Butterflies in Mexico
There are over 2000 butterflies in Mexico, and that’s just the ones recorded so far. As the fourth most biodiverse nation in the world, more of them may be identified in the future. The Monarch is one of the most well known species in the nation. Other notable species include the Giant Swallowtail, the Western Pygmy-blue, and the Mallow Scrub-hairstreak.
List of Different Butterfly Species of 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.