Butterflies and Moths
of Southern California
Photographs by Michael L. Charters



 

Butterflies by Common Name

Acmon blue (Plebejus acmon)
Alfalfa sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
American lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Baird's swallowtail (Papilio bairdi)
Becker's white (Pontia beckeri)
Boisduval's blue (Plebejus iricoides)
Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Cabbage white (Pieris rapae)
California dogface (Colias eurydice)
California patch (Chlosyne californica)
California ringlet (Coenonympha californica)
California sister (Adelpha bredowii)
California tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Callippe fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
Checkered white (Pontia protodice)
Coronis fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Edith's checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Funereal duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
Gabb's checkerspot (Chlosyne gabbii)
Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Golden hairstreak (Habrodais grunus)
Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Greenish blue (Plebejus saepiolus) (male)
Greenish blue (Plebejus saepiolus) (female)
Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Hedgerow hairstreak (Satyrium saepium)
Juba skipper (Hesperia juba)
Lorquin's admiral (Leminitis lorquini)
Marine blue (Leptotes marina)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Mormon metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
Mournful duskywing (Erynnis tristis)
Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Mylitta crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
Nelson's hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus nelsoni)
Northern white-skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum)
Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
Pale swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Sara orangetip (Anthocharis sara)
*Spring azure (Celastrina ladon)
Spring white (caterpillar) (Pontia sisymbrii)
*Square-spotted blue (Euphilotes battoides)
Striated queen (Danaus gilippus)
Umber skipper (Poanes melane)
Variable checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
West coast lady (Vanessa annabella)
Western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
White checkered-skipper (Pyrgus albescens)
*Woodland skipper (Ochlodes sylvanioides)

Moths by common name

Common sheep moth (Hemileuca eglanterina)
Edward's glassywing (Hemihyalea edwardsii)
Omnivorous looper (Sabulodes aegrotata)
*Wavy-lined emerald (Synchlora aerata)
White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata)

* Indicates tentative identifications

 Butterflies by Latin Name

Adelpha bredowii (California sister)
Agraulis vanillae (Gulf fritillary)
Anthocharis sara (Sara orangetip)
Apodemia mormo (Mormon metalmark)
Callophrys gryneus nelsoni (Nelson's hairstreak)
*Celastrina ladon (Spring azure)
Chlosyne californica (California patch)
Chlosyne gabbii (Gabb's checkerspot)
Coenonympha californica (California ringlet)
Colias eurydice (California dogface)
Colias eurytheme (Alfalfa sulphur)
Danaus gilippus (Striated queen)
Danaus plexippus (Monarch)
Erynnis funeralis (Funereal duskywing)
Erynnis tristis (Mournful duskywing)
*Euphilotes battoides (Square-spotted blue)
Euphydryas chalcedona (Variable checkerspot)
Euphydryas editha (Edith's checkerspot)
Habrodais grunus (Golden hairstreak)
Heliopetes ericetorum (Northern white-skipper)
Hesperia juba (Juba skipper)
Junonia coenia (Buckeye)
Leminitis lorquini (Lorquin's admiral)
Leptotes marina (Marine blue)
Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning cloak)
Nymphalis californica (California tortoiseshell)
Ochlodes sylvanioides (Woodland skipper)
Papilio bairdii (Baird's swallowtail)
Papilio cresphontes (Giant swallowtail)
Papilio eurymedon (Pale swallowtail)
Papilio rutulus (Western tiger swallowtail)
Phyciodes mylitta (Mylitta crescent)
Pieris rapae (Cabbage white)
Plebejus acmon (Acmon blue)
Plebejus iricoides (Boisduval's blue)
Plebejus saepiolus (Greenish blue) (male)
Plebejus saepiolus (Greenish blue) (female)
Poanes melane (Umber skipper)
Pontia beckeri (Becker's white)
Pontia protodice (Checkered white)
Pontia sisymbrii (caterpillar) (Spring white)
Pyrgus albescens (White checkered-skipper)
Satyrium saepium (Hedgerow hairstreak)
Speyeria callippe (Callippe fritillary)
Speyeria coronis (Coronis fritillary)
Strymon melinus (Gray hairstreak)
Vanessa annabella (West coast lady)
Vanessa atalanta (Red admiral)
Vanessa cardui (Painted lady)
Vanessa virginiensis (American lady)

Moths by Latin name

Hemihyalea edwardsii (Edward's glassywing)
Hemileuca eglanterina (Common sheep moth)
Hyles lineata (White-lined sphinx moth)
Sabulodes aegrotata (Omnivorous looper)
*Synchlora aerata (Wavy-lined emerald)

* Indicates tentative identifications


I wish to acknowledge the generous assistance of and express my sincere appreciation to Orange County botanist and entomologist Bob Allen and bug aficionado extraordinaire Hartmut Wisch who have kindly taken the time to look at many of my butterfly photographs.


Resources:

  Books:

  Emmel, Thomas C. and John F. (1973) The Butterflies of Southern California
  Glassberg, Jeffrey (2001) Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West
  Heath, Fred (2004) An Introduction to Southern California Butterflies

 

  Websites:

  Butterflies of California
  http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/ca/toc.htm
  Butterflies and Their Larval Food Plants
  http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/bflyplnt.htm

 


© 2014-2021 Michael L. Charters, Sierra Madre, CA. 91024
The photographs contained in this website may not be reproduced without the express consent of the author.