Insects > Butterflies > List of Butterflies of Delaware

List of Butterflies of Delaware

The following list of butterflies are found in Delaware. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Delaware the butterfly is found in. Each link also provides more information about the butterfly's identification and life history.  This will help you decide which Butterfly Nectar Plants and Butterfly Host Plants you will want to plant when you create your butterfly garden. Simply find which butterflies are in your area, grow the plants the caterpillars like to eat, and plants that adult butterflies feed on! You can prolong the butterfly's stay in your garden and draw in others by providing both the food and shelter they need.

Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Admirals and Relatives (Limenitidinae)
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)

Admirals and Relatives (Limenitidinae)
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Emperors (Apaturinae)
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Milkweed Butterflies (Danainae)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Snouts (Libytheinae)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Harvesters (Miletinae)


Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)

Skippers (Hesperiidae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Pyrginae)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Confusing Cloudywing (Thorybes confusis)
Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
Hayhurst's Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)
Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)

Courtesy of: Opler, Paul A., Harry Pavulaan, Ray E. Stanford, Michael Pogue, coordinators. 2006. 
Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Mountain Prairie Information Node.

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