Butterflies
in Kansas

Silvery Checkerspot
Silvery Checkerspot - Photo by Jim Mason

Butterflies and moths form the insect order Lepidoptera.

They are one of the advanced orders of insects, and undergo complete metamorphosis.

Most people regard butterflies as very colorful and appealing, even if they don't like "bugs" in general.  By studying them, one can gain insight into the invertebrate world in general.

722 different species of butterflies occur in the U.S. and Canada.  Roughly 15,000 occur worldwide.  The following is a list of the 188 species of butterflies that have been recorded in Kansas. 

Occurrence data is based on "Checklist of Kansas Butterflies", Kansas School Naturalist, Vol.37, No.4, April 1991 by Marvin Schwilling and Charles Ely.  An asterisk (*) means the species is an erratic only rarely found in Kansas (72 species).  
Distribution data is based on "Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West", 2001, by Jeffrey Glassberg. 
The taxonomy and nomenclature follow that of the "Checklist and English Names of North American Butterflies, Second Edition" published by the North American Butterfly Association.  

For a pdf version of this list, click here Kansas birds list.
(On a Windows system, download the file by right clicking on the link and choose "Save Target As" to save it to your hard drive, then open it from there.   You will need Acrobat Reader to view this file.  If you don't have that software already, you can get it for free from Adobe.)

There are individual species pages for the Monarch and Regal Fritillary.

FAMILY PAPILIONIDAE---SWALLOWTAILS
    Pipevine Swallowtail - Battus philenor
    Zebra Swallowtail - Eurytides marcellus
    Black Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes
    *Baird’s Swallowtail - Papilio machaon bairdii
    *Anise Swallowtail - Papilio zelicaon
    *Thoas Swallowtail - Papilio thoas
    Giant Swallowtail - Papilio cresphontes
    *Ornythion Swallowtail - Papilio ornythion
    Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Papilio glaucus
    *Two-tailed Swallowtail - Papilio multicaudata
    Spicebush Swallowtail - Papilio troilus
    *Ruby-spotted Swallowtail - Papilio anchisiades

FAMILY PIERIDAE--WHITES, SULPHURS & ORANGE-TIPS

SUBFAMILY PIERINAE - - - WHITES
    *Florida White - Appias drusilla
    Checkered White - Pontia protodice
    *Western White - Pontia occidentalis
    Cabbage White - Pieris rapae
    *Great Southern White - Ascia monuste
    *Giant White - Ganyra josephina
    Olympia Marble - Euchloe olympia
    Falcate Orangetip - Anthocharis midea

SUBFAMILY COLIADINAE - - - SULPHURS
    Clouded Sulphur - Colias philodice
    Orange Sulphur - Colias eurytheme
    Southern Dogface - Colias cesonia
    *White Angled-Sulphur - Anteos chlorinde
    Cloudless Sulphur - Phoebis sennae
    *Orange-barred Sulphur - Phoebis philea
    *Large Orange Sulphur - Phoebis agarithe
    *Statira Sulphur - Phoebis statira
    *Lyside Sulphur - Kricogonia lyside
    Mexican Yellow - Eurema mexicana
    *Tailed Orange - Eurema proterpia
    Little Yellow - Eurema lisa
    *Mimosa Yellow - Eurema nise
    Sleepy Orange - Eurema nicippe
    Dainty Sulphur - Nathalis iole

FAMILY LYCAENIDAE--GOSSAMER-WING BUTTERFLIES

SUBFAMILY MILETINAE - - - HARVESTERS
    *Harvester - Feniseca tarquinius

SUBFAMILY LYCAENINAE
    American Copper - Lycaena phlaeas
    Gray Copper - Lycaena dione   
    Bronze Copper - Lycaena hyllus
    *Purplish Copper - Lycaena helloides

SUBFAMILY THECLINAE - - - HAIRSTREAKS
    *Great Purple Hairstreak - Atlides halesus
    Soapberry Hairstreak - Phaeostrymon alcestis
    Coral Hairstreak - Satyrium titus
    Acadian Hairstreak - Satyrium acadica
    *Edwards’ Hairstreak - Satyrium edwardsii
    Banded Hairstreak - Satyrium calanus
    *Hickory Hairstreak - Satyrium caryaevorum
    Striped Hairstreak - Satyrium liparops
    Oak Hairstreak - Satyrium favonius
    Henry’s Elfin - Callophrys henrici
    'Olive' Juniper Hairstreak - Callophrys gryneus gryneus
    *White M Hairstreak - Parrhasius m-album
    Gray Hairstreak - Strymon melinus
    *Red-banded Hairstreak - Calycopis cecrops
    *Dusky-blue Groundstreak - Calycopis isobeon
    *Gray Ministreak - Ministrymon azia

SUBFAMILY POLYOMMATINAE - - - BLUES
    Western Pygmy-Blue - Brephidium exile
    *Cassius Blue - Leptotes cassius
    Marine Blue - Leptotes marina
    *Cyna Blue - Zizula cyna
    *Ceraunus Blue - Hemiargus ceraunus
    Reakirt’s Blue - Hemiargus isola
    Eastern Tailed-Blue - Everes comyntas
    Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon
    Summer Azure - Celastrina neglecta
    *Silvery Blue - Glaucopsyche lygdamus
    Melissa Blue - Lycaeides melissa
    Acmon Blue - Plebejus acmon

FAMILY NYMPHALIDAE - - BRUSHFOOTS

SUBFAMILY LIBYTHEINAE---SNOUTS
    American Snout - Libytheana carinenta

SUBFAMILY HELICONIINAE---HELICONIANS
    Gulf Fritillary - Agraulis vanillae
    *Banded Orange Heliconian - Dryadula phaetusa
    *Julia Heliconian - Dryas iulia
    *Isabella’s Heliconian - Eueides isabella
    *Zebra Heliconian - Heliconius charithonia

SUBFAMILY NYMPHALINAE--TRUE BRUSHFOOTS
    Variegated Fritillary - Euptoieta claudia
    Great Spangled Fritillary - Speyeria cybele
    *Aphrodite Fritillary - Speyeria aphrodite
    Regal Fritillary - Speyeria idalia
    *Edwards’ Fritillary - Speyeria edwardsii
    Fulvia Checkerspot - Thessalia fulvia
    Bordered Patch - Chlosyne lacinia
    Gorgone Checkerspot - Chlosyne gorgone
    Silvery Checkerspot - Chlosyne nycteis
    *Texan Crescent - Phyciodes texana
    *Vesta Crescent - Phyciodes vesta
    Phaon Crescent - Phyciodes phaon
    Pearl Crescent - Phyciodes tharos
    *Field Crescent - Phyciodes campestris
    Painted Crescent - Phyciodes picta
    *Dotted Checkerspot - Poladryas minuta
    *Baltimore Checkerspot - Euphydryas phaeton
    Question Mark - Polygonia interrogationis
    Eastern Comma - Polygonia comma
    *Hoary Comma - Polygonia gracilis
    Gray Comma - Polygonia progne
    Mourning Cloak - Nymphalis antiopa
    *Milbert’s Tortoiseshell - Nymphalis milberti
    American Lady - Vanessa virginiensis
    Painted Lady - Vanessa cardui
    *West Coast Lady - Vanessa annabella
    Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
    Common Buckeye - Junonia coenia
    *White Peacock - Anartia jatrophae
    *Malachite - Siproeta stelenes

SUBFAMILY LIMENITIDINAE - - ADMIRALS
    Red-spotted Purple - Limenitis arthemis astyanax
    Viceroy - Limenitis archippus
    *Weidemeyer’s Admiral - Limenitis weidemeyerii
    *California Sister - Adelpha bredowii
    *Dingy Purplewing - Eunica monima
    *Florida Purplewing - Eunica tatila
    *Common Mestra - Mestra amymone
    *Ruddy Daggerwing - Marpesia petreus

SUBFAMILY CHARAXINIE---LEAFWINGS
    *Tropical Leafwing - Anaea aidea
    Goatweed Leafwing - Anaea andria

SUBFAMILY APATURINAE - - - EMPERORS
    Hackberry Emperor - Asterocampa celtis
    Tawny Emperor - Asterocampa clyton

SUBFAMILY SATYRINAE---SATYRS
    Northern Pearly Eye - Enodia anthedon
    *Creole Pearly Eye - Enodia creola
    Eyed Brown - Satyrodes eurydice
    Gemmed Satyr - Cyllopsis gemma
    *Carolina Satyr - Hermeuptychia sosybius
    Little Wood Satyr - Megisto cymela
    Red Satyr - Megisto rubricata
    Common Wood Nymph - Cercyonis pegala

SUBFAMILY DANAINAE---MILKWEED BUTTERFLIES
    Monarch - Danaus plexippus
    Queen - Danaus gilippus

FAMILY HESPERIIDAE---SKIPPERS

SUBFAMILY PYRGINAE - - - SPREAD-WINGS
    Silver-spotted Skipper - Epargyreus clarus
    *Long-tailed Skipper - Urbanus proteus
    Hoary Edge - Achalarus lyciades
    Southern Cloudywing - Thorybes bathyllus
    Northern Cloudywing - Thorybes pylades
    Confused Cloudywing - Thorybes confusis
    Hayhurst’s Scallopwing - Staphylus hayhurstii
    *Sickle-winged Skipper - Achlyodes mithridates
    *Hermit Skipper - Grais stigmatica
    *White-patched Skipper - Chiomara asychis
    Sleepy Duskywing - Erynnis brizo
    Juvenal’s Duskywing - Erynnis juvenalis
    Horace’s Duskywing - Erynnis horatius
    Mottled Duskywing - Erynnis martialis
    Funeral Duskywing - Erynnis funeralis
    *Columbine Duskywing - Erynnis lucilius
    Wild Indigo Duskywing - Erynnis baptisiae
    *Afranius Duskywing - Erynnis afranius
    *Persius Duskywing - Erynnis persius
    Common Checkered-Skipper - Pyrgus communis
    Common Sootywing - Pholisora catullus

SUBFAMILY HETEROPTERINAE - - - SKIPPERLINGS
    *Russet Skipperling - Piruna pirus

SUBFAMILY HERPERIINAE - - - GRASS-SKIPPERS
    *Swarthy Skipper - Nastra lherminier
    *Clouded Skipper - Lerema accius
    Least Skipper - Ancyloxypha numitor
    *Orange Skipperling - Copaeodes aurantiacus
    Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus
    Uncas Skipper - Hesperia uncas
    Ottoe Skipper - Hesperia ottoe
    Leonard’s Skipper - Hesperia leonardus
    *Pahaska Skipper - Hesperia pahaska
    Cobweb Skipper - Hesperia metea
    Green Skipper - Hesperia viridis
    Dotted Skipper - Hesperia attalus
    *Rhesus Skipper - Polites rhesus
    Peck’s Skipper - Polites peckius
    Tawny-edged Skipper - Polites themistocles
    Crossline Skipper - Polites origenes
    Southern Broken-dash - Wallengrenia otho
    Northern Broken-dash - Wallengrenia egeremet
    *Little Glassywing - Pompeius verna
    Sachem - Atalopedes campestris
    Arogos Skipper - Atrytone arogos
    Delaware Skipper - Anatrytone logan
    Byssus Skipper - Problema byssus
    Hobomok Skipper - Poanes hobomok
    Zabulon Skipper - Poanes zabulon
    Dion Skipper - Euphyes dion
    Two-spotted Skipper - Euphyes bimacula
    Dun Skipper - Euphyes vestris
    Dusted Skipper - Atrytonopsis hianna
    *Bronze Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes aenus
    Linda's Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes linda
    Oslar’s Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes oslari
    Nysa Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes nysa
    *Dotted Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes eos
    Common Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes vialis
    Bell’s Roadside-Skipper - Amblyscirtes belli
    Eufala Skipper - Lerodea eufala
    *Brazilian Skipper - Calpodes ethlius

SUBFAMILY MEGATHYMININAE - - - GIANT-SKIPPERS
    Yucca Giant-Skipper - Megathymus yuccae
    Strecker’s Giant-Skipper - Megathymus streckeri

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- This page was spun by Jim Mason -

Questions or comments?  Send Email to Jim Mason Spidey
Or write us at: 
Great Plains Nature Center
6232 E. 29th Street North
Wichita, KS 67220-2200             Call:  316-683-5499            Fax:  316-688-9555