List of Butterflies in Arkansas

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

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Diana (Speyeria diana)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Julia Heliconian (Dryas julia)
Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
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)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)

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Harvesters (Miletinae)

Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)

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Metalmarks (Riodinidae)

Swamp Metalmark (Calephelis muticum)

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Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Ozark Swallowtail (Papilio joanae)
Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

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Skippers (Hesperiidae)

Giant-Skippers (Megathyminae)
Yucca Giant-Skipper (Megathymus yuccae)

Spread-wing Skippers (Pyrginae)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Confusing Cloudywing (Thorybes confusis)
Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus philetas)
Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)
Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)
Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)
Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
Northern White-Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum)
Outis Skipper (Cogia outis)
Sickle-winged Skipper (Eantis tamenund)
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus)
White Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens)
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.