Butterflies in Morocco
Morocco is home to several species of butterflies, including the Dark Green Fritillary, the Moroccan Copper, and the Aden Skipper.
Butterflies in Morocco
List of Different Butterfly Species of Morocco
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
- Dark Rock Brown (Chazara briseis)
- Desert Fritillary (Melitaea deserticola)
- Dorus Ringlet (Coenonympha dorus)
- Giant Grayling (Berberia abdelkader)
- Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
- Great Sooty Satyr (Satyrus ferula)
- Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)
- Ines Blue (Melanargia ines)
- Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
- Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
- Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea aetherie)
- Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Phoebe Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)
- Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
- Powel’s Grayling (Hipparchia powelli)
- Provençal fritillary (Melitaea deione)
- Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Scotch Argus (Hipparchia fidia)
- Soutern Hermit (Chazara prieuri)
- Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia)
- Southern Marbled Skipper (Hyponephele lupinus)
- Southern Marbled White (Melanargia occitanica)
- Spanish Fritillary (Euphydryas desfontainii)
- Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
- Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus)
- Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius)
- Violet Frillitary (Boloria dia)
- Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera)
- Berberia lambessanus
- Coenonympha arcanioides
- Coenonympha fettigii
- Coenonympha lyllus
- Coenonympha vaucheri
- Fabriciana auresiana
- Hipparchia hansii
- Hyponephele maroccana
- Pseudochazara atlantis
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus)
- African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous)
- African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna)
- Allard’s Silverline (Cigaritis allardi)
- Allard’s Grayling (Kretania allardii)
- Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amanda)
- Atlantic Blue (Polyommatus atlantica)
- Bavius Blue (Pseudophilotes bavius)
- Bright Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus)
- Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
- Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon)
- Chapman’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys avis)
- Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites)
- Eastern Bath White (Tarucus theophrastus)
- Escher’s Blue (Polyommatus escheri)
- European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi)
- Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli)
- Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
- Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Iolas Blue (Iolana iolas)
- Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Lorquin’s Blue (Cupido lorquinii)
- Martin’s Blue (Kretania martini)
- Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
- Mediterranean Pierrot (Tarucus rosacea)
- Melanops Blue (Glaucopsyche melanops)
- Moroccan Blue (Pseudophilotes abencerragus)
- Moroccan Copper (Lycaena phoebus)
- Moroccan Grayling (Tomares mauretanicus)
- Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes)
- Panoptes Blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes)
- Provence Hairstreak (Tomares ballus)
- Purple Hairstreak (Neozephyrus quercus)
- Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron)
- Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Spanish Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra albicans)
- Vogel’s Blue (Maurus vogelii)
- Zohra’s Blue (Cigaritis zohra)
- Lysandra punctifera
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)
- Desert White (Pontia glauconome)
- Eastern Dappled White (Euchloe ausonia)
- Golden Arab-tip (Colotis chrysonome)
- Green-striped White (Euchloe belemia)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Lemon White (Euchloe charlonia)
- Pale Grass Blue (Catopsilia florella)
- Portuguese Dappled White (Euchloe tagis)
- Scarce Green Striped (Euchloe falloui)
- Small Orange-tip (Colotis evagore)
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Sooty Orange Tip (Zegris eupheme)
- Southern Small White (Pieris mannii)
- Wood White (Leptidea sinapis)
- Moroccan Orange Tip (Anthocharis belia)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina)
- Southern Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthamelii)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Sahara Swallowtail (Papilio saharae)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Aden Skipper (Spialia doris)
- Borbo Skipper (Borbo borbonica)
- Dingy Swift (Gegenes nostrodamus)
- European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
- Hamza Skipper (Thymelicus hamza)
- Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
- Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
- Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
- Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
- Pygmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)
- Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius)
- Rozy Grizzled Argus (Pyrgus onopordi)
- Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
- Small Mallow (Carcharodus tripolina)
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Stauder’s Clouded Yellow (Carcharodus stauderi)
- Tufted Skipper (Carcharodus floccifera)
- Barbary Skipper (Muschampia mohammed)
- Syrichtus leuzae
Some of the best places to see butterflies in Morocco include Mount Toubkal, Agadir city, and Ifrane National Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common butterfly families found in Morocco?
The most common butterfly families in Morocco are the Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae) and the Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae). The Nymphalidae family is particularly diverse, including numerous species of Fritillaries, Graylings, and Admirals, while the Lycaenidae family includes a wide variety of smaller butterflies like Blues and Coppers.
Can you find Monarch butterflies in Morocco?
Yes, the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is found in Morocco as part of the Nymphalidae family. Alongside the Monarch, its close relative, the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus), also inhabits the region, contributing to the country’s diverse range of brush-footed butterfly species.
How many types of Fritillary butterflies live in Morocco?
Morocco is home to a significant number of Fritillary butterfly species. The documented list includes over ten distinct types, such as the Dark Green Fritillary, Desert Fritillary, Glanville Fritillary, and the Queen of Spain Fritillary, making this group a prominent feature of Morocco’s butterfly fauna.
Are there any butterfly species endemic to Morocco?
Yes, Morocco and the surrounding Atlas Mountain region host several endemic or near-endemic butterfly species. For example, the Giant Grayling (Berberia abdelkader) and other species like Pseudochazara atlantis are specifically adapted to the unique high-altitude environments found within the country’s mountain ranges.
What is the best season to observe butterflies in Morocco?
The best season to observe butterflies in Morocco is typically from spring through early autumn, primarily between April and September. During this period, warmer temperatures and abundant flowering plants create ideal conditions for butterfly activity, though peak times may vary depending on the specific region and altitude.
Which specific Grayling butterfly species are found in Morocco?
Morocco hosts several species of Grayling butterflies, which are part of the Nymphalidae family. Notable examples include the Giant Grayling (Berberia abdelkader), Powel’s Grayling (Hipparchia powelli), Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus), and the endemic Hipparchia hansii, often found in mountainous and rocky habitats.
Does the Painted Lady butterfly live in Morocco?
Yes, the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is a common butterfly species found in Morocco. This highly migratory butterfly is part of the Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae) family and is frequently seen across various habitats in the country, alongside other well-known species like the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).
