List of Butterflies in Illinois

The following list of butterflies are found in Illinois. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Illinois 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)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

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

Leafwings (Charaxinae)
Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)
Tropical Leafwing (Anaea troglodyta)

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
Diana (Speyeria diana)
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)
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)

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

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Snouts (Libytheinae)

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Harris’ Checkerspot (Chlosyne harrisii)
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)
Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)

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Harvesters (Miletinae)

Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)

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Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

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Skippers (Hesperiidae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Pyrginae)
Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus centaureae)
Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
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.