Illinois Moths and Butterflies

              Approximately 2,000 species of butterflies and moths, members of the insect
Order Lepidoptera, are found in Illinois. Of this number, 150 species are
butterflies and 1,850 species are moths. The Lepidoptera (from the Latin
lepido for scale and ptera for wing) represent one of the largest groups of insects. It is
a very important group economically because of its association with plants. In their
caterpillar stage butterflies and moths eat plant parts and in their adult stage polli-nate
flowers. These insects are food resources for many birds, mammals, and other
arthropods. Numerous species serve as indirect indicators of habitat quality. For
example, if the plant species upon which they depend are becoming scarce, these
insects may also become fewer in number.
This poster was made possible by:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Division of Education
Illinois Natural History Survey
Illinois State Museum
Illinois Department of Transportation
Text: Everett D. Cashatt, Illinois State Museum
Michael R. Jeffords, Illinois Natural History Survey
Key Moths and butterflies are not shown in equal proportion to actual size. Photographs by Michael R. Jeffords (1 – 23) and Susan L. Post (24 & 25),
Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
1. American snout, Libytheana bachmanii (Kirtland)
2. tiger swallowtail, Pterourus glaucus (Linnaeus)
3. io moth, Automeris io (Linnaeus)
4. little wood satyr, Megisto cymela (Cramer)
5. coral hairstreak, Harkenclenus titus (Fabricius)
6. question mark, Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius)
7. spicebush swallowtail, Pterourus troilus (Linnaeus)
8. hummingbird clearwing moth, Hemaris thysbe
(Fabricius)
9. haploa moth, Haploa sp.
10. monarch, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)
11. mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus)
12. polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer)
13. cecropia moth, Hyalophora cecropia (Linnaeus)
Moth Butterfly Glossary term
1
3 4 5
2
6 7
8
13
9
10
11 12
17 18
14 15 16
25
23 24
21
22
19 20
14. yellow-collared scape moth, Cisseps fulvicollis (Hubner)
15. viceroy, Basilarchia archippus (Cramer)
16. American painted lady, Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus)
17. giant leopard moth, Ecpantheria scribonia (Stoll)
18. red-spotted purple, Basilarchia arthemus (Drury)
19. black swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes Fabricius
20. gray hairstreak, Strymon melinus Hubner
21. buckeye, Junonia coenia Hubner
22. ailanthus webworm moth, Atteva punctella (Cramer)
23. pipevine swallowtail, Battus philenor (Linnaeus)
24. luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus)
25. great spangled fritillary, Speyeria cybele (Fabricius)