Butterfly Checklist

Butterflies and Skippers

BUTTERFLIES OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD
Common Name	Scientific Name	Notes
	PAPILIONOIDEA
Swallowtails and Parnassians	Papilionidae
Pipevine Swallowtail	Battus philenor	rare visitor, a few instances of breeding
Black Swallowtail	Papilio polyxenes	common in gardens and fields
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	Papilio glaucus	common and widespread
Spicebush Swallowtail	Papilio Troilus	moderately common in woodland clearings
Giant Swallowtail	Papilio cresphontes	Rare vagrant/migrant, first recorded 2012
Whites and Yellows	Pieridae
Cabbage White	Pieris rapae	common and widespread; abundant in late summer and early fall
Clouded Sulphur	Colias philodice	common, especially in agricultural fields
Orange Sulphur	Colias eurytheme	common and widespread
Cloudless Sulphur	Phoebis sennae	uncommon but quite regular immigrant
Little Yellow Sulphur	Pyrisitia lisa	rare immigrant in summer; more common historically
Gossamer Wings	Lycaenidae
American Copper	Lycaena phlaeas	widespread, common to abundant
Bog Copper	Lycaena epixanthe	locally common in bogs
Red-banded Hairstreak	Calycopis cecrops	uncommon but likely becoming established: first records (2) in 2016, recorded annually in recent years.
Coral Hairstreak	Satyrium titus	locally common in old fields and edges
Edwards’ Hairstreak	Satyrium edwardsii	locally abundant near Quercus ilicifolia
Banded Hairstreak	Satyrium calanus	uncommon
Striped Hairstreak	Satyrium lipaprops	uncommon; generally moist woodland and edges
Oak Hairstreak	Satyrium favionus	unreported most years, but occasionally locally common (e.g., 2004).
Juniper Hairstreak	Callophrys gryneus	local and uncommon, closely associated with Juniperus virginiana
Brown Elfin	Callophrys augustus	locally common in open areas
Hoary Elfin	Callophrys polios	locally common near host plant, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Frosted Elfin	Callophrys irus	rare; species of Special Concern in MA
Henry's Elfin	Callophrys henrici	One record, May 2025
Eastern Pine Elfin	Callophrys niphon	common
White-M Hairstreak	Parrhasius m-album	rare and local, unreported most years
Gray Hairstreak	Strymon melinus	variably common; on Nomans Land
Eastern Tailed Blue	Everes comyntas	common; on Nomans Land
Spring Azure	Celastrina ladon	common in and near woodlands
Cherry-gall Azure	Celastrina serotina	common in and near woodlands
Summer Azure	Celastrina neglecta	uncommon
Brush-footed Butterflies	Nymphalidae
Variegated Fritillary	Euptoieta Claudia	uncommon immigrant
Great Spangled Fritillary	Speyeria cybele	historical and a few recent records; not known to breed here
Aphrodite	Speyeria Aphrodite	one record, 1936
Regal Fritillary	Speyeria idalia	formerly uncommon; extirpated by 1987
Silver-bordered Fritillary	Boloria selene	historical reports; no recent records
Meadow Fritillary	Boloria bellona	one historical record in 1934
Pearl Crescent	Phyciodes tharos	common and widespread
Baltimore	Euphydryas phaeton	locally common
Question Mark	Polygonia interrogationis	moderately common, especially in late summer
Eastern Comma	Polygonia comma	surprisingly scarce; only two recent records
Gray Comma	Polygonia progne	rare vagrant; found in 1939
Compton Tortoiseshell	Nymphalis vau-album	rare visitor; only recent record July 1999
Mourning Cloak	Nymphalis antiopa	fairly common; on Nomans Land
American Lady	Vanessa virginiensis	common; on Nomans Land
Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui	uncommon to, occasionally, fairly common visitor
Red Admiral	Vanessa atalanta	irregular migrant, sometimes very common; on Nomans Land
Common Buckeye	Junonia coenia	uncommon migrant, mostly late summer, on Nomans Land
Red-spotted Purple	Limenitis arthemis	common
Viceroy	Limenitis archippus	rare in recent years
Appalachian Brown	Satyrodes appalachia	locally common on wetland edges
Little Wood Satyr	Megisto cymela	abundant in woodland edges and clearings
Common Ringlet	Coenonympha tullia	moderately common in grassy areas
Common Wood Nymph	Cercyonis pegala	common to abundant; on Nomans Land
Monarch	Danaus plexippus	common and widespread; on Nomans Land
Queen	Danaus gilippus	vagrant; one record, July 8, 1934
American Snout	Libytheana carinenta	one record, September 6, 2010
Skippers	Hesperiidae
Long-tailed Skipper	Urbanus proteus	one record, 2023
Silver-spotted Skipper	Epargyreus clarus	common in gardens and open habitats
Southern Cloudywing	Thorybes bathyllus	local and uncommon
Northern Cloudywing	Thorybes pylades	local and uncommon
Dreamy Duskywing	Erynnis icelus	rare to, at best, uncommon
Sleepy Duskywing	Erynnis brizo	common in oak woods
Juvenal’s Duskywing	Erynnis juvenalis	common to abundant near oaks
Horace’s Duskywing	Erynnis horatius	rare but presumably resident
Wild Indigo Duskywing	Erynnis baptisiae	moderately common
Common Sootywing	Pholisora catullus	rare
Least Skipper	Ancyloxypha numitor	common in grassy areas; on Nomans Land
European Skipper	Thymelicus lineola	a common exotic; on Nomans Land
Fiery Skipper	Hylephila phyleus	vagrant in late summer; about a half-dozen records, some of multiple individuals
Leonard’s Skipper	Hesperia leonardus	local; uncommon in grassland; on Nomans Land
Cobweb Skipper	Hesperia metea	moderately common in grassland
Indian Skipper	Hesperia sassacus	Local, fairly common where it occurs
Peck’s Skipper	Polites peckius	common and widespread; on Nomans Land
Tawny-edged Skipper	Polites themistocles	common in open habitats
Crossline Skipper	Polites origenes	uncommon
Long Dash	Polites mystic	common; on Nomans Land
Northern Broken Dash	Wallengrenia egeremet	common
Huron Sachem	Atalopedes huron	first records 1997, now well established and often common
Hobomok Skipper	Lon hobomock	uncommon and possibly declining
Zabulon Skipper	Lon zabulon	established on the Vineyard by 2016, now common
Broad-winged Skipper	Poanes viator	uncommon
Black Dash	Euphyes conspicua	rare at best, likely extirpated; no recent records
Dun Skipper	Euphyes ruricola	abundant, our most numerous skipper
Dusted Skipper	Atrytonopsis hianna	uncommon