Butterflies in Turkey
Over 400 species of butterflies live in Turkey. Some of the more well known species in the region include the Orange Hermit, the Anatolian Witch, and the Eastern Festoon.
List of Most Common Butterfly Species of Turkey
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- African Ringlet (Ypthima asterope)
- Anatolian Witch (Chazara egina)
- Assmann’s Fritillary (Melitaea britomartis)
- Balkan Fritillary (Boloria graeca)
- Balkan Marbled White (Melanargia larissa)
- Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya)
- Buff Asian Grayling (Pseudochazara mamurra)
- Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)
- Chestnut Heath (Coenonympha glycerion)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
- Dark Brown (Chazara persephone)
- Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
- Dark Rock Brown (Chazara briseis)
- Delattin’s Grayling (Hipparchia volgensis)
- Dryad (Minois dryas)
- Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon)
- Eastern Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea ornata)
- Esper’s Marbled White (Melanargia russiae)
- European Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis)
- False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa)
- False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina)
- Freyer’s Fritillary (Melitaea arduinna)
- Freyer’s Grayling (Hipparchia fatua)
- Freyer’s Purple Emperor (Apatura metis)
- Geyer’s Skipper (Pseudochazara geyeri)
- Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
- Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe)
- Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia)
- Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)
- High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe)
- Hungarian Glider (Neptis rivularis)
- Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
- Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
- Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino)
- Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)
- Levantine Marbled White (Melanargia titea)
- Map (Araschnia levana)
- Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)
- Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)
- Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Meadow Ringlet (Erebia ligea)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Nickerl’s Fritillary (Melitaea aurelia)
- Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe)
- Northern Wall Brown (Lasiommata petropolitana)
- Orange Hermit (Chazara bischoffii)
- Oriental Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lupina)
- Ottoman Brassy Ringlet (Erebia ottomana)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
- Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)
- Phoebe Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)
- Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
- Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Roxelana’s Grayling (Kirinia roxelana)
- Russian Heath (Coenonympha leander)
- Saadi Heath (Coenonympha saadi)
- Scotch Argus (Erebia aethiops)
- Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
- Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)
- Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- Southern Comma (Polygonia egea)
- Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia)
- Southern Grayling (Hipparchia aristaeus)
- Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
- Tawny Rockbrown (Pseudochazara mniszechii)
- Thalonian Emperor (Thaleropis ionia)
- Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus)
- Turkish Meadow Brown (Maniola telmessia)
- Twin-spot Fritillary (Brenthis hecate)
- Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius)
- Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera)
- White Admiral (Limenitis camilla)
- White-edged Rock Brown (Hipparchia parisatis)
- Woodland Grayling (Hipparchia fagi)
- Woodland Ringlet (Erebia medusa)
- Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas)
- Hipparchia syriaca
- Hyponephele hasantahsin
- Hyponephele urartua
- Melitaea irka
- Melitaea mesopotamica
- Pseudochazara lydia
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Acamas Blue (Cigaritis acamas)
- Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus)
- African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous)
- Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon)
- Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amandus)
- American Copper (Polyommatus turcicus)
- Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus admetus)
- Balkan Pierrot (Tarucus balkanicus)
- Bavius Blue (Pseudophilotes bavius)
- Blue Argus (Aricia anteros)
- Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)
- Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
- Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)
- Caucasian Vernal Copper (Tomares callimachus)
- Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon)
- Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites)
- Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon)
- Dark Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)
- Dorylas Blue (Polyommatus dorylas)
- Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous)
- Eastern Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama)
- Eastern Brown Argus (Kretania eurypilus)
- Erivan Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus eriwanensis)
- Escher’s Blue (Polyommatus escheri)
- European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- False Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra corydonius)
- False Eros Blue (Polyommatus eroides)
- Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon)
- Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli)
- Gerhard’s Black Hairstreak (Satyrium abdominalis)
- Golden Copper (Lycaena thetis)
- Grass Jewel (Freyeria trochylus)
- Grecian Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus aroaniensis)
- Grecian Copper (Lycaena ottomanus)
- Greek Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris bellis)
- Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
- Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)
- Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Hyrcanian Hairstreak (Satyrium hyrcanicum)
- Idas Blue (Plebejus idas)
- Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)
- Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
- Large Blue (Phengaris arion)
- Large Copper (Lycaena dispar)
- Large Jewel Blue (Plebejidea loewii)
- Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
- Meleager’s Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)
- Mountain Alcon Blue (Phengaris rebeli)
- Nina’s Blue (Polyommatus ninae)
- Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes)
- Orange Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium ledereri)
- Orion Blue (Scolitantides orion)
- Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris)
- Persian Grass Blue (Luthrodes galba)
- Persian Odd-spot Blue (Turanana cytis)
- Pfeiffer’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys paulae)
- Provençal Short-tailed Blue (Cupido alcetas)
- Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus)
- Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron)
- Reverdin’s Blue (Plebejus argyrognomon)
- Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus ripartii)
- Romanoff’s Hairstreak (Tomares romanovi)
- Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)
- Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades)
- Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)
- Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae)
- Small Blue (Cupido minimus)
- Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)
- White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)
- Anatolian False Argus (Aricia hyacinthus)
- Small Jewel Blue (Plebejus christophi)
- Anticarmon Blue (Polyommatus anticarmon)
- Valley Zap Blue (Polyommatus zapvadi)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Balkan Clouded Yellow (Colias caucasica)
- 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)
- Dark-veined White (Pieris bryoniae)
- Eastern Bath White (Pontia edusa)
- Eastern Dappled White (Euchloe ausonia)
- Eastern Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe penia)
- Eastern Orange Tip (Anthocharis damone)
- Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias erate)
- Eastern Wood White (Leptidea duponcheli)
- Fenton’s Wood White (Leptidea morsei)
- Greek Clouded Butterfly (Colias aurorina)
- Green-striped White (Euchloe belemia)
- Green-underside White (Anthocharis gruneri)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Krüper’s Small White (Pieris krueperi)
- Large Salmon Arab (Colotis fausta)
- Lesser Bath White (Pontia chloridice)
- Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
- Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale)
- Pale Grass Blue (Catopsilia florella)
- Peak White (Pontia callidice)
- Persian White (Pieris ergane)
- Pioneer White (Belenois aurota)
- Powdered Brimstone (Gonepteryx farinosa)
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Sooty Orange Tip (Zegris eupheme)
- Southern Small White (Pieris mannii)
- Wood White (Leptidea sinapis)
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Alexandra’s Swallowtail (Papilio alexanor)
- Apollo (Parnassius apollo)
- Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus)
- Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne)
- Eastern Festoon (Allancastria cerisyi)
- False Apollo (Archon apollinus)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)
- Southern Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Aegean Skipper (Pyrgus melotis)
- Caucasian Skipper (Pyrgus jupei)
- Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)
- Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii)
- Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
- Dingy Swift (Gegenes nostrodamus)
- Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
- Hungaria Skipper (Spialia orbifer)
- Inky Skipper (Erynnis marloyi)
- Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus)
- Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
- Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Levantine Skipper (Thymelicus hyrax)
- Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
- Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
- Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
- Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
- Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)
- Oriental Skipper (Carcharodus orientalis)
- Pale Small-branded Swift (Pelopidas thrax)
- Persian Skipper (Spialia phlomidis)
- Pygmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)
- Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)
- Sage Skipper (Muschampia proto)
- Sandy-grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus cinarae)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
- Stauder’s Clouded Yellow (Carcharodus stauderi)
- Tessellated Skipper (Muschampia tessellum)
- Tufted Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus flocciferus)
- Yellow-banded Skipper (Pyrgus sidae)
The best place to see butterflies in Turkey is the Butterfly Valley, and the peak season to go butterfly watching is between June and August.