Butterflies of Berrien County, Michigan

The butterflies are a somewhat artificial subgroup of the Order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) of the Class Insecta. Lepidopterists have traditionally separated butterflies (Rhopalocera) from moths (Heterocera) based largely on the club-like antennae of butterflies and the feather-like antennae of moths, a practice followed here for simplicity.

The 75 species of butterflies attributed to Berrien County represent 5 families, 15 subfamilies, and 52 genera. In the following list, an asterisk (*) denotes a species documented from the county in Sherman Moore’s (1960) A revised annotated list of the butterflies of Michigan (.pdf), while a hat (^) denotes a species attributed to the county in Butterflies and moths of North America (BMNA). Species validity, taxonomy, and nomenclature were checked against the All-Leps North American checklist:

Family Hesperiidae (skippers):

Subfamily Pyrginae (spread-wing skippers):

Achalarus lyciades, hoary edge*^

Epargyreus clarus, silver-spotted skipper*^

Erynnis brizo, sleepy duskywing*^

Erynnis icelus, dreamy duskywing^

Erynnis horatius, Horace’s duskywing*^

Erynnis juvenalis, Juvenal’s duskywing^

Pholisora catullus, common sootywing*^

Pyrgus communis, common checkered-skipper*^

Thorybes pylades, northern cloudywing^

Subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers):

Anatrytone (=Atrytone) logan, Delaware skipper^

Ancyloxypha numitor, least skipper*^

Euphyes bimacula, two-spotted skipper^

Euphyes (=Atrytone) conspicua, black dash*^

Euphyes (=Atrytone) vestries (=ruricola), dun skipper^

Hesperia leonardus, Leonard’s skipper*^

Hylephila phyleus, fiery skipper^

Poanes hobomok, Hobomok skipper^

Poanes massasoit, mulberry wing*^

Poanes zabulon, Zabulon skipper^

Poanes viator, broad-winged skipper^

Polites peckius, Peck’s skipper*^

Polites origenes, crossline skipper^

Polites themistocles, tawny-edged skipper*

Pompeius verna, little glassywing*^

Thymelicus lineola, European skipper^

Wallengrenia egeremet (=ortho), northern broken-dash*^

Family Lycaenidae (gossamer-wing butterflies):

Subfamily Lycaeninae (coppers):

Lycaena helloides, purplish copper^

Lycaena hyllus, bronze copper^

Lycaena phlaeas, American copper*^

Subfamily Theclinae (hairstreaks):

Calycopis (=Strymon) cecrops, red-banded hairstreak*^

Satyrium (=Strymon) acadica, Acadian hairstreak*^

Satyrium (=Strymon) titus, coral hairstreak*^

Strymon melinus, gray hairstreak*^

Subfamily Polyommatinae (blues):

Celastrina ladon/neglecta, spring/summer azure*^ #

Cupido (=Everes) comyntas, eastern tailed blue*^
# Listed as Lycaenopsis argiolus (=Celastrina ladon) by Moore and Celastrina neglecta by BMNA. Because of confusion about the identity and geographic limits of these two taxa, they are here treated as a species complex.

Family Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies):

Subfamily Apaturinae (emperors):

Asterocampa clyton, tawny emperor^

Subfamily Danainae (milkweed butterflies):

Danaus plexippus, monarch* ^

Subfamily Heliconiinae (fritillaries):

Boloria selene, silver-border fritillary^

Euptoieta Claudia, variegated fritillary*^

Speyeria Aphrodite, Aphrodite fritillary*^

Speyeria cybele, great spangled fritillary*^

Speyeria idalia, regal fritillary*^

Subfamily Libytheinae (snouts):

Libytheana carinenta, American snout^

Subfamily Limenitidinae (admirals and relatives):

Limenitis arthemis, red-spotted purple*^

Limenitis archippus, viceroy*^

Subfamily Nymphalinae (crescents, checkerspots, anglewings, etc.):

Aglais (=Nymphalis) milbertii, Milbert’s tortoiseshell*^

Euphydryas phaeton, Baltimore checkerspot^

Junonia (=Precis) coenia, common buckeye*^

Nymphalis antiopa, mourning cloak*^

Phyciodes tharos, pearl crescent*^

Polygonia comma, eastern comma*

Polygonia interrogationis, question mark*^

Vanessa atalanta, red admiral*^

Vanessa cardui, painted lady^

Vanessa virginiensis, American lady*^

Subfamily Satyrinae (satyrs and wood-nymphs):

Cercyonis pegala, common wood nymph*^

Megisto (=Euptychia) cymela, little wood satyr*^

Neonympha (=Euptychia) mitchellii, Mitchell’s satyr*^

Satyrodes Appalachia, Appalachian brown^

Satyrodes Eurydice, eyed brown^

Family Papilionidae (swallowtails):

Subfamily Papilioninae (swallowtails):

Battus philenor, pipevine swallowtail^

Eurytides (=Papilio) marcellus, zebra swallowtail*^

Papilio cresphontes, giant swallowtail*^

Papilio glaucus, eastern tiger swallowtail*^

Papilio polyxenes, black swallowtail*^

Papilio troilus, spicebush swallowtail*^

Family Pieridae (whites and sulphurs):

Subfamily Pierinae (whites):

Euchloe olympia, Olympia marble*^

Pieris rapae, cabbage white*^

Pontia protodice, checkered white*^

Subfamily Coliadinae (sulphurs):

Colias eurytheme, orange sulphur^

Colias philodice, clouded sulphur*^

Nathalis iole, dainty sulphur^

Pyrisitia lisa, little yellow^

Zerene (=Colias) cesonia, southern dogface*^