List of Butterflies in Washington

The following list of butterflies are found in Washington. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Washington 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)
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis)

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
Astarte Fritillary (Boloria astarte)
Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis)
Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija)
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)
Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)

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

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Edith’s Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
Hoffmann’s Checkerspot (Chlosyne hoffmanni)
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)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
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)

Parnassians (Parnassiinae)
Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius)
Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)

Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
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)

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Skippers (Hesperiidae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Pyrginae)
Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus centaureae)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Northern White-Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum)
Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius)
Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
Propertius Duskywing (Erynnis propertius)
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
Two-banded Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus ruralis)

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.