List of Butterflies in Nebraska

The following list of butterflies are found in Nebraska. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Nebraska 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)
Common Mestra (Mestra amymone)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Weidemeyer’s Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)

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

Longwings (Heliconiinae)
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
Edwards’ Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
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)

Snouts (Libytheinae)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
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)
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
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)
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)

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Parnassians and Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Parnassians (Parnassiinae)
Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)

Swallowtails (Papilioninae)
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)
Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
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.