List of Butterflies in Arizona

The following list of butterflies are found in Arizona. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Arizona 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)
Black-patched Cracker (Hamadryas atlantis)
Blackened Bluewing (Myscelia cyananthe)
Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)

Emperors (Apaturinae)
Dusky Emperor (Asterocampa idyja)
Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
Silver Emperor (Doxocopa laure)
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Isabella’s Heliconian (Eueides isabella)
Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia)
Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
Nokomis Fritillary (Speyeria nokomis)
Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)

Milkweed Butterflies (Danainae)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)
Soldier (Danaus eresimus)

Snouts (Libytheinae)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada)
Elf (Microtia elva)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
Fulvia Checkerspot (Thessalia fulvia)
Graphic Crescent (Phyciodes graphica)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
Painted Crescent (Phyciodes picta)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Red-spotted Patch (Chlosyne marina)
Rosita Patch (Chlosyne rosita)
Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)
Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)

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Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astyalus)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Ornythion Swallowtail (Papilio ornythion)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas)
Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades)
Three-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio pilumnus)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
White-dotted Cattleheart (Parides alopius)

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.