sign in sign up
<<
Home , Asterocampa celtis, Butterfly, Lycaena hyllus, Moth, Nymphalidae, Polygonia comma

& of Nebraska FIELD GUIDE Butterflies vs. Moths Before you head out Butterflies and moths may often seem similar, so here are some basic guidelines to help you distinguish between the two. Remember, there may be some exceptions to these rules! 1 Respect nature and wildlife. 2 Always leave an area looking better than it was found by picking up any litter. 3 Butterflies are sensitive creatures. Their wings are very delicate and can be easily damaged if handled improperly. When handling any , be extremely gentle and try to avoid touching its wings. 4 Always return any you have picked up to the same location that it was found, away from foot traffic. Thin antennae that are clubbed at the tip Feathery antennae * This field guide provides a sample of the many butterflies and moths found in the state. If during the day Fly at night you are unable to identify the butterfly or using this guide, please identify the it When at rest, hold wings up above body Hold wings down flat when at rest belongs to if possible or list as unknown with a description. For more information on butterflies and moths in Nebraska, visit www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Brightly colored Dull colored

BUTTERFLY FAMILIES MOTH FAMILIES

OWLET WHITES & GOSSAMER BRUSH- WILD TIGER MOTHS & MOTHS GEOMETER EREBID SWALLOWTAILS SULPHURS WINGS FOOTS SKIPPERS MOTHS MOTHS & PROMINENTS LICHEN & MOTHS MOTHS FAMILY Papilionidae Hesperiidae HAWKMOTHS MOTHS MOTHS Geometridae page 3 page 6 page 5 page 7 page 4 page 11 Arctiidae Medium - Medium - Small - Small - Small - Small - SIZE Large Medium Small Small - Large Small - Medium Medium Very Large Very Large Medium Medium Medium Medium White, or Bright Dark colored , , brown; Diverse wing Brown, , Brown; colors and Neutral WING with bright or orange; yellow, ; Neutral Neutral Neutral can have markings and white; variable gray; boldly contrasting colors for COLOR light colored varies by various colors colors colors detailed colors by sex marked black markings/stripes season and patterns patterns markings sex Feed on fruit, Wings are open Hold wings Hold wings carrion, dung, Hovering in FEEDING Flutter wings at or closed over Hold wings can pierce still over still over sap; hold front of a Stationary Stationary Stationary Stationary BEHAVIOR flower back depending out and still through back back wings out and flower on skin of fruits still FLIGHT Quick and Quick and Strong and Fast and low to Slow or Fast agile Swift, powerful Very slow Very slow Very slow Very active Very slow BEHAVIOR erratic erratic rapid ground stationary fliers Three Stout body, Antennae Long legs, body, walking leg Three walking Resemble Three antennae large and Stout body, Bodies and antennae pairs, leg pairs, Robust arrowheads Stout APPEARANCE walking leg with hooks, feathery; tapering to a Stout body are very and three around third pair very body when at body pairs three covered with point slender walking leg pairs antennae small rest walking leg pairs hairy-like scales base Fore are Tails or no tails; Devoid of Held flat angular Thin tails or Some males have Fore are Spotted Fore are No tails on may have false scales; Fore directly with a WINGS Have tails No tails no tails and dark scent patch usually or striped usually most eyes and 2x longer over the sharply false eyes on forewing elongated pattern elongated clear spots than hind back pointed apex 1 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 2 Giant Swallowtail cresphontes SWALLOWTAILS 3 Description: 3 /8 - 5 ½ inch wingspan. Dark brown to black wings with broad yellow, spotted bands. These bands are arranged in the following pattern: 2 along forewings Eastern Tiger Swallowtail that meet at tip, and 1 across the center of

the hindwings. The tail that is present on 1 Description: 3 /8 - 5 ½ inch wingspan. Wings each hindwing has a yellow spot on the tip. are yellow with black stripes on upper and Underside of wings are a pale yellow with lower sides. Black stripes, small touches of blue, bands of blue and . The ventral side of and red bands are present on the hindwings. the body is also pale yellow, while the dorsal female Females may appear brown with tiger stripes, side has some black markings. Common in (males have smaller a blue-colored band, and orange and white woodlands and gardens. amounts of blue) markings on the hindwings. These butterflies can be found along rivers, in gardens or parks, and deciduous woodland openings during the spring and fall.

Zebra Swallowtail marcellus Wild Indigo 3 Description: 2 /8 - 3 ½ inch wingspan. Greenish 3 5 white wings with black stripes on both upper Description: 1 /8 - 1 /8 inch wingspan. Upperside and lower sides. Each hindwing has a scarlet of forewing is dark near the head and lighter on spot, smaller blue spots and one long tail. A the outer half. The outer half also has a distinct band of scarlet crosses below the hindwings. brownish-orange patch. Found in open woods, The antennae are a rusty hue. These are found near roads and fields. Common throughout in woodlands and on the edges of rivers and eastern and central Nebraska. lakes in the spring through the fall. SKIPPERS Hesperiidae SWALLOWTAILS Papilionidae SWALLOWTAILS

male female

Black Swallowtail Silver-spotted Common Checkered Skipper communis

5 Description: 3 ¼ - 4 ¼ inch wingspan. Mostly black in color. Females have an iridescent Description: 1 3 - 2 /8 inch wingspan. Description: ¾ - 1 ¼ inch wingspan. Wings are blue band on their hind wings, while males have a yellow band near edge of wings. Dark brown or black wings. The mostly brownish to blackish with white checkering Inhabit open areas, such as fields, roadsides, and wetlands. Commonly found forewings have transparent gold spots on the dorsal side. The ventral side of the wings is throughout Nebraska. and the hindwings have a metallic paler. They have a blue-grey body that is variably silver band. They prefer open woods patterned. The male is usually paler in color than and areas near waterways. They are the female. Found in lowlands and foothill areas commonly found throughout the such as parks, fields, and roadsides. Mostly active United States. in the spring through fall.

3 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 4 Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus Description: 1 - 1 ¼ inch wingspan. The wings are a dark slate gray on the dorsal side, with a black and orange spot on the hindwings. The underside of the wings is a paler gray color, with narrow bands of black, white, and orange Checkered White or going across the middle. There are orange patches near the tails on the hindwings. The on the male is Common White spring summer orange, and gray on the females. Found in a variety of protodice open habitats during the spring and fall seasons. Description: 1 ¼ - 1 ¾ inch wingspan. Dorsal surface of wings is white with dark gray or brown markings. Dorsal body surface is gray with a darker gray fuzzy patch. Live in open lowland habitats such as vacant lots, fields and other disturbed areas. Usually active from early spring through fall. Summer Azure neglecta 15 1 Description: /16 - 1 /8 inch wingspan. Ventral side of hindwing is pale gray or white with small black dots and

lacks any orange color. Dorsal side of male is powdery- WHITE & SULPHURS Pieridae blue. The female often has white scaling on dorsal wings and has wider, darker dorsal wing margins. Often found along powerline right-of-ways, in gardens and along stream valleys.

Cupido comyntas Eastern Tailed-blue female male female 7 1 Description: /8 - 1 /8 inch wingspan. Males have wings (white form) that are lavender-blue on the dorsal side, with a white fringe, dark and narrow margins, and sometimes orange Clouded Sulphur philodice 3 dots on the hindwings. Female’s wings are black and Description: 1 /8 - 2 inch wingspan. Males have wings that are yellow on the dorsal surface brown rather than blue, and they have an orange spot with distinct margins. Female wings are yellow to greenish white with less distinct margins. also. The ventral sides of the wings are a chalky white or The underside of the wings are yellow and sparsely marked. Hindwings have either one pale gray with some dark markings and an orange spot or two white spots ringed with a reddish pink. These butterflies are often found in open near the tail. These are found in woodland, meadow, habitats like suburbs or parks. They are active from spring through late fall. forest and scrub habitats in the spring through fall.

female male

Lycaena hyllus rapae

GOSSAMER WING BUTTERFLIES Lycaenidae Bronze Copper Coral Hairstreak Cabbage White 7 7 Description: 1 ¼ - 1 /8 inch wingspan. Males Description: 1 - 1 ½ inch wingspan. Description: 1 ¼ - 1 /8 inch wingspan. Wings white on dorsal surface. There is one (male) are an iridescent copper-brown color on the Dark brown on upperside. The or two (female) black spots and a black tip on each forewing. The ventral surface of the upperside. Females have yellow-orange forewings underside of the hindwing is light wings has no markings and is either white, pale yellow, or light gray. These are found in with black spots. Underside of forewings in both brown with a row of coral colored almost any environment, including gardens, plains, and agricultural areas. Active early sexes are orange with black spots, while the spots near the edge. There is also a spring through late fall. hindwings are grayish-white with black spots. row of black spots outlined in white. The underside of the hindwings are also orange Found near woodlands, brushlands on the outer edge. Commonly found near and streamsides. wetlands, meadows and ponds. 5 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 6 Orange Sulphur Mourning Cloak antiopa 5 3 Description: 1 /8 - 2 /8 inch wingspan. The wings Description: 2 ¼ - 4 inch wingspan. Wing are golden orange on the top, sometimes with borders are irregular with short projections. a pinkish tint. There are broad, dark margins on Upperside is purplish-black with a wide, the wing, which are broken on the female and yellow border on outer edges. A row of solid on the male. The forewings have a black iridescent blue spots line the inner edge of BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES Nymphalidae spot in the center and the hindwings have a the border. A migrating butterfly commonly pinkish orange spot. The ventral surface of the found throughout . wings can be orange, yellow, or greenish yellow with a silver pink-ringed spot on the hindwing.

WHITE & SULPHURS These are found in a variety of open habitats in the spring through late fall.

Pearl Crescent tharos Description: 1 - 1 ½ inch wingspan. Dorsal Painted Lady cardui wings are mostly orange with black patterns. 7 Description: 2 - 3 /8 inch wingspan. The Ventral hindwing is a pale yellow with brown underside has a black, gray, and brown marks. A pale crescent is surrounded by a pattern, with four small eyespots on the brown patch near the center of the rim of the hindwing. The upperside of the wings hindwing. Very common in the east, but lives are orange-brown. Forewings have black mostly near streams in the Midwest. tips with a white bar. Commonly found throughout all of North America in open areas such as gardens and fields.

Eastern Comma comma Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis 3 5 Description: 1 ¾ - 2 ½ inch wingspan. Hindwings have short projections. Dorsal forewing Description: 2 /8 - 2 /8 inch wingspan. Hindwings have long tails. Ventral hindwing is is brownish-orange with dark spots. Dorsal hindwing is mostly black in the summer and in purple and brown in the fall and spring; tan, brown and blue stripes in the summer. A silver is orange with black spots. Ventral side is brown. A silver or white comma shape is comma and dot are in the middle of in the ventral hindwing. The summer form has orange in the middle of the ventral hindwing. Common near deciduous woodlands, woods near and black blotches on the dorsal side. The hindwings are mostly black. The spring and rivers, and other water sources. fall forms have gray-purple outer rims. They are common near woods, streams and parks. Some eastern forms migrate. BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES Nymphalidae

7 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 8 Monarch plexippus idalia

5 Description: 3 ½ - 4 inch wingspan. Dorsal side of Description: 2 ¾ - 3 /8 inch the wings is a reddish-orange color with a network wingspan. On the dorsal side, of black vein-like markings (which are finer on the forewings are red-orange the male). On the forewings are small white and and the hindwings are dark pale orange spots on top of black margins and a with bands of whitish-yellow male female black tip. The ventral side of the wings is similar and orange spots. There are large silver spots on an olive-brown background on the BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES Nymphalidae in pattern and color, but more faded. The body is underside of the wings. The female is larger, darker, and has white spots on the above black on the dorsal surface with white dots along surface. The male has orange and white spots on the above surface. These butterflies male the head and thorax. They occupy a wide variety of live around wet woodland meadows and other native grasslands during the summer. (female lacks single, black spots habitats during the summer and spring. in center of hindwings) Their habitat is declining with the disappearance of wetlands and prairies.

Viceroy archippus

3 Great Spangled Fritillary Description: 2 1 - 3 /8 inch wingspan. Orange and Speyeria cybele

black in color, similar to the monarch; however, 1 Description: 2 /8 - 3 inch wingspan. The the has a black line across the hindwing. ventral hindwings are brown with silver The viceroy also has a single row of white dots on spots along with a cream band near the the black outer edges of the wing. In addition, edge of the wings. The ventral forewings are a pale orange with varied markings. In the viceroy does not have white spots on its head males, the dorsal wings are a varied pattern of orange and black. In females, the wings like the monarch. Commonly found near lakes, are tan instead of orange. They prefer open areas and sparse woods. wetlands, wet meadows and roadsides.

Common Wood-Nymph Red Admiral Common Buckeye Hackberry pegala coenia

3 1 3

BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES Nymphalidae Description: 1 ¾ - 3 inch wingspan. Description: 1 ¾ - 2 ¼ inch wingspan. Above, Description: 1 /8 - 2 /8 inch wingspan. Description: 1 /8 - 2 ½ inch wingspan. Geographically variable. Brown the wings are black with a red-orange band Hindwings have 2 eyespots (upper Geographically variable. Antennae clubs are wings. Dorsal surface of each and white marks on the tip of the forewing. is larger). The forewings also white. Dorsal side of wings is reddish-brown. forewing has 2 yellow-ringed The hindwing has a broad red or orange outer have 2 eyespots and 2 orange bars. In Forewing has 1 eyespot, along with an uneven black eyespots. Yellow patch may margin. The dorsal surface of the forewing has addition, the forewings have 1 large row of white spots. The cell has 1 black bar and be reduced or absent in certain black, blue, red/pink, and white markings, while white band. The overall color on the 2 black spots. Often rest upside down on tree geographic regions. The hindwing the hindwings are colored and patterned like tree upperside is brown. They prefer open, trunks. Found along woodland streams, forests, may possess or lack small eyespots. bark. These butterflies are found in a large variety sunny areas. rivers, roadsides and towns. Found in large, sunny, grassy areas. of habitats during the summer and fall.

9 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo® 10 Cecropia Silkmoth cecropia 5 7 Description: 4 /16 - 5 /8 inch wingspan. Mostly dark brown wings with some white. Bodies are red and have white bands on the abdomen and a white “collar.” They also have distinct crescent markings on all wings. Can be found in suburban and urban environments throughout Nebraska.

Imperial Moth imperialis 1 Description: 3 /8 - 6 ¾ inch wingspan. Females are similar to males but, especially in southern parts of range, less heavily marked. Appearance of the moth is yellow with pink, orange, or purple brown spots and patches. They occupy forests with hardwoods or a mix hardwoods and . Adults are active during spring and summer and late in the evening. They can be diurnal and nocturnal.

Polyphemus Moth polyphemus Description: 4 - 6 inch wingspan. Eyespots on both forewings and hindwings. Reddish to yellowish brown on the upper- side. Pink or black and pink line near edge of wings. Wide range throughout United States. Can be found in wetlands, urban areas and forests.

male female Io Moth io 1 Description: 2 - 3 /8 inch wingspan. Males have yellow to yellowish-orange or orange-brown wings. Females have brown, reddish or purplish-brown wings. They can be found in a variety of woodland habitats. Adults are active during the summer and are attracted to lights at night.

Luna Moth luna male WILD SILK MOTHS Saturniidae 15 1 Description: 2 /16 - 4 /8 inch wingspan. Hindwings have long curved tails. Wings are pale green each with a transparent eyespot. Outer margins can be pink if located in the southern states and yellow if located in the female north. They occupy deciduous hardwood forests. They are nocturnal and can be seen in the spring and the summer.

www.omahazoo.com 11 2011 © Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo®