Orangetip (Colotis etrida)
• Small Salmon Arab (Colotis amata)
• Small White (Pieris rapae)
• Sooty Orange Tip (Zegris eupheme)
• Striped Albatross (Appias libythea)
• Three-spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda)
• White Migrant (Catopsilia pyranthe)
• Yellow Orange Tip (Ixias pyrene)

Swallowtail (Papilionidae)

• Alexandra’s Swallowtail (Papilio alexanor)
• Alpine Black Swallowtail (Papilio maackii)
• Apollo (Parnassius apollo)
• Banded Apollo (Parnassius delphius)
• Blue Peacock (Papilio arcturus)
• Blue Triangle (Graphium sarpedon)
• Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne)
• Common Blue Apollo (Parnassius hardwickii)
• Common Clubtail (Losaria coon)
• Common Mime (Papilio clytia)
• Common Mormon (Papilio polytes)
• Common Peacock (Papilio polyctor)
• Common Red Apollo (Parnassius epaphus)
• Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae)
• Common Windmill (Byasa polyeuctes)
• Desert Apollo (Hypermnestra helios)
• False Apollo (Archon apollinus)
• Five-bar Swallowtail (Graphium antiphates)
• Glassy Bluebottle (Graphium cloanthus)
• Green-spotted Triangle (Graphium agamemnon)
• Karakorum Banded Apollo (Parnassius staudingeri)
• Keeled Apollo (Parnassius jacquemontii)
• Krishna Peacock (Papilio krishna)
• Ladak Banded Apollo (Parnassius stoliczkanus)
• Lesser Batwing (Atrophaneura aidoneus)
• Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus)
• Long-tailed Spangle (Papilio macilentus)
• Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
• Pale Triangle (Graphium eurypylus)
• Paris Peacock (Papilio paris)
• Regal Apollo (Parnassius charltonius)
• Sahara Swallowtail (Papilio saharae)
• Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)
• Southern Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena)
• Varnished Apollo (Parnassius acco)
• White Dragontail (Lamproptera curius)
• Archon bostanchii
• Zerynthia louristana

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

• Aegean Skipper (Pyrgus melotis)
• Caucasian Skipper (Pyrgus jupei)
• Dingy Scrub-hopper (Aeromachus dubius)
• Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
• Dingy Swift (Gegenes nostrodamus)
• European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
• Hungaria Skipper (Spialia orbifer)
• Indian Awlking (Choaspes benjaminii)
• Inky Skipper (Erynnis marloyi)
• Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
• Levantine Skipper (Thymelicus hyrax)
• Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
• Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
• Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
• Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
• Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)
• Orangetail Awl (Bibasis sena)
• Oriental Skipper (Carcharodus orientalis)
• Pale Small-branded Swift (Pelopidas thrax)
• Peacock Awl (Allora doleschallii)
• Persian Skipper (Spialia phlomidis)
• Pygmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)
• Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)
• Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto)
• Sandy-grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus cinarae)
• Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
• Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
• Stauder’s Clouded Yellow (Carcharodus stauderi)
• Tessellated Skipper (Muschampia tessellum)
• Tufted Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus flocciferus)
• Yellow-banded Skipper (Pyrgus sidae)

Some of the best places to see butterflies in Iran are the Butterfly Garden Museum in the city of Isfahan, the mountains of Kopet Dag, and parks like Laleh Park and Eram Park.