Butterflies in Mexico

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

• American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
• Andromeda Satyr (Taygetis thamyra)
• Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia)
• Banded Longwing (Dryadula phaetusa)
• Black Checkerspot (Chlosyne cyneas)
• Blue-eyed Sailor (Dynamine dyonis)
• Bredowii’s Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
• California Patch (Chlosyne californica)
• California Sister (Adelpha californica)
• California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
• Chestnut Crescent (Anthanassa argentea)
• Cuban Crescentspot (Anthanassa tulcis)
• Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
• Dingy Purplewing (Eunica monima)
• Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)
• Ethelda Sister (Adelpha ethelda)
• Jamaican Mestra (Mestra amymone)
• Karwinski’s Beauty (Smyrna karwinskii)
• Mangrove Buckeye (Junonia genoveva)
• Mexican Longwing (Heliconius hortense)
• Mexican Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis cyanomelas)
• Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
• New Beauty (Colobura annulata)
• Northern Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
• Orange Admiral (Hypanartia lethe)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Pale Daggerwing (Marpesia harmonia)
• Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
• Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
• Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
• Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
• Spot-celled Sister (Adelpha basiloides)
• Tiger Beauty (Tigridia acesta)
• Tutia Clearwing (Ceratinia tutia)
• Two-banded Satyr (Pareuptychia ocirrhoe)
• Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
• West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
• White-rayed Checkerspot (Chlosyne ehrenbergii)
• Danaus gilippus thersippus
• Limenitis arthemis arizonensis
• Asterocampa clyton louisa
• Limenitis weidemeyerii siennafascia
• Dryas iulia moderata

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

• Acmon Blue (Icaricia acmon)
• Alea Hairstreak (Strymon alea)
• Amyntor Greenstreak (Cyanophrys amyntor)
• Aquamarine Hairstreak (Oenomaus ortygnus)
• Arizona Hairstreak (Erora quaderna)
• Clytie Hairstreak (Ministrymon clytie)
• Creamy Stripe-streak (Arawacus jada)
• Crowned Hairstreak (Evenus coronata)
• Cyna Blue (Zizula cyna)
• Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon)
• Fine-lined Stripe-streak (Arawacus sito)
• Gold-bordered Hairstreak (Rekoa palegon)
• Goodson’s Greenstreak (Cyanophrys goodsoni)
• Gray Hairstreak (Strymon clarionensis)
• Gray Ministreak (Ministrymon azia)
• Guatemalan Copper (Iophanus pyrrhias)
• Hermes Copper (Lycaena hermes)
• Hewitson’s Blackstreak (Ocaria ocrisia)
• Ilavia Hairstreak (Satyrium ilavia)
• Lantana Scrub-hairstreak (Strymon bazochii)
• Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda)
• Long-winged Greenstreak (Cyanophrys longula)
• Mallow Scrub-hairstreak (Strymon istapa)
• Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
• Marius Hairstreak (Rekoa marius)
• Meton Hairstreak (Rekoa meton)
• Mexican Azure (Celastrina gozora)
• Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak (Satyrium tetra)
• Muted Hairstreak (Electrostrymon joya)
• Phaleros Hairstreak (Panthiades phaleros)
• Pisis Groundstreak (Calycopis pisis)
• Poling’s Hairstreak (Satyrium polingi)
• Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)
• Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola)
• Red-crescent Scrub-hairstreak (Strymon rufofusca)
• Red-lined Scrub-hairstreak (Strymon bebrycia)
• Sandia Hairstreak (Callophrys mcfarlandi)
• Schaus’s Hairstreak (Ipidecla schausi)
• Sky-blue Groundstreak (Ziegleria syllis)
• Smudged Hairstreak (Rekoa stagira)
• Strophous Hairstreak (Allosmaitia strophius)
• Tropical Green Hairstreak (Cyanophrys herodotus)
• Variable Hairstreak (Parrhasius orgia)
• Western Pygmy-blue (Brephidium exilis)
• White Hairstreak (Strymon albata)
• Yojoa Scrub-hairstreak (Strymon yojoa)
• Zebina Hairstreak (Rekoa zebina)
• Strymon melinus franki

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

• Apricot Sulphur (Phoebis argante)
• Becker’s White (Pontia beckerii)
• Boisduval’s Sulphur (Aphrissa boisduvalii)
• Boisduval’s Yellow (Eurema boisduvaliana)
• Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
• Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
• Desert Marble (Euchloe lotta)
• Lyside Sulphur (Kricogonia lyside)
• Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
• Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)
• Straight-line Sulphur (Rhabdodryas trite)
• Tailed Orange (Pyrisitia proterpia)
• White-angled Sulphur (Anteos clorinde)
• Yellow Angled-sulphur (Anteos maerula)
• Jethys Mimic-white (Enantia jethys)
• Harford’s Sulphur (Colias harfordii)
• California Dogface (Zerene eurydice)
• Mexican Orangetip (Anthocharis limonea)
• Sonoran Marble (Euchloe guaymasensis)
• California Marble (Euchloe hyantis)
• Howarth’s White (Ganyra howarthi)
• Mexican Pine White (Neophasia terlooii)

Metalmark (Riodinidae)

• Ares Metalmark (Emesis ares)
• Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis)
• Blue-winged Eurybia (Eurybia lycisca)
• Curve-winged Metalmark (Emesis emesia)
• Falcate Metalmark (Emesis tenedia)
• Nais Metalmark (Apodemia nais)
• Organ Mountain Metalmark  (Apodemia duryi)
• Peppered Metalmark (Hermathena oweni)
• Rawson’s Metalmark (Calephelis rawsoni)
• Walker’s Metalmark (Apodemia walkeri)
• Wright’s Metalmark (Calephelis wrighti)
• Lasaia agesilas callaina

Swallowtail (Papilionidae) 

• Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
• Cramer’s Swallowtail (Battus lycidas)
• Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
• Montezuma’s Cattleheart (Parides montezuma)
• Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
• Pink-spotted Cattleheart (Parides photinus)
• Salvin’s Kite Swallowtail (Eurytides salvini)
• Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
• Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

• Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius)
• Arizona Powdered Skipper (Systasea zampa)
• Arizona Skipper (Codatractus arizonensis)
• Belus Skipper (Phocides belus)
• Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
• Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciata)
• Chisos Banded-skipper (Autochton cincta)
• Common Blue-skipper (Quadrus cerialis)
• Common Mylon (Mylon maimon)
• Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
• Common Streaky-skipper (Celotes nessus)
• Coyote Cloudywing (Achalarus toxeus)
• Desert Cloudywing (Achalarus casica)
• Drusius Cloudywing (Thorybes drusius)
• Emerald Aguna (Aguna claxon)
• Falcate Skipper (Spathilepia clonius)
• False Duskywing (Gesta invisus)
• Fritzgaertner’s Flat (Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri)
• Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
• Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina)
• Gmelin’s Banded Skipper (Autochton bipunctatus)
• Golden Banded-skipper (Autochton cellus)
• Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos)
• Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
• Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
• MacNeill’s Sootywing (Hesperopsis gracielae)
• Mazans Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans)
• Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas)
• Northern White-skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum)
• Outis Skipper (Cogia outis)
• Plain Longtail (Urbanus simplicius)
• Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius)
• Purple-washed Skipper (Panoquina lucas)
• Short-tailed Skipper (Zestusa dorus)
• Southern Broken Dash (Wallengrenia otho)
• Tailed Aguna (Aguna metophis)
• Tanna Longtail (Urbanus tanna)
• Texas Powdered Skipper (Systasea pulverulenta)
• Tropical Checkered Skipper (Burnsius oileus)
• Valeriana Skipper (Codatractus valeriana)
• White-striped Longtail (Chioides albofasciatus)
• Zilpa Longtail (Chioides zilpa)

One of Mexico’s most notable butterfly-watching sites is the Reserva de la Biósfera Santuario Mariposa Monarca. Not only is it a World Heritage site, but it is also the best place in the entirety of Mexico to see the Monarch butterfly.