List of Butterflies in Kansas

The following list of butterflies are found in Kansas. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Kansas 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)
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
Common Mestra (Mestra amymone)
Florida Purplewing (Eunica tatila)
Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
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)
Banded Orange Heliconian (Dryadula phaetusa)
Edwards’ Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Isabella’s Heliconian (Eueides isabella)
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)
Tiger Mimic-Queen (Lycorea cleobaea)

Snouts (Libytheinae)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
Fulvia Checkerspot (Thessalia fulvia)
Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
Graphic Crescent (Phyciodes graphica)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Painted Crescent (Phyciodes picta)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)

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)
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Ornythion Swallowtail (Papilio ornythion)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

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.