List of Butterflies of Montana
The following list of butterflies are found in Montana. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Montana 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)
Lorquin's
Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)
Red-spotted
Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Viceroy
(Limenitis archippus)
Weidemeyer's
Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
White
Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis)
Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Alberta
Fritillary (Boloria alberta)
Aphrodite
Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
Arctic
Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
Astarte
Fritillary (Boloria astarte)
Bog
Fritillary (Boloria eunomia)
Callippe
Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
Coronis
Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Edwards'
Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
Freija
Fritillary (Boloria freija)
Frigga
Fritillary (Boloria frigga)
Great
Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis)
Great
Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Hydaspe
Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)
Meadow
Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
Mormon
Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
Northwestern
Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)
Pacific
Fritillary (Boloria epithore)
Regal
Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
Relict
Fritillary (Boloria kriemhild)
Silver-bordered
Fritillary (Boloria selene)
Variegated
Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Zerene
Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
Milkweed Butterflies (Danainae)
Monarch
(Danaus plexippus)
True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American
Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
California
Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Compton
Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Eastern
Comma (Polygonia comma)
Edith's
Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Field
Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
Gillette's
Checkerspot (Euphydryas gillettii)
Gorgone
Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
Gray
Comma (Polygonia progne)
Green
Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Hoary
Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
Milbert's
Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
Mourning
Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Mylitta
Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
Northern
Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla)
Northern
Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
Painted
Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Pale
Crescent (Phyciodes pallida)
Pearl
Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Red
Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Rockslide
Checkerspot (Chlosyne whitneyi)
Sagebrush
Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)
Satyr
Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
Silvery
Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
Tawny
Crescent (Phyciodes batesii)
Variable
Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
West
Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
Metalmarks (Riodinidae)
Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
Parnassians (Parnassiinae)
Clodius
Parnassian (Parnassius clodius)
Rocky
Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)
Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Anise
Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Black
Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Canadian
Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)
Eastern
Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Indra
Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
Old
World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Pale
Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
Two-tailed
Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
Western
Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
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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