Butterflies in Italy
Italy is home to a wide variety of butterflies, including the Adonis Blue, the Clouded Yellow, and the Heath Fritillary.
Butterflies in Italy
List of Different Butterfly Species of Italy
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Assmann’s Fritillary (Melitaea britomartis)
- Balkan Fritillary (Boloria graeca)
- Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Cynthia’s Fritillary (Euphydryas cynthia)
- Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
- Eastern Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea telona)
- False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina)
- Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
- Grisons Fritillary (Melitaea varia)
- Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia)
- High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe)
- Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
- Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino)
- Lesser Spotted Frillitary (Melitaea trivia)
- Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie)
- Little Fritillary (Melitaea asteria)
- Map (Araschnia levana)
- Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)
- Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
- Meadow Fritillary (Melitaea parthenoides)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Napaea Fritillary (Boloria napaea)
- Nickerl’s Fritillary (Melitaea aurelia)
- Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe)
- Ocellate Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Pales Fritillary (Boloria pales)
- Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
- Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)
- Phoebe Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)
- Provençal fritillary (Melitaea deione)
- Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna)
- Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
- Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- Southern Comma (Polygonia egea)
- Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
- Thor’s Fritillary (Boloria thore)
- Titania’s Fritillary (Boloria titania)
- Twin-spot Fritillary (Brenthis hecate)
- Violet Frillitary (Boloria dia)
- Euphydryas intermedia
- Melitaea nevadensis
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus)
- Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon)
- Alpine Argus (Agriades orbitulus)
- Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amandus)
- Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)
- Black Hairstreak (Satyrium pruni)
- Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)
- Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
- Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)
- Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon)
- Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites)
- Cranberry Blue (Agriades optilete)
- Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon)
- Dorylas Blue (Polyommatus dorylas)
- Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros)
- Escher’s Blue (Polyommatus escheri)
- European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi)
- Furry Blue (Polyommatus dolus)
- Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon)
- Glandon Blue (Agriades glandon)
- Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
- Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)
- Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- 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)
- Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
- Melanops Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops)
- Meleager’s Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)
- Mountain Alcon Blue (Phengaris rebeli)
- Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)
- Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris)
- Piedmont Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus humedasae)
- Provençal Short-tailed Blue (Cupido alcetas)
- Provence Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra hispana)
- Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe)
- Purple Hairstreak (Neozephyrus quercus)
- Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron)
- Reverdin’s Blue (Plebejus argyrognomon)
- Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus ripartii)
- Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)
- Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius)
- Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades)
- Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)
- Silvery Argas (Aricia nicias)
- Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae)
- Small Blue (Cupido minimus)
- Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)
- Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera)
- White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)
- Lycaena subalpina
- Pseudophilotes vicrama schiffermuelleri
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
- Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)
- Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi)
- Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)
- Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra)
- Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
- Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
- Dark-veined White (Pieris bryoniae)
- Eastern Bath White (Pontia edusa)
- Eastern Dappled White (Euchloe ausonia)
- Eastern Orange Tip (Anthocharis damone)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Moorland Clouded Yellow (Colias palaeno)
- Mountain Clouded Yellow (Colias phicomone)
- Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
- Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale)
- Peak White (Pontia callidice)
- Persian White (Pieris ergane)
- Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis)
- Provance Orange Tip (Anthocharis euphenoides)
- Réal’s Wood White (Leptidea reali)
- Small White, Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
- Southern Small White (Pieris mannii)
- Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri)
- Wood White (Leptidea sinapis)
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)
- Alexandra’s Swallowtail (Papilio alexanor)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Corsican Swallowtail (Papilio hospiton)
- Apollo (Parnassius apollo)
- Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne)
- Phoebus Apollo (Parnassius phoebus)
- Southern Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Alpine Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus andromedae)
- Carline Skipper (Pyrgus carlinae)
- Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)
- Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii)
- Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
- Dingy Swift (Gegenes nostrodamus)
- Dusky Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus cacaliae)
- European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
- Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
- Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus)
- Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
- Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
- Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
- Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
- Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
- Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)
- Pygmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)
- Rozy Grizzled Argus (Pyrgus onopordi)
- Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)
- Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides)
- Southern Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus baeticus)
- Tufted Skipper (Carcharodus floccifera)
- Warren Skipper (Pyrgus warrenensis)
- Yellow-banded Skipper (Pyrgus sidae)
- Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanuss)
- Pyrgus bellieri bellieri
Some of Italy’s best places to see butterflies include Oasi Rossi, Bordano Butterfly House, and the Butterfly Arc in Veneto.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common butterfly families found in Italy?
The Brush-Footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae, is one of the most common and diverse in Italy. This family includes a wide array of species, such as the numerous Fritillaries, the Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock Butterfly, and the Large Tortoiseshell, making it a prominent group in the region.
How many species of Fritillary butterflies live in Italy?
Italy is home to a significant number of Fritillary butterfly species, with well over 25 distinct types documented. These include the Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia), the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), and the rare Cynthia’s Fritillary (Euphydryas cynthia), highlighting the country’s rich lepidopteran biodiversity.
Are there rare butterfly species in Italy?
Yes, Italy hosts several rare and localized butterfly species, often found in specific alpine or regional habitats. Examples include the Little Fritillary (Melitaea asteria) and Cynthia’s Fritillary (Euphydryas cynthia), which are considered specialist species and are less common encounters than more widespread butterflies like the Painted Lady.
What is the scientific name for the Peacock Butterfly in Italy?
The scientific name for the Peacock Butterfly found in Italy is *Aglais io*. This species belongs to the Nymphalidae family and is easily recognized by the striking, large eyespots on its wings. These markings serve as a defense mechanism to startle or confuse potential predators in its habitat.
Can you see the Painted Lady butterfly in Italy?
Yes, the Painted Lady butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) can be seen in Italy. It is a well-known long-distance migratory species and a member of the Nymphalidae family. Its presence is documented alongside other Vanessa species like the Red Admiral, making it a relatively common sight across the country.
Which notable Nymphalidae butterflies are native to Italy?
Italy is native to many notable Nymphalidae (Brush-Footed) butterflies, showcasing significant diversity. Among the most recognizable species are:
* Peacock Butterfly (*Aglais io*)
* Red Admiral (*Vanessa atalanta*)
* Mourning Cloak (*Nymphalis antiopa*)
* Silver-washed Fritillary (*Argynnis paphia*)
Is the Mourning Cloak butterfly found in Italy?
Yes, the Mourning Cloak butterfly (*Nymphalis antiopa*) is found in Italy. This distinctive species is part of the Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae) family. It is known for its dark, velvety maroon wings that are bordered by a bright yellow or cream-colored edge, making it easily identifiable in woodlands.
