Butterflies and Moths of Rhode Island

453 Species Recorded in Rhode Island

Top 20 Species Checklist All Photographs

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Rhode Island

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Most Recent Sightings in Rhode Island

See more recent sightings in Rhode Island

Bronzed Cutworm Moth
Nephelodes minians

Observed: Sep 17, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Sep 18, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Lucerne Moth
Nomophila nearctica

Observed: Aug 20, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Oct 14, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea

Observed: Aug 19, 2024

Submitted by: CraigNev

Verified: Aug 19, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Elegant Grass-veneer
Microcrambus elegans

Observed: Aug 15, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Aug 16, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

Observed: Aug 05, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Aug 13, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

American Idia Moth
Idia americalis

Observed: Aug 04, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Aug 13, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis angulalis

Observed: Aug 02, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Aug 13, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba

Observed: Jun 21, 2024

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Aug 13, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Orange-patched Smoky Moth
Pyromorpha dimidiata

Observed: Jun 07, 2024

Submitted by: SarahMia1019

Verified: Aug 15, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Confused Eusarca
Eusarca confusaria

Observed: Jun 07, 2024

Submitted by: SarahMia1019

Verified: Aug 14, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

Observed: Jun 06, 2024

Submitted by: stkeating

Verified: Jul 23, 2024

Verified by: jwileyrains

Details

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Observed: Sep 14, 2023

Submitted by: Lady Vine

Verified: Feb 03, 2024

Verified by: Harry Pavulaan

Details

Top 10 Commonly Reported Butterflies and Moths of Rhode Island

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis	Upperside with uneven brown, yellow, and orange pattern. Forewing with a black apical patch, a small white spot in the orange field below the patch, and a white bar at the leading edge of the forewing. Underside of hindwing with two large eyespots. Winter form is smaller and paler, summer form larger with brighter coloring.
Sachem Atalopedes campestris	Upperside of male is yellow-orange with a wide brown border and a large squarish black stigma. Female upperside varies from yellow-brown to very dark brown, but always has a square transparent white spot at the end of the forewing cell. Underside of female hindwing is brown with nearly square cream or white spots.
Zabulon Skipper Poanes zabulon	Male black borders and no stigma. Underside of hindwing is mostly yellow with a dark brown wingbase and outer margin. Female: Upperside is purple-brown with pale yellow spots; underside of hindwing is brown and purple-gray with a white-edged costal margin.
Red-banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops	Two tails on the hindwing. Upperside brown, hindwing blue. Underside gray-brown with white postmedian line edged with red-orange.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus	Male is yellow with dark tiger stripes. Female has 2 forms: one yellow like the male and the other black with shadows of dark stripes. Hindwing of both female forms has a row of striking blue chevrons and an iridescent blue wash over parts of the interior hindwing. The upperside hindwing has a prominent orange marginal spot that is generally larger than the row of pale marginal spots. On the underside of forewing of spring individuals the row of marginal spots may be merged into a continuous band, thus appearing similar to the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes	Upper surface of wings mostly black; on inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. Male has yellow band near edge of wings; female has row of yellow spots. Female hindwing with iridescent blue band. In the Southwest, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies P. coloro.
Spicebush Swallowtail Papilio troilus	Upper surface of forewing is mostly black with ivory spots along margin. Upper surface of hindwing has orange spot on costal margin and sheen of bluish (female) or bluish-green (male) scales. Underside of hindwing with pale green marginal spots.
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme	Quite variable. Upperside of male yellow with orange overlay, yellow veins, wide black border, and dark black cell spot. Female yellow or white with irregular black border surrounding light spots. Underside hindwing spot silver with 2 concentric dark rings, and a spot above it.
Monarch Danaus plexippus	Upperside of male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins; hindwing has a patch of scent scales. Upperside of female is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a Mullerian mimic; it has similar coloration and is also distasteful.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa	Short projections on both wings, borders irregular. Upperside is purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots at the inner edge of the border.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

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453 Species Recorded in Rhode Island

Featured Species

Hemaris thysbe

100 Most Recent Sightings in Rhode Island

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Most Recent Sightings in Rhode Island

Bronzed Cutworm Moth
Nephelodes minians

Lucerne Moth
Nomophila nearctica

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea

Elegant Grass-veneer
Microcrambus elegans

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

American Idia Moth
Idia americalis

Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis angulalis

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba

Orange-patched Smoky Moth
Pyromorpha dimidiata

Confused Eusarca
Eusarca confusaria

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths of Rhode Island

453 Species Recorded in Rhode Island

Featured Species

100 Most Recent Sightings in Rhode Island

Please donate!

Advertise with us!

Most Recent Sightings in Rhode Island

Bronzed Cutworm MothNephelodes minians

Lucerne MothNomophila nearctica

Ailanthus Webworm MothAtteva aurea

Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans

Gray HairstreakStrymon melinus

American Idia MothIdia americalis

Dark-spotted Palthis MothPalthis angulalis

European Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronuba

Orange-patched Smoky MothPyromorpha dimidiata

Confused EusarcaEusarca confusaria

Polyphemus mothAntheraea polyphemus

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

American LadyVanessa virginiensis

SachemAtalopedes campestris

Zabulon SkipperPoanes zabulon

Red-banded HairstreakCalycopis cecrops

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Spicebush SwallowtailPapilio troilus

Orange SulphurColias eurytheme

MonarchDanaus plexippus

Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa

Bronzed Cutworm Moth
Nephelodes minians

Lucerne Moth
Nomophila nearctica

Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Atteva aurea

Elegant Grass-veneer
Microcrambus elegans

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus

American Idia Moth
Idia americalis

Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
Palthis angulalis

European Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba

Orange-patched Smoky Moth
Pyromorpha dimidiata

Confused Eusarca
Eusarca confusaria

Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Sachem
Atalopedes campestris

Zabulon Skipper
Poanes zabulon

Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus

Orange Sulphur
Colias eurytheme

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa