Cassius Blue
Photos by Ron Hambruger
Mangrove Buckeye
Giant Swallowtail
Gulf Fritillary
Butterflies of the Florida Keys
Compiled by Leigh Williams, Big Pine Key, Florida
Click to download a checklist of the Butterflies of the Florida Keys
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | CURRENT STATUS | ||
| Swallowtails | ||||
| Giant Swallowtail | Papilio cresphontes | Common | ||
| Palamedes Swallowtail | Papilio palamedes | Occasional or Stray | ||
| Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes (incl. kahli) | Occasional or Stray | ||
| Schaus’ Swallowtail | Papilio aristodemus ponceanus | Endangered | ||
| Polydamas Swallowtail | Battus polydamas | Uncommon | ||
| Bahama Swallowtail | Heraclides andraemon bonbotei | Uncommon to Rare | ||
| (Bahamian Swallowtail) | ||||
| Zebra Swallowtail | Eurytides marcellus floridensis | Rare, Occasional or Stray to upper Keys | ||
| Whites & Sulphurs | ||||
| Great Southern White | Ascia monuste | Common to Uncommon, Sporadic | ||
| Florida White | Appias drusilla | Common to Uncommon, Sporadic | ||
| Checkered White | Pontia protodice | Rare, Occasional or Stray to upper Keys | ||
| Cloudless Sulphur | Phoebis sennae | Common (Sporadic) | ||
| Orange-barred Sulphur | Phoebis philea | Common in lower Keys | ||
| Large Orange Sulphur | Phoebis agarithe | Common | ||
| Statira Sulphur | Phoebis statira | Rare, Occasional or Stray | ||
| Dainty Sulphur | Nathalis iole | Common (Sporadic) | ||
| Lyside Sulphur | Kricogonia lyside | Uncommon and Sporadic | ||
| Barred Yellow | Eurema daira | Common to Uncommon | ||
| Little Yellow | Eurema lisa | Common | ||
| Sleepy Orange | Eurema nicippe | Uncommon and Sporadic | ||
| Hairstreaks | ||||
| Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak | Strymon acis bartrami | Endangered | ||
| Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Common | ||
| Martial Scrub-Hairstreak | Strymon martialis | Common to Uncommon and Sporadic | ||
| Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak | Strymon istapa (Strymon columella) | Common to Uncommon | ||
| (Modest Hairstreak) | ||||
| Fulvous Hairstreak | Electrostrymon angelia | Common to Uncommon | ||
| Red-banded Hairstreak | Calycopis cecrops | Uncommon | ||
| Silver-banded Hairstreak | Chlorostrymon simaethis | Uncommon to Rare (declining) | ||
| (St. Christopher’s Hairstreak) | ||||
| Amethyst Hairstreak | Chlorostrymon maesites | Uncommon to Rare (sporadic) | ||
| (Maesites Hairstreak) | ||||
| Gray Ministreak | Ministrymon azia | Uncommon to Rare | ||
| (search near host: exotic lead tree) | ||||
| Brushfoots and Leafwings | ||||
| Gulf Fritillary | Agraulis vanillae | Common | ||
| Variegated Fritillary | Euptoleta claudia | Uncommon, Stray | ||
| Julia Longwing | Dryas iulia | Common to Uncommon | ||
| Zebra Longwing | Heliconius charithonia | Common (Florida’s State Butterfly) | ||
| Phaon Crescent | Phyciodes phaon | Uncommon | ||
| Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Common to Uncommon | ||
| Cuban Crescent | Anthanassa frisia | Rare | ||
| Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Uncommon and Sporadic | ||
| Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Common | ||
| Mangrove Buckeye | Junonia evarete | Common | ||
| Tropical Buckeye | Junonia genoveva | Uncommon to Rare | ||
| White Peacock | Anartia jatrophae | Common but Sporadic | ||
| Malachite | Siproeta stelenes | Uncommon and Sporadic | ||
| Ruddy Daggerwing | Marpesia petreus | Common to Uncommon | ||
| Florida Purplewing | Eunica tatila tatilista | Common in Up. Keys, Missing from Low. Keys | ||
| Dingy Purplewing | Eunica monima | Rare, Declining, possibly Extirpated from Keys | ||
| Florida Leafwing | Anaea troglodyte floridalis | Endangered, possibly Extirpated from Keys | ||
| Milkweed Butterflies | ||||
| Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Common (Sporadic) | ||
| Queen | Danaus gilippus | Common (Sporadic) | ||
| Soldier | Danaus eresimus | Uncommon, Occasional or Stray | ||
| Blues | ||||
| Cassius Blue | Leptotes cassius | Common (Abundant) | ||
| Ceraunus Blue | Hemiargus ceraunus | Common (Abundant) | ||
| Eastern Pygmy Blue | Brephidium pseudofea | Common near host glassworts/saltworts | ||
| Miami Blue | Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri | Endangered | ||
| Acacia Blue (Nickerbean Blue) | Cyclargus ammon | Rare, may be Extinct | ||
| Spreadwing Skippers | ||||
| Mangrove Skipper | Phocides pigmalion | Common | ||
| Hammock Skipper | Polygonus leo | Common | ||
| Long-tailed Skipper | Urbanus proteus | Common but Sporadic | ||
| Dorantes Longtail | Urbanus dorantes | Common but Sporadic | ||
| Florida Duskywing | Ephyriades brunnea floridensis | Common (Locally Abundant Big Pine Key) | ||
| Zarucco Duskywing | Erynnis zarucco | Rare (Declining) | ||
| White Checkered-Skipper | Pyrgus albescens | Common | ||
| Tropical Checkered-Skipper | Pyrgus oileus | Common | ||
| Grass-Skippers | ||||
| Fiery Skipper | Hylephila phyleus | Common but Sporadic | ||
| Southern Broken-Dash | Wallengrenia otho | Common but Sporadic | ||
| Sachem | Atalopedes campestris | Common but Sporadic | ||
| Three-spotted Skipper | Cymaenes tripuncta | Uncommon | ||
| Twin-spot Skipper | Oligoria maculata | Uncommon (Lower Keys pinelands) | ||
| Zestos Skipper | Epargyreus zestos zestos | Rare, possibly Extirpated from the Keys | ||
| Palatka Skipper (Keys race) | Euphyes pilatka klotsi | Uncommon | ||
| Monk Skipper | Asbolis capucinus | Common | ||
| Neamathla Skipper | Nastra neamathla | Occasional or Stray | ||
| Clouded Skipper | Lerema accius | Uncommon to Rare | ||
| Southern Skipperling | Copaeodes minimus | Uncommon, Occasional or Stray | ||
| Baracoa Skipper | Polites baracoa | Uncommon to Rare | ||
| Whirlabout | Polites vibex | Occasional or Stray | ||
| Eufala Skipper | Lerodea eufala | Uncommon (Declining in the Keys) | ||
| Brazilian Skipper | Calpodes ethlius | Rare, Occasional or Stray | ||
| (Canna Skipper) | ||||
| Obscure Skipper | Panoquina panoquinoides | Uncommon | ||
| Ocola Skipper | Panoquina ocola | Rare, Occasional or Stray | ||
| Salt Marsh Skipper | Panoquina panoquin | Rare, Occasional or Stray | ||
| Metalmarks: | ||||
| Little Metalmark | Calephelis virginiensis | Rare, may be Extirpated from the Keys | ||