List of Butterflies in California

The following list of butterflies are found in California. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in California 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)
Blackened Bluewing (Myscelia cyananthe)
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)

Emperors (Apaturinae)
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)
Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia)
Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
Nokomis Fritillary (Speyeria nokomis)
Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)
Pacific Fritillary (Boloria epithore)
Unsilvered Fritillary (Speyeria adiaste)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)

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

Snouts (Libytheinae)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
California Crescent (Phyciodes orseis)
California Patch (Chlosyne californica)
California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
Edith’s Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
Gabb’s Checkerspot (Chlosyne gabbii)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
Hoffmann’s Checkerspot (Chlosyne hoffmanni)
Leanira Checkerspot (Thessalia leanira)
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)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Rockslide Checkerspot (Chlosyne whitneyi)
Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)
Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)
Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas)
Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)

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Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Parnassians (Parnassiinae)
Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius)
Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)
Sierra Nevada Parnassian (Parnassius behrii)

Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas)
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.