Butterflies in Madagascar
Over 300 butterfly species have been identified in the tiny nation of Madagascar. Interestingly, about 200 of them are endemic. This is most likely due to the isolation of the island from the rest of the world, which allowed these butterflies to develop independently in unique and fascinating ways. Notable butterflies include the Madagascar Green-veined Charaxes, the Madagascan Emperor Swallowtail, and the Madagascar Zebra Blue.
Butterflies in Madagascar
List of Different Butterfly Species of
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Banded Evening Brown (Gnophodes betsimena)
- Barred False Sailer (Neptidopsis fulgurata)
- Brilliant Blue (Junonia rhadama)
- Common Acraea (Acraea encedon)
- Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)
- Common Joker (Byblia anvatara)
- Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
- Dancing Acraea (Acraea serena)
- Madagascan Friar (Amauris nossima)
- Madagascar Commodore (Precis eurodoce)
- Madagascar Green-veined Charaxes (Charaxes antamboulou)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Spotted Sailer (Neptis saclava)
- Acraea calida
- Acraea dammii
- Acraea fornax
- Acraea hova
- Acraea igati
- Acraea lia
- Acraea mahela
- Acraea masamba
- Acraea obeira
- Acraea ranavalona
- Acraea sambavae
- Acraea silia
- Acraea siliana
- Acraea strattipocles
- Acraea turna
- Acraea zitja
- Apaturopsis kilusa
- Apaturopsis paulianii
- Aterica rabena
- Charaxes analava
- Charaxes andara
- Charaxes andranodorus andranodorus
- Charaxes andranodorus andrefana
- Charaxes cacuthis
- Charaxes cowani
- Charaxes madagascariensis
- Charaxes phraortes
- Charaxes zoolina betsimisaraka
- Cymothoe dujardini
- Cymothoe lambertoni
- Cyrestis camillus elegans
- Danaus chrysippus orientis
- Euptera kinugnana insularis
- Eurytela dryope lineata
- Eurytela narinda
- Heteropsis alaokola
- Heteropsis anceps
- Heteropsis andasibe
- Heteropsis andravahana
- Heteropsis anganavo
- Heteropsis angulifascia
- Heteropsis ankaratra
- Heteropsis ankoma
- Heteropsis ankova
- Heteropsis antahala
- Heteropsis avelona
- Heteropsis bicristata
- Heteropsis cowani
- Heteropsis difficilis
- Heteropsis drepana
- Heteropsis erebennis
- Heteropsis erebina
- Heteropsis exocellata
- Heteropsis fuliginosa
- Heteropsis iboina
- Heteropsis laeta
- Heteropsis laetifica
- Heteropsis mabillei
- Heteropsis maeva
- Heteropsis masoura
- Heteropsis narcissus fraterna
- Heteropsis narova
- Heteropsis obscura
- Heteropsis pallida
- Heteropsis paradoxa
- Heteropsis parva
- Heteropsis parvidens
- Heteropsis passandava
- Heteropsis pauper
- Heteropsis sabas
- Heteropsis strato
- Heteropsis strigula
- Heteropsis subsimilis
- Heteropsis turbans
- Heteropsis turbata
- Heteropsis undulans
- Heteropsis uniformis
- Heteropsis viettei
- Heteropsis vola
- Heteropsis wardii
- Hypolimnas anthedon drucei
- Hypolimnas bolina jacintha
- Hypolimnas deceptor deludens
- Hypolimnas dexithea
- Junonia goudotii
- Junonia hierta paris
- Junonia musa
- Junonia oenone epiclelia
- Junonia orithya madagascariensis
- Libythea ancoata
- Libythea tsiandava
- Neptis kikideli
- Neptis sextilla
- Pardopsis punctatissima
- Phalanta madagascariensis
- Phalanta phalantha aethiopica
- Precis andremiaja
- Protogoniomorpha anacardii duprei
- Pseudacraea imerina
- Pseudacraea lucretia apaturoides
- Pseudacraea peyrierasi
- Salamis anteva
- Sevenia amazoula
- Sevenia howensis
- Sevenia madagascariensis
- Smerina manoro
- Strabena affinis
- Strabena albivittula
- Strabena andilabe
- Strabena andriana
- Strabena argyrina
- Strabena batesii
- Strabena cachani
- Strabena consobrina
- Strabena consors
- Strabena daphne
- Strabena dyscola
- Strabena eros
- Strabena excellens
- Strabena germanus
- Strabena goudoti
- Strabena ibitina
- Strabena impar
- Strabena isoalensis
- Strabena mabillei
- Strabena mandraka
- Strabena martini
- Strabena modesta
- Strabena modestissima
- Strabena mopsus
- Strabena nepos
- Strabena niveata
- Strabena perrieri
- Strabena perroti
- Strabena rakoto
- Strabena smithii
- Strabena soror
- Strabena sufferti
- Strabena tamatavae
- Strabena triophthalma
- Strabena tsaratananae
- Strabena vinsoni
- Strabena zanjuka
- Vanessa hippomene madegassorum
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna)
- Antanossa Blue (Zizina antanossa)
- Apricot Playboy (Deudorix dinochares)
- Brown Playboy (Deudorix antalus)
- Common Meadow Blue (Cupidopsis cissus)
- Common Smoky Blue (Euchrysops malathana)
- Common Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema bibulus)
- Grass Jewel (Freyeria trochylus)
- Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
- Large Madagascar Babul Blue (Azanus sitalces)
- Long-tailed Blue, Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Madagascar Zebra Blue (Leptotes rabefaner)
- Osiris Smoky Blue (Euchrysops osiris)
- Small Madagascar Babul Blue (Azanus soalalicus)
- Tailed Meadow Blue (Cupidopsis iobates)
- White-tipped Blue (Eicochrysops hippocrates)
- Actizera atrigemmata
- Actizera drucei
- Anthene princeps smithii
- Cacyreus darius
- Deudorix batikeli
- Deudorix renidens
- Deudorix wardii
- Eicochrysops pauliani
- Eicochrysops sanguigutta
- Euchrysops decaryi
- Freyeria minuscula
- Hemiolaus ceres
- Hemiolaus cobaltina
- Hemiolaus maryra
- Hypolycaena philippus ramonza
- Iolaus argentarius)
- Iolaus mermeros
- Lepidochrysops azureus
- Lepidochrysops caerulea
- Lepidochrysops grandis
- Lepidochrysops leucon
- Lepidochrysops turlini
- Leptomyrina phidias
- Pseudonacaduba sichela reticulum
- Rysops scintilla
- Spalgis tintinga
- Uranothauma artemenes
- Zizula hylax
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Angled Grass Yellow (Eurema desjardinsii)
- Giant Orange-tip (Colotis lucasi)
- Malagasy Grass Yellow (Eurema floricola)
- Marsh Grass Yellow (Eurema hapale)
- Appias epaphia orbona
- Appias sabina confusa
- Belenois antsianaka
- Belenois aurota aurota
- Belenois creona prorsus
- Belenois grandidieri
- Belenois helcida
- Belenois mabella
- Catopsilia florella thauruma
- Colotis amata crowleyi
- Colotis evanthe
- Colotis guenei
- Colotis mananhari
- Colotis vestalis castalis
- Colotis zoe
- Dixeia charina narena
- Eurema brigitta pulchella
- Leptosia alcesta sylvicola
- Leptosia nupta viettei
- Mylothris phileris
- Mylothris smithii
- Mylothris splendens
- Nepheronia buquetii pauliani
- Pinacopterix eriphia mabillei
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Saribia decaryi
- Saribia perroti
- Saribia ochracea
- Saribia tepahi
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Black Swordtail (Graphium colonna)
- Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus)
- Madagascan Emperor Swallowtail (Papilio morondavana)
- Madagascar Giant Swallowtail (Pharmacophagus antenor)
- Graphium cyrnus
- Graphium endochus
- Graphium evombar
- Papilio dardanus meriones
- Papilio delalandei
- Papilio epiphorbas
- Papilio erithonioides
- Papilio grosesmithi
- Papilio mangoura
- Papilio oribazus
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Borbo Skipper (Borbo borbonica)
- Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias)
- Twin Swift (Borbo gemella)
- Acleros leucopyga
- Arnetta ellipsis
- Arnetta fito
- Arnetta hyposticta
- Artitropa alaotrana
- Artitropa boseae
- Artitropa hollandi
- Borbo havei
- Borbo ratek
- Celaenorrhinus ambra
- Celaenorrhinus humbloti
- Coeliades ernesti
- Coeliades fervida
- Coeliades fidia
- Coeliades forestan arbogastes
- Coeliades rama
- Coeliades ramanatek
- Eagris nottoana smithii
- Eagris sabadius andracne
- Fulda australis
- Fulda bernieri
- Fulda coroller
- Fulda gatiana
- Fulda imorina
- Fulda lucida
- Fulda pauliani
- Fulda rhadama
- Hovala amena
- Hovala arota
- Hovala dispar
- Hovala pardalina
- Hovala saclavus
- Malaza carmides
- Malaza empyreus
- Malaza fastuosus
- Parnara naso poutieri
- Perrotia albiplaga
- Perrotia eximia
- Perrotia flora
- Perrotia gillias
- Perrotia howa
- Perrotia ismael
- Perrotia kingdoni
- Perrotia malchus
- Perrotia ochracea
- Perrotia paroechus
- Perrotia silvestralis
- Perrotia sylvia
- Perrotia varians
- Ploetzia amygdalis
- Tagiades insularis
- Tagiades samborana
- Xanthodisca ariel
Some of the best places to experience Madagascar’s butterfly diversity include Masoala National Park, Ranomafana National Park, Montagne d’Ambre National Park, and Andasibe National Park.
