List of Butterflies in Colorado

The following list of butterflies are found in Colorado. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Colorado 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)
Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)

Emperors (Apaturinae)
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)
Julia Heliconian (Dryas julia)
Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
Nokomis Fritillary (Speyeria nokomis)
Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)
Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
Relict Fritillary (Boloria kriemhild)
Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)

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)
California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Edith’s Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
Fulvia Checkerspot (Thessalia fulvia)
Gillette’s Checkerspot (Euphydryas gillettii)
Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
Graphic Crescent (Phyciodes graphica)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
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 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)
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)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas)
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.