Profiles Index

Life Cycle of Butterflies and Moths
Butterflies and moths, all members of the order Lepidoptera, undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages - egg, larve, pupa, and adult. In each of these four life cycle stages, the insect looks and behaves quite differently from the others.

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
The Painted Lady inhabits backyards and meadows throughout most of the world, and is the most widespread butterfly species. Schoolchildren often recognize this butterfly, as raising these butterflies is a popular science activity in elementary classrooms.

Characteristics of Butterflies and Moths, Order Lepidoptera
This article describes the characteristics of the order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths.

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus)
The Monarch butterfly, familiar to nearly everyone in North America, depends on milkweed plants for caterpillars to eat. The orange and black butterflies are best known for their seasonal migrations to and from Mexico.

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
The Black Swallowtail, one of North America’s most common butterflies, frequently visits backyard gardens. Nicknamed parsley worms, the caterpillars feed on parsley, dill, fennel, and other members of the carrot family. This article is a profile of the Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes.

Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea)
Fall webworm, a moth native to North America, produces unsightly silk tents on hardwood trees. The fall webworm larvae live communally in their tents, where they feed and grow.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum)
Eastern tent caterpillars are best recognized by their characteristic silken tents in the crotches of cherry and apple trees. These moth larvae may be confused with another spring caterpillar, the gypsy moth, or by another tent builder, the fall webworm. Get to know the eastern tent caterpillars characteristics and habits.

Bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis)
Bagworm is not a worm, but a moth whose larvae disguise themselves in bags made from bits of foliage. A native pest of North America, bagworm infests popular landscape evergreens like arborvitae and junipers.

Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
The silver-spotted skipper is a common resident of fields, meadows, parks, and gardens. With it's brown wings and quick flight from flower to flower,it's often overlooked for slower, brighter butterflies.

Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar)
The World Conservation Union ranks the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, on its list of "100 of the World's Most Invasive Alien Species." Accidentally introduced to the U.S. in the late 1860's, the gypsy moth now consumes a million acres of forest each year, on average.