Butterflies in Peru
Peru is home to over 4,000 butterflies, making it the country with the largest number of butterflies in the entire world. As a megadiverse nation, Peru is home to diverse habitats that can support these butterflies. Some notable species include the Hanno Blue, the Puna Clouded Sulphur, and the Helena Morpho.
List of Most Common Butterfly Species of Peru
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Aurora Morpho (Morpho aurora)
- Blomfield’s Beauty (Smyrna blomfildia)
- Blue-frosted Banner (Catonephele numilia)
- Brazilian Painted Lady (Vanessa braziliensis)
- Deidamia Morpho (Morpho deidamia)
- Dirce Beauty (Colobura dirce)
- Green Longwing (Philaethria dido)
- Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Helena Morpho (Morpho helena)
- Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia)
- Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
- New Beauty (Colobura annulata)
- One-banded Satyr (Pareuptychia metaleuca)
- Orange Admiral (Hypanartia lethe)
- Orion Cecropian (Historis odius)
- Pale Cracker (Hamadryas glauconome)
- Red Peacock (Anartia amathea)
- Red Rim Butterfly (Biblis hyperia)
- Rusty-tipped Page (Siproeta epaphus)
- Sara Longwing (Heliconius sara)
- Smooth-banded Sister (Adelpha cytherea)
- Tailed Cecropian (Historis acheronta)
- Telesiphe Longwing (Heliconius telesiphe)
- Tiger Beauty (Tigridia acesta)
- Turquoise Cracker (Hamadryas arinome)
- Variable Cracker (Hamadryas feronia)
- White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)
- Oressinoma typhla
- Pedaliodes jelskii
- Pedaliodes paneis
- Pronophila colocasia
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Disjunct Scrub-hairstreak (Strymon bubastus)
- Gold-bordered Hairstreak (Rekoa palegon)
- Hanno Blue (Hemiargus hanno)
- Leptotes lamasi
- Madeleinea ardisensis
- Madeleinea cobaltana
- Strymon daraba
- Strymon mulucha
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Painted White (Pieriballia viardi)
- Frosted Mimic-white (Lieinix nemesis)
- Great Orange Tip (Anteos menippe)
- Puna Clouded Sulphur (Colias euxanthe)
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Periander Metalmark (Rhetus periander)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Ruby Spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades)
- Papilio paeon
- Mimoides xeniades
- Pterourus menatius
- Battus streckerianus
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes)
- Plain Longtail (Urbanus simplicius)
- Mazans Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans)
- Tropical Checkered Skipper (Burnsius oileus)
Some of Peru’s best places to see butterflies include the Mariposarium, the Inca Trail, and the Tambopata Butterfly Farm.