List of Ontario Butterflies

This comprehensive list includes some species that can no longer be found in Ontario ( extirpated ), some that are irregular strays, and others that are regional rarities. I'm still working on getting photos of some of these species, especially those species that are only found in Northern Ontario.

Clicking on the underlined names will take you to the corresponding species page.

This list is based on Alan Macnaughton, Ross Layberry, Rick Cavasin, Bev Edwards and Colin Jones. Ontario Butterfly Atlas (February 2020) . Toronto Entomologists’ Association: https://www.ontarioinsects.org/atlas/index.html


Silver-spotted Skipper ( Epargyreus clarus )

Long-tailed Skipper ( Urbanus proteus ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Hoary Edge ( Achalarus lyciades ) - rare stray

Southern Cloudywing ( Thorybes bathyllus )

Northern Cloudywing ( Thorybes pylades )

Hayhurst's Scallopwing ( Staphylus hayhurstii ) - rare stray

Dreamy Duskywing ( Erynnis icelus )

Sleepy Duskywing ( Erynnis brizo )

Juvenal's Duskywing ( Erynnis juvenalis )

Horace's Duskywing ( Erynnis horatius )

Mottled Duskywing ( Erynnis martialis )

Funereal Duskywing ( Erynnis funeralis ) - rare stray

Columbine Duskywing ( Erynnis lucilius )

Wild Indigo Duskywing ( Erynnis baptisiae )

Eastern Persius Duskwing ( Erynnis persius persius ) - extirpated

Boreal Persius Duskywing ( Erynnis persius borealis )

Grizzled Skipper ( Pyrgus centaureae )

Common Checkered Skipper ( Pyrgus communis )

Common Sootywing ( Pholisora catullus )

Arctic Skipper ( Carterocephalus palaemon )

Clouded Skipper ( Lerema accius ) - rare stray

Least Skipper ( Ancyloxypha numitor )

Garita Skipperling ( Oarisma garita )

European Skipper ( Thymelicus lineola )

Fiery Skipper ( Hylephila phyleus )

Common Branded Skipper ( Hesperia comma )

Leonard's Skipper ( Hesperia leonardus )

Indian Skipper ( Hesperia sassacus )

Peck's Skipper ( Polites peckius )

Tawny-edged Skipper ( Polites themistocles )

Crossline Skipper ( Polites origenes )

Long Dash Skipper ( Polites mystic )

Whirlabout ( Polites vibex ) - rare stray

Northern Broken-Dash ( Wallengrenia egeremet )

Little Glassywing ( Pompeius verna )

Sachem ( Atalopedes campestris ) - rare stray

Delaware Skipper ( Anatrytone logan )

Mulberry Wing ( Poanes massasoit )

Hobomok Skipper ( Poanes hobomok )

Zabulon Skipper ( Poanes zabulon ) - rare stray

Broad-winged Skipper ( Poanes viator )

Dion Skipper ( Euphyes dion )

Dukes' Skipper ( Euphyes dukesi )

Black Dash ( Euphyes conspicua )

Two-spotted Skipper ( Euphyes bimacula )

Dun Skipper ( Euphyes vestris )

Dusted Skipper ( Atrytonopsis hianna )

Pepper and Salt Skipper ( Amblyscirtes hegon )

Common Roadside Skipper ( Amblyscirtes vialis )

Brazilian Skipper ( Calpodes ethlius ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Ocola Skipper ( Panoquina ocola ) - rare stray


Pipevine Swallowtail ( Battus philenor )

Zebra Swallowtail ( Eurytides marcellus ) - rare stray

Black Swallowtail ( Papilio polyxenes )

Old World Swallowtail ( Papilio machaon )

Giant Swallowtail ( Papilio cresphontes )

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ( Papilio glaucus )

Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail ( Papilio sp. )

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail ( Papilio canadensis )

Spicebush Swallowtail ( Papilio troilus )


Checkered White ( Pontia protodice ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Western White ( Pontia occidentalis )

Mustard White ( Pieris oleracea )

West Virginia White ( Pieris virginiensis )

Cabbage White ( Pieris rapae )

Great Southern White ( Ascia monuste ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Large Marble ( Euchloe ausonides )

Olympia Marble ( Euchloe olympia )

Clouded Sulphur ( Colias philodice )

Orange Sulphur ( Colias eurytheme )

Giant Sulphur ( Colias gigantea ) - northern species ( no photos yet )

Pelidne Sulphur ( Colias pelidne )

Pink-edged Sulphur ( Colias interior )

Palaeno Sulphur ( Colias palaeno ) - northern species ( no photos yet )

Southern Dogface ( Zerene cesonia ) - rare stray

Cloudless Sulphur ( Phoebis sennae ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Orange-barred Sulphur ( Phoebis philea ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Mexican Yellow ( Eurema mexicana ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Little Yellow ( Pyrisitia lisa ) - rare stray

Sleepy Orange ( Abaeis nicippe ) - rare stray

Dainty Sulphur ( Nathalis iole ) - rare stray


Harvester ( Feniseca tarquinius )

American Copper ( Lycaena phlaeas )

Gray Copper ( Lycaena dione ) - north-western species ( no photos yet )

Bronze Copper ( Lycaena hyllus )

Bog Copper ( Lycaena epixanthe )

Dorcas Copper ( Lycaena dorcas )

Purplish Copper ( Lycaena helloides )

Acadian Hairstreak ( Satyrium acadica )

Coral Hairstreak ( Satyrium titus )

Edwards' Hairstreak ( Satyrium edwardsii )

Banded Hairstreak ( Satyrium calanus )

Hickory Hairstreak ( Satyrium caryaevorus )

Striped Hairstreak ( Satyrium liparops )

Oak Hairstreak ( Satyrium favonius )

Juniper Hairstreak ( Callophrys gryneus )

Brown Elfin ( Callophrys augustinus )

Hoary Elfin ( Callophrys polios )

Frosted Elfin ( Callophrys irus ) - extirpated

Henry's Elfin ( Callophrys henrici )

Bog Elfin ( Callophrys lanoraieensis )

Eastern Pine Elfin ( Callophrys niphon )

Western Pine Elfin ( Callophrys eryphon )

White-M Hairstreak ( Parrhasius m-album ) - rare stray

Gray Hairstreak ( Strymon melinus )

Early Hairstreak ( Erora laeta )

Marine Blue ( Leptotes marina ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Eastern Tailed Blue ( Cupido comyntas )

Western Tailed Blue ( Cupido amyntula )

Spring Azure ( Celastrina ladon )

Northern Azure ( Celastrina lucia )

Summer Azure ( Celastrina neglecta )

Silvery Blue ( Glaucopsyche lygdamus )

Northern Blue ( Plebejus idas )

Melissa (Karner) Blue ( Plebejus melissa samuelis ) - extirpated ( no photos )

Greenish Blue ( Plebejus saepiolus )

Arctic Blue ( Plebejus glandon )

European Common Blue - ( Polyommatus icarus )


American Snout ( Libytheana carinenta )

Gulf Fritillary ( Agraulis vanillae ) - rare stray ( no photos )

Variegated Fritillary ( Euptoieta claudia )

Great Spangled Fritillary ( Speyeria cybele )

Aphrodite Fritillary ( Speyeria aphrodite )

Regal Fritillary ( Speyeria idalia ) - extirpated ( no photos )

Atlantis Fritillary ( Speyeria atlantis )

Bog Fritillary ( Boloria eunomia )

Silver-bordered Fritillary ( Boloria selene )

Meadow Fritillary ( Boloria bellona )

Frigga Fritillary ( Boloria frigga )

Freija Fritillary ( Boloria freija )

Arctic Fritillary ( Boloria chariclea )

Gorgone Checkerspot ( Chlosyne gorgone )

Silvery Checkerspot ( Chlosyne nycteis )

Harris's Checkerspot ( Chlosyne harrisii )

Pearl Crescent ( Phyciodes tharos )

Northern Crescent ( Phyciodes cocyta )

Tawny Crescent ( Phyciodes batesii )

Baltimore Checkerspot ( Euphydryas phaeton )

Question Mark ( Polygonia interrogationis )

Eastern Comma ( Polygonia comma )

Satyr Comma ( Polygonia satyrus )

Green Comma ( Polygonia faunus )

Hoary Comma ( Polygonia gracilis )

Gray Comma ( Polygonia progne )

Compton Tortoiseshell ( Nymphalis l-album )

Mourning Cloak ( Nymphalis antiopa )

Milbert's Tortoiseshell ( Aglais milberti )

American Lady ( Vanessa virginiensis )

Painted Lady ( Vanessa cardui )

Red Admiral ( Vanessa atalanta )

Common Buckeye ( Junonia coenia )

White Admiral ( Limenitis arthemis arthemis )

Red-spotted Purple ( Limenitis arthemis astyanax )

Viceroy ( Limenitis archippus )

Goatweed Leafwing ( Anaea andria ) - rare stray

Hackberry Emperor ( Asterocampa celtis )

Tawny Emperor ( Asterocampa clyton )

Northern Pearly-Eye ( Lethe anthedon )

Eyed Brown ( Lethe eurydice )

Appalachian Brown ( Lethe appalachia )

Little Wood-Satyr ( Megisto cymela )

Common Ringlet ( Coenonympha tullia )

Common Wood-Nymph ( Cercyonis pegala )

Taiga Alpine ( Erebia mancinus )

Red-disked Alpine ( Erebia discoidalis )

Macoun's Arctic ( Oeneis macounii )

Chryxus Arctic ( Oeneis chryxus )

Jutta Arctic ( Oeneis jutta )

Melissa Arctic ( Oeneis melissa )

Monarch ( Danaus plexippus )