Butterflies and Moths in Colorado

Did you know that Colorado has an official State Insect? It is the Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly.

Caterpillars are the larval form of the members of this order.

This Web page butterfliesandmoths.org/ can help with identifying butterflies and moths.

Wikipedia has an article discussing the difference between moths and butterflies, at
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_between_a_butterfly_and_a_moth. The difference is not always clear.

Family Arctiidae about 11,000 species of moths
Family Coleophoridae Casebearer moths.
Family Crambidae Grass moths
Family Erebidae
Family Geometridae -- geometer moths
Family Hesperiidae - Duskywing butterflies
Family Lasiocampidae Tent caterpillars
Family Lycaenidae -- Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters
Family Lymantriidae Tussock moths
Family Noctuidae cutworms, etc
Family Nymphalidae brush-footed butterflies
Family Papilionidae Swallowtail butterflies.
Family Pieridae. A large familhy of butterflies.
Family Pterophoridae Plume moths
Family Pyralidae Snout moths
Family Sesoodae Clearwing moths
Family Sphingidae Hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms
Family Unidentified section

Family Nymphalidae - brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies

A Monarch Butterfly, 27 September 2008 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. In the fall, these butterflies migrate about 2,500 miles to Mexico to spend the winter hibernating. No other insect can do this. Those from west of the Rockies do the same thing except to southern California.

The second picture is the Monarch caterpillar. The picture was taken on 23 August 2009, at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. It was eating a leaf of a Milkweed plant, the favorite food for Monarchs.

The third picture was taken at the same place, but on 14 August 2011. This one is only about 6mm long, quite young. It was on a Milkweed plant.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Danainae
Tribe: Danaini
Genus: Danaus
Species: D. plexippus


Another Monarch Butterfly, July 3, 2016 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center.


A medium sized butterfly, seen on 12 October 2008 around my Marigold flowers. This one is the Painted Lady, species Vanessa cardui.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Tribe: Nymphalini
Genus: Vanessa
Species: cardui

This one, found on 3 July 2012 in Cripple Creek, Teller County, CO is another Painted Lady.

Another Painted Lady, this one found near Cripple Creek, Colorado at more than 9,000 feet altitude. September 9, 2016.
A large number of these have visited my Marigold patch on the 1st and 2nd of October, 2017. They must be on a migration, and arrive here in early October.

Another butterfly in the Vanessa genus, this one the Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta. This one was found on 26 June 2009 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center, feeding on a Milkweed plant.

The second picture was taken in the same place, but on 26 July 2010.


This is a Queen butterfly, and is often found on milkweek plants. This one was photographed on 4 July 2010 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center in Fountain, Colorado.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Danainae
Tribe: Danaini
Genus: Danaus
Species: D. gilippus

This is a Mourning Cloak butterfly, photo taken by Alyssa Erickson in June 2009. It looks a little beaten up.

The second and third photos show the caterpillar stage of this butterfly. It is a fairly large caterpillar, about 1 3/4" long. It is sometimes known as a Spiney Elm caterpillar. It was found on 27 June 2009 on the back of my house in Colorado Springs, CO.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Nymphalini
Genus: Nymphalis
Species: N. antiopa



Another Mourning Cloak butterfly, photo taken at Skaguay Reservoir, Teller Co., CO 14 June 2012.
This one was found near Brush Hollow reservoir, in Fremont County, CO. on 17 June 2010. It is a medium sized butterfly, and seemed to prefer Canadian Thistles.

It is a Variegated Fritillary, and lives in both North and South America.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Genus: Euptoieta
Species: E. claudia


Another one, this one was found at Skaguay Reservoir, Teller County, Colorado, on 14 June 2012.
This small butterfly was seen on 31 May 2011 in the mountains near Cripple Creek, Teller county Colorado. It looks to be a close match to the butterfly above, but not quite. This one is a Pearl Crescent, same family as above, but different genus. This one is a male.

Kingdom: Animalia
Division: Rhopalocera
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Phyciodes
Species: P. tharos

This one is a Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii). It was photographed on 31 July 2010 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. It is found in western Canada and western USA.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Genus: Limenitis
Species: L. weidemeyeri


Family Pieridae -- a large family of butterflies, about 1,100 species.

This butterfly was photographed by Alyssa Erickson on 21 March 2009 on a hiking trail near Cheyenne Canyon, in El Paso Co., Colorado.

Some experts on www.Bugguide.net say: bugguide.net/node/view/260013#1265744 say this is most likely a Checkered White, Pontia protodice.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Pierinae
Tribe: Pierini
Genus: Pontia
Species: protodice (Checkered White).

A Small White, AKA Cabbage Butterfly and Cabbage White. Found on 11 July 2009 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center.

The third picture shows another one found in Cripple Creek, Teller Co., CO on 3 July 2012.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Pieridae
Tribe: Pierini
Genus: Pieris
Species: P. rapae


This is an Orange Sulphur butterfly, Colias eurytheme. It is also known as an Alfalfa Butterfly, and in its larval stage as Alfalfa Caterpillar. It was found at the Bear Creek Nature Center, Colorado Springs CO on 5 August 2010.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Colias
Species: eurytheme


Family Papilionidae -- Swallowtail butterflies.

A Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, photographed on 28 June 2009 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center, Fountain Colorado.

But when I look at pictures of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, I find that I can not tell the difference. So, this might be a Papilio glaucus. The Rocky Mountains are usually considered the dividing line, so it could be either one.

An expert on bugguide.net says that along the front range, Pueblo to Denver, the most common is the Two-tailed Swallowtail, which also looks similar. He also says that in Colorado Springs, we could also see the Pale Tiger Swallowtail, so there are four possiblities.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species: P. rutulus

This one was found at Skaguay reservoir, Teller county Colorado, on 1 July 2011. It is either a Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, or an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, or a Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail. The more I study pictures of them, the more convinced I become that I don't know which they are.
More of them, at Skaguay reservoir, Teller county Colorado, on 14 June 2012. These (and the one from a year ago, same place) match the pictures of a Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly better then the other close relatives. They tended to hang around in bunches.
A Black Swallowtail butterfly. Picture taken on 19 August 2009 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. The second picture is of another individual, taken on 7 October 2009 in Colorado Springs on my Marigold flowers.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Tribe: Papilionini
Genus: Papilio
Species: P. polyxenes



Family Lycaenidae: Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters.

From Wikipedia: The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide,[1] whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 40% of the known butterfly species.[2] The family is traditionally divided into the subfamilies of the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae) and the harvesters (Miletinae); others include the Lipteninae, Liphyrinae, Curetinae and Poritiinae.

The first and second photos are of a small butterfly seen at the parking lot of the Double Eagle casino in Cripple Creek, Teller county, Colorado on 14 June 2011. It is probably a Silvery Blue, scientific name Glaucopsyche lygdamus. These butterflies are swarming all over the Colorado mountains right now.

The third picture was taken on 15 June 2011 at Elevenmile Lake, Park county, Colorado. It shows the underside of the wing, and this matches other pictures on the internet.

The underside of the wing matches internet pictures of the Rocky Mountain Dotted Blue. The topside of the wing matches internet pictures of the Silvery Blue. So, identification is not for certain. I need to get a photo of both sides of the same individual, and then send the photo to bugguide.net/welcome.

Kingdom: Animalia
Division: Rhopalocera
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters
Tribe: Polyommatini Blues
Genus: Glaucopsyche
Species: G. lygamus




Family Hesperiidae (Skippers)


This butterfly was found at Skaguay Reservoir, Teller Co., CO on 14 June 2012. It was not more than 1 cm body length. Identification was made by the experts on www.BugGuide.com.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Tribe: Pyrgini
Genus: Erynnis (Duskywing butterflies)
Species: telemachus

An expert on www.Bugguide.net said this is one of the checkered-skippers. Found 11 July 2012 in Colorado Springs. Two individuals, the largest about 1.5 cm in body length.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae (skipper)
Genus: Pyrgus



This is a Common Checkered Checkered Skipper, Pyrgus communis, found on August 16, 2016 in Colorado Springs. The identification is by the experts at Bugguide.net. Body length is about 1.5 cm.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae (skipper)
Genus: Pyrgus
Species: communis (Common Checkered Skipper)


This is another one of the Skippers. It was identified by Andrew McKorney on www.BugGuide.net. as a Taxiles Skipper, probably a male. It was found in Colorado Springs on 18 July 2014. It is sitting on the edge of a 1x6 cedar board, so the body length is about 3/4".

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae (skippers)
Genus: Poanes
Species: Taxiles

This is a Silver-spotted skipper. It was photographed on June 29, 2016 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center, Fountain Colorado.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Tribe: Eudamini
Genus: Epargyreus
Species: E. clarus

Another Skipper, photographed on August 18, 2016 in Colorado Springs, CO. It was enjoying my Marigold flowers. This one is a female. Identification was provided by the experts at www.Bugguide.net.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Familia: Hesperiidae (Skippers)
Subfamilia: Hesperiinae
Tribus: Hesperiini
Genus: Atalopedes
Species: campestris


Another Skipper, photographed on September 18, 2016 in Colorado Springs, CO. It was also enjoying my Marigold flowers. The outside of the wings matches the previous Skipper nicely, but the inside of the wings don't match. I'm assuming that it is still the same species.



Family Sphingidae --hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms. Includes about 1200 species.

This is a White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles Lineata) and is also called the Hawk Moth and the Hummingbird Moth. It is approximately 5 cm in body length. It was found in Colorado Springs on 12 August 2010.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Hyles
Species: H. lineata


Another one, found in Colorado Springs at my back garage door on 21 August 2011. This one is 4.8 cm in body length.


This is the Achemon Sphinx moth, Eumorpha achemon. See www.silkmoths.bizland.com:80/eachemon.htm. I found it still in a cocoon in a flower bed next to my neighbor's Virginia Creeper patch. I kept it until it left the cocoon, and then took this picture (summer 2007). They prefer to dine on grape leaves, or wild grape leaves, but the Virgnia Creeper is close enough. The second picture was taken on 21 July 2008, and the third on 19 July 2009, both in Colorado Springs.

The fourth and fifth pictures were taken on 19 September 2009. It is a large and fat caterpillar, 8 cm in length, same species as the moth above. This one would be the fourth instar. It was found crawling across the floor of our garage. At this stage, they are looking for a place to pupate, usually in the ground or under leaves.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Eumorpha
Species: E. achemon





This one was found on 25 June 2010 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, somewhat hidden on a fence post. It is 2.25" in length. The good folks on www.BugGuide.net identified it for me, as a Ello Sphinx moth. This moth does normally not come as far north as Colorado.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Genus: Erinnyis
Species: E. ello


This is a Waved Sphinx moth. They are strictly nocturnal, and normally hide as dawn approaches. The small light I left on at my back garage door fooled this one. This one is medium sized, maybe 18 mm. It was found on 20 June 2010.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Bombycoidea
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Genus: Ceratomia
Species: C. undulosa


This is a Blinded Sphinx moth. It was photographed on 16 June 2012 in Colorado Springs, CO. Body length is 4cm. After being in the McDonald's Sundae lid for a while, I found some small ( 1mm ) green objects, presumably eggs. Identification was by the experts on www.Bugguide.net.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Paonias
Species: P. excaecatus


A few days after hatching. They are still taking nourishment from the eggs. The second picture has a variety of ages since hatching. They have grown horns. Once the egg has been emptied of nourishment, it is discarded.


Family Erebidae:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: The Erebidae are a family of moths, most of which were formerly classified in the family Noctuidae, plus all of the former members of the families Arctiidae and Lymantriidae[1]. This re-classification has not yet met with general consensus, and many resources and publications still follow the older classification scheme.

This is a common Idia moth. It was found 9 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 9mm in length.

Kingdom: Animalia - animals
Phylum: Arthropoda - Arthropods
Class: Insecta - Insects
Order: Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Herminiinae
Genus: Idia
Specific name: aemula

Rusty Tussock Moth. This was found on July 31, 2016, under my Blue Spruce tree in my front yard. This moth was originally native to Europe, but now is world wide.

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Erebidae
Subfamily Lymantriinae (Tussock Moths)
Tribe Orgyiini
Genus Orgyia
Species antiqua (Rusty Tussock Moth - Hodges#8308)


Family Sesiidae: Clearwing moths

At first, I thought this was a Southern Yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa. But when the experts looked at it, they said that is a female Poplar clearwing borer, one of the clearwing moths. Some call it a Cottonwood crown borer. The larva feeds on Cottonwood and Aspen trees. The scientific name is Sesia tibialis.

This one did not seem to be healthy -- it stayed still even when I got real close with the camera. It moved only when I poked it gently with a twig. But the temperature was 60 degrees at the time, and there had been a rain shower a little earlier, so maybe it was just cold. But moths are usually more tolerant of cameras than Yellowjackets. These pictures were taken on 29 July 2009 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was about 2 cm. in length.

This is another good example of how evolution works. A moth which has a genetic mutation that makes it look more like a Yellowjacket will usually live longer than another moth which looks like a moth. Many predators will avoid Yellowjackets since they are likely to sting, whereas a moth doesn't sting. So, it lives longer, and has more offspring with that same mutation. Give it millions of years, with more mutations, and the more it looks like a Yellowjacket, the more descendants it has.

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Sesioidea
Family Sesiidae (Clearwing Moths)
Subfamily Sesiinae
Genus Sesia
Species: tibialis



Family Lasiocampidae: Tent caterpillar


These Tent Caterpillars were found in Cripple Creek, Teller Co., CO behind the Double Eagle Casino on 22 May 2012. They were found on only one bush. The experts at www.bugguide.net have confirmed that these are Western Tent Caterpillars.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lasiocampidae
Subfamily: Lasiocampinae
Genus: Malacosoma
Species: californica (Western Tent caterpillar)

This Tent Caterpillar was found walking across the parking lot behind the same Double Eagle Casino on 9 June 2014, close to the bush where they were found 2 years ago. This one is 4 cm in length.


Family Noctuidae: cutworms, dagger moths, noctuid moths, owlet moths.


According to Wikipedia, this family has more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera.

This moth in the Cucullia genus, a Hooded Owlet, was found on the back wall of my house on 29 June 2009, near a small light which is on 24/7. It is about 2 cm long. It is either a Cucullia umbratica or a Cucullia antipoda. These are the names found on two different photos that look identical to this insect.

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea
Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Subfamily Cuculliinae
Genus Cucullia (Hooded Owlets)




This appears to be a moth named the Soybean Looper or Cabbage Looper, also called a Ni moth. This one was 2 cm long. Found 9 November 2008 in Colorado Springs. (This also looks just about like the Gray Looper Moth, next picture. Maybe an identification problem.)

Kingdom Animalia -- animals
Phylum Arthropoda -- arthropods
Class Insecta -- insects
Order Lepidoptera -- butterflies, moths
Family Noctuidae -- cutworms, dagger moths, noctuid moths, owlet moths
Subfamily Plusiinae
Tribe Argyrogrammatini
Genus Trichoplusia
Species Trichoplusia ni -- cabbage looper



This one is a Gray Looper Moth - Rachiplusia ou. Found in Colorado Springs on 5 July 2009.

Kingdom Animalia -- animals
Phylum Arthropoda -- arthropods
Class Insecta -- insects
Order Lepidoptera -- butterflies, moths
Family: Owlet Moths, Miller Moths (Noctuidae)
Subfamily: Plusiines (Plusiinae)
Tribe: Plusiini
Subtribe: Autoplusiina
Genus: Rachiplusia
Species: R. ou

This looks like another Gray Looper. Found in my Marigold patch on October 6, 2017.
Another moth, photographed on 11 April 2012 in Colorado Springs. About 1.5 cm body length. The experts on www.Bugguide.net identified it for me, as a Celery Looper, Hodges 8924.

The third photo is the same species, on 21 May 2012, also Colorado Springs.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Anagrapha
Species: A. falcifera




This caterpillar is an American Dagger Caterpillar. It will turn into the adult form of American Dagger Moth, named for the dagger-like markings on it's wings. It was photographed on 14 September 2009, under a large Maple tree in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was about 1.5 inches in length.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Subfamily: Acronictinae
Genus: Acronicta
Species: americana

This is an immature Army Cutworm. The picture was taken on June 4, 2008, next to the young Gladiola plant that it had cut off. The adult of this species is called a Miller Moth.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Subfamily: Noctuinae
Tribe: Agrotini
Genus: Euxoa
Species: E. auxiliaris

These are Miller Moths, Euxoa auxiliaris. In early summer, they leave the plains east of Colorado Springs and head for the mountains to escape the heat. They always stop by everyone's house in Colorado Springs for a while. Then, in late summer and early fall, they stop by again on their way back to the plains east of here. Actually, they are the army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris.
See www.extension.colostate.edu/4DMG/Pests/millers.htm.

The second picture was taken on 30 April 2009 in Elbert co., CO. I thought that this would be a little too early for them, but I guess not.


This is a Large Yellow Underwing moth, found on 24 September 2010 in Colorado Springs. Body length was at least 1".

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Noctua
Species: N. pronuba

This one is another Underwing moth, found on 6 October 2010 in Colorado Springs. It was about 1 1/4" body length. Maybe it is the Sleepy Underwing Moth, but there are many species in the same genus. The color was not as blue as this picture shows; it was more gray. The second picture shows the correct color.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Catocala
Species: C. concumbens


This is probably a Yellow-Three Spot, Apamea Helva. It was about 2.3cm long. September 3, 2008 in El Paso County, CO.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Apamea
Species: Helva

This moth is unknown, but there are some similarities to the shape and some features to the Yellow-Three Spot moth above, so it is probably in the same family.

It was found on 2 April 2011 in Colorado Springs. It was the first warm day we had, so some insects are up and about. It was 2 cm in body length.


Another small unidentified moth, found 8 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 9mm in length. It is similar to a Yellow-spotted Renia Moth, Renia flavipunctalis.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae

Another small unidentified moth, found 14 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 9mm in length. It looks a lot like the moth above, but could still be a different species. It is similar to a Renia flavipunctalis, so it is probably a member of the Noctuidae family.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae

This large moth is called the Black Witch. It has many other names in Central America and the Carribean. This one was seen in Colorado Springs, CO on 25 June 2010. It measured 5 1/4" wing tip to wing tip. They reproduce in Mexico, but are strong fliers and are sometimes seen in the Front Range area of Colorado.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Subfamily: Calpinae
Genus: Ascalapha
Species: A. odorata

This one was found on 26 June 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Body length is about 1 cm. It is a Pink-barred Pseudeustrotia. Identification provided by Corey Husic on www.bugguide.net.

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea
Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Subfamily Noctuinae (Cutworm or Dart Moths)
Tribe Pseudeustrotiini
Genus Pseudeustrotia
Species carneola (Pink-barred Pseudeustrotia - Hodges#9053

This is a Confused Dart Moth. It is about 1.3 cm in length. Found on 20 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. Identified for me by Sam Bailey on 26 November 2011.
mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=10675 .

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Feltia
Species: F. tricosa


This moth was photographed on 18 July 2013 in Colorado Springs, CO. Body length about 1cm. Bob Patterson on www.Bugguide.net identified it as a Raphia frater, The Brother.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Raphia
Species: R. frater




Family Arctiidae -- about 11,000 species of moths.

All members of this family are being reclassified into the family Erebidae, but not all reference books have been updated.

Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillars, Genus Euchaetes. At first I thought this would be the species E. egle, but that species is found in the Eastern part of the U.S.. Arizona and Texas have a different species, and this one is to be determined. It seems that several species of Euchaetes feed on the Milkweed plant.

About a dozen of these were found on one milkweed plant at the Fountain Creek Nature Center, at Fountain Colorado on 7 September 2008. None were found on other Milkweed plants.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Arctiidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Genus: Euchaetes


More of them, 20 September 2008.
Another Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Genus Euchaetes. This one was found on 14 August 2011, at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. I'm still not sure of the species, and there are some small difference between this one and the above pictures.
This caterpillar is a Spotted Tussock Moth in caterpillar form. Picture taken by Alyssa Erickson on 18 September 2012 near Colorado Springs.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Arctiidae
Genus: Lophocampa
Species: L. maculata

This Salt Marsh Moth (or Acrea Moth) was found resting on a bucket lid on 8 August 2010 in Colorado Springs. It is just over 1" in body length. The identification was provided by the experts on bugguide.net/node/view/15740

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Arctiidae
Genus: Estigmene
Species: acrea



Family Coleophoridae -- Casebearer moths

Small moth found on 30 August 2011 in Colorado Springs. It was not more than 5mm in length.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Coleophoridae
Genus: Coleophora



Family Lymantriidae -- Tussock moths

This one was found on 10 April 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. I couldn't get a clear picture when he was on the netting, so I put him in my refrigerator for a while to calm down. The rest of the pictures were taken before he had regained. He escaped as soon as he awoke.

I think that the large and fancy antenna is something that males show off with, and may not point to any one species.

The experts at bugguide.net/node/view/560830#987164 say that this is probably a White-marked Tussock moth. The pictures seem to agree nicely.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lymantriidae
Genus: Orgyia
Species: O. leucostigma




Grass moths, family Crambidae

A moth in the Agriphila genus, species unknown. It was found on 10 June 2009 in Colorado Springs. Length 1.6 cm. there are more than 20 species within this genera. (This could also be in the genus Pediasia -- some of those specimens look the same as some specimens in the Agriphila genus.) Some experts on www.BugGuide.net have placed this picture with their Crambini genus pictures.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Obtectomera
Superfamily: Pyraloidea
Family: Crambidae
Subfamily: Crambinae (Crambine Snout Moths)
Genus: Agriphila or Crambini or Pediasia


Another one, this one found on 12 July 2009. The same size as the above, and found in the same place. There seems to be some minor differences in the markings, so it is probably a different species.
Another one, this one found on 1 October 2009 in Colorado Springs. Small differences in the markings, so it is probably a closely related species.
This is a member of the genus Sod Webworm, a genus that has about 100 species in the United States alone. It was found 12 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.9 cm in length.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Obtectomera
Superfamily: Pyraloidea
Family: Crambidae
Subfamily: Crambinae
Genus: Crambus


Another small moth, found 1 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 5 mm in length. This one was identified as a Sooty-winged Chalcoela, Chalcoela iphitalis by Maury J. Heiman at www.BugGuide.com.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Chalcoela
Species: iphitalis



Family Pterophoridae -- Plume moths

A Morning Glory Plume moth, Emmelina monodactyla. The first picture was taken 17 June 2009 in Colorado Springs. The rest of the pictures were taken on 3 July 2009, and show the detail that was needed to make a good identification.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Ditrysia
Infraorder: Apoditrysia
Superfamily: Pterophoroidea
Family: Pterophoridae
Genus: Emmelina
Species: E. monodactyla



Another Plume moth, found on 4 June 2010 in Colorado Springs. The wing tips seem different than the one above. It is probably a different species or genus, but the identification has not been made yet.
Another Plume moth, found on 17 June 2010 in Colorado Springs. This one has some spots on the wings, and this may help identify it. It is probably a different species or genus, but the identification has not been made yet.

Family Pyralidae -- Pyralids

This is a Boxwood Leaftier Moth - Galasa nigrinodis, found 10 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 6 mm in length. The third picture is the same species of insect, but found on 12 July 2009. This picture shows better details of the front legs.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Pyraloidea
Family: Pyralids (Pyralidae)
Genus: Galasa
species: nigrinodis


This small moth was photographed on 29 August 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Body length would be about 7 or 8 mm if the tail were straight instead of erect. Identification is from www.bugguide.net.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pyralidae
Genus: Pyralis (Meal moth)
Species: P. farinalis



Family Geometridae, geometer moths, about 26,000 species.

A small moth found 18 June 2010 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.3 cm in length.
Sam, in Lafayette, CO, has found the same one and thinks that it might be a Lobocleta peralbata.
See www.flickr.com/photos/madcow3417/6221583605/ and that seems to be an exact match to those in www.Bugguide.net, so I am convinced.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Subfamily: Sterrhinae
Tribe: Sterrhini
Genus: Lobocleta
Species: peralbata


This one was found on 26 June 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Body length is about 1 cm. Looks very similar to the preceding moth, so I conclude that it is the same species.
A small unidentified moth, found 14 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 9mm in length. At least this one has some distinct markings, so we have a better chance of identifying it. It looks like some in the genus Heterophleps, except that most of those have 2 or 3 spots, not 4.

An expert on www.BugGuide.net thinks it is in the Geometridae family, so maybe it looks like this:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Endopterygota
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Geometroidea
Family: Geometridae


Unidentified section

A small, unidentified moth. It was about 1.3 cm long. September 3, 2008 in El Paso County, CO.



This moth is about 1.5 cm, and was found on 19 May 2009. It appears very similar to the ones shown above.

The second pictures shows another one, seems to be identical, found in Colorado Springs on 9 June 2010.


Another small unidentified moth, found 11 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.4cm in length. This is probably the same species as the moth above.

The second picture was taken on 15 August 2009, Colorado Springs.

The third picture seems to be the same species, and was taken on 20 July 2010, same location. This one was about 10mm in length. It was avoiding the rain.


A small unidentified moth, found 20 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.3 cm in length.
A small unidentified moth, found 8 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 9mm in length. The second picture is another one, found 17 July 2009.

The third picture was taken on 10 July 2010, same location, same species.



Another small unidentified moth, found 11 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.3 cm in length. It looks a lot like the moth in the picture above, except for the different color.
Another small unidentified moth, found 14 May 2010 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.7 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 16 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.5 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 16 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.5 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 16 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.5 cm in length.
Don't know what will come out of this 2 cm pupua, but I will try to keep track of it and see what happens. It is probably a moth. This picture was taken on 30 April 2010 in Colorado Springs. (I think it died -- finally threw it out)
This caterpillar was crawling on my garage floor on 24 September 2012. It was about 3cm in length. No identification has been made yet, but it would be some butterfly or moth.
Another small unidentified moth, found 2 August 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 9mm in length.

The second one was found on 20 August 2010, same place. One wing is torn.


Another small unidentified moth, found 10 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 6 mm in length.
This one resembles photos of Slug moths found on the internet, but no exact matches. It was photographed on 20 September 2009 in Colorado Springs, CO. Some photos at www.pbase.com/tmurray74/prepyralid_moths show similar moths.

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Zygaenoidea
Family Limacodidae (Slug Caterpillar Moths)

Another small unidentified moth, found 23 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 11 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.1 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 16 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is 1.1 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 19 July 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 7 August 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.5 cm in length.
Another small unidentified moth, found 5 August 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is about 1.5 cm in length. It looks a little like an owlet or looper.
Another one, same species as the above, found in Colorado Springs on 21 August 2011.
This small moth rested for two days on the back wall of my house, near a small light which was on 24/7. This picture was taken on 31 May 2009. Identification is pending.
This one was photographed on 9 July 2010 in Colorado Springs, CO. Identification is pending.
This one was found on 8 April 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. The blue areas in the picture is due to my camera. The moth didn't have any blue showing. Identification is pending.
This small moth was photographed on 17 August 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Identification is pending.
This small moth was photographed on 5 October 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Identification is pending.
This small moth was photographed on 5 October 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Identification is pending.
This moth was photographed on 13 October 2011 in Colorado Springs, CO. Identification is pending.