Butterflies of Mississippi: A Field Checklist

Bryant Mather, Eve Dingus, and Mary Stevens, Compilers

Dedicated to the Memory of Katharine Mather

Checklist prepared for publication by:

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

111 N. Jefferson Street, Jackson, MS 39211

Revised 1997

Butterfly Watching...

Butterflies are among the most fascinating and beautiful animals in the world. About 760 species occur in North America north of Mexico, and of these 147 species have been found in Mississippi. Many are quite common and may be found statewide, while others are quite rare. The Spicebush Swallowtail, the official Mississippi state butterfly, occurs throughout the state and is the most common swallowtail. Only four species are believed to be represented in Mississippi by two subspecies: the Tiger Swallowtail, the Spicebush Swallowtail, the Viceroy, and the Wood Nymph. The 151 kinds of butterflies known from Mississippi are listed below.

Many butterfly enthusiasts maintain collections of preserved butterflies. However, many people prefer to learn about butterflies by watching, photographing, or rearing them. Butterfly watching is a growing hobby in Mississippi. The checklist is provided to further the knowledge of butterflies in Mississippi for the beginner as well as the advanced butterfly watcher.

Watching butterflies is as easy as watching birds. The equipment required is simple: field glasses, camera, and a net. Most species are fairly easy to recognize by referring to the pictures in a field guide such as Butterflies East of the Great Plains by Paul Opler and George Krizek, The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies by Robert M. Pyle, or Eastern Butterflies by Paul Opler and Vichai Malikul.

Another way to enjoy butterflies is to attract them by growing nectar flowers and host plants. To do this you should learn the names of the local butterflies, their life cycles, and food preferences.

All butterflies follow the same general life cycle. The cycle begins when the adult females lay eggs. Upon hatching, the tiny caterpillars (larvae) molt 4 or 5 times before becoming a pupa (chrysalis). In this pupal stage the metamorphosis becomes complete and the adult butterfly emerges. The entire process takes from a week to a year or more.

Butterflies require different types of food for the caterpillar and adult stages. Caterpillars often require specific plants, and many butterflies lay their eggs on or near the host plants upon which the caterpillars feed. Caterpillars usually eat the leafy parts of the host plant. Unlike a caterpillar, an adult does not eat leafy material because it lacks chewing mouthparts. It does, however, suck nectar from a variety of cultivated flowers and wildflowers using its proboscis.

CHECKLIST OF BUTTERFLIES OF MISSISSIPPI

SKIPPERS (Hesperioidea)

Silver-Spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus clarus

Long-Tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus

Dorantes Skipper Urbanus dorantes dorantes

Golden-Banded Skipper Autochton cellus

Hoary Edge Achalarus lyciades

Southern Cloudy Wing Thorybes bathyllus

Northern Cloudy Wing Thorybes pylades

Confused Cloudy Wing Thorybes confusis

Scalloped Sooty Wing Staphylus hayhurstii

Sleepy Dusky Wing Erynnis brizo brizo

Juvenal's Dusky Wing Erynnis juvenalis juvenalis

Horace's Dusky Wing Erynnis horatius

Mottled Dusky Wing Erynnis martialis

Zarucco Dusky Wing Erynnis zarucco

Funerea1 Dusky Wing Erynnis funeralis

Wild Indigo Dusky Wing Erynnis baptisiae1

Checkered Skipper Pyrgus communis

Tropical Checkered Skipper Pyrgus oileus oileus

Common Sooty Wing Pholisora catullus

Swarthy Skipper Nastra lherminier

Neamathla Skipper Nastra neamathla

Clouded Skipper Lerema accius

Least Skipper Ancyloxypha numitor

Southern Skipperling Copaeodes minimus

Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus phyleus

Licinus Skipper Hesperia metea licinus

Seminole Skipper Hesperia attalus slossonae

Tawny-Edged Skipper Polites themistocles

Crossline Skipper Polites origenes origenes

Whirlabout Polites vibex vibex

Broken Dash Wallengrenia otho otho

Northern Broken Dash Wallengrenia egeremet

Little Glassywing Pompeius verna

Satchem Atalopedes campestris huron

Arogos Skipper Atrytone arogos arogos

Delaware Skipper Atrytone logan logan

Byssus Skipper Problema byssus byssus

Hobomok Skipper Poanes hobomok hobomok

Zabulon Golden Skipper Poanes zabulon

Howard's Skipper Poanes aaroni howardi2

Yehl Skipper Poanes yehl

Coastal Broad-Winged Skipper Poanes viator zizaniae

Palmetto Skipper Euphyes arpa

Palatke Skipper Euphyes pilatka

Dion Skipper Euphyes dion

Bay St. Louis Skipper Euphyes bayensis3

Dukes' Skipper Euphyes dukesi

Eastern Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris metacomet

Dusted Skipper Atrytonopsis hianna hianna

Loammi Skipper Atrytonopsis loammi

Pepper-and-Salt Skipper Amblyscirtes hegon

Lace-Winged Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes aesculapius

Carolina Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes carolina

Reversed Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes reversa

Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes vialis

Bell's Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes belli

Least Florida Skipper Amblyscirtes alternata

Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala

Twin-Spot Skipper Oligoria maculata

Brazilian Skipper Calpodes ethlius

Salt-Marsh Skipper Panoquina panoquin

Ocola Skipper Panoquina ocola

Yucca Skipper Megathymus yuccae yuccae

SWALLOWTAILS (Papilionidae)

Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor philenor

Zebra Swallowtail Eurytides marcellus

Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes asterius

Giant Swallowtail Heraclides cresphontes

Tiger Swallowtall Pterourus glaucus glaucus

Southern Tiger Swallowtail Pterourus glaucus maynardi

Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus troilus

Coastal Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus ilioneus

Palamedes Swallowtail Pterourus palamedes

SULFURS & WHITES (Pieridae)

Checkered White Pontia protodice

Cabbage Butterfiy Pieris rapae

Great Southern White Ascia monuste phileta

Falcate Orange Tip Paramidea midea midea

Clouded Sulfur Colias philodice philodice

Alfalfa Butterfly Colias eurytheme

Dog Face Zerene cesonia cesonia

Yellow Brimstone Anteos maerula4

Cloudless Sulfur Phoebis sennae eubule

Orange-Barred Sulfur Phoebis philea philea5

Barred Yellow Eurema daira daira

Mexican Sulfur Eurema mexicanum6

Little Sulfur Eurema lisa lisa

Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe

Dainty Sulfur Nathalis iole

HAIRSTREAKS, COPPERS, BLUES (Lycaenidae)

Harvester Feniseca tarquinius tarquinius

Bronze Copper Hyllolycaena hyllus

Atala Eumaeus atala florida7

Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus halesus

Mopsus Butterfly Harkenclenus titus mopsus

Falacer Hairstreak Satyrium calanus falacer

King's Hairstreak Satyrium kingi

Southern Striped Hairstreak Satyrium liparops strigosum

Red-Banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops

Dusky Blue Hairstreak Calycopis isobeon8

Olive Hairstreak Mitoura grynea grynea

Southern Brown Elfin Incisalia augustinus croesioides9

Henry's Elfln Incisalia henrici turneri

Eastern Pine Elfin Incisalia niphon niphon

Northern Hairstreak Fixsenia ontario ontario

White-M Hairstreak Parrhasius m-album

Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus melinus

Eastern Pygmy Blue Brephidium isophthalma pseudofea10

Marine Blue Leptotes marina

Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus ceraunus antibubastus

Reakirt's Blue Hemiargus isola alce

Eastern Tailed Blue Everes comyntas comyntas

Spring Azure Celastrina argiolus ladon

METALMARKS (Riodinidae)

Little Metalmark Calephelis virginiensis

SNOUTS (Libytheidae)

Eastern Snout Butterfly Libytheana bachmanii bachmanii

LONGWINGS (Heliconiidae)

Eastern Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae nigrior

Zebra Heliconius charitonius tuckeri

BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES (Nymphalidae)

Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia

Diana Speyeria diana11

Great Spangled Fritillary Speyeria cybele cybele

Meadow Fritillary Clossiana bellona bellona12

Gorgone Checkerspot Charidryas gorgone gorgone

Silvery Checkerspot Charidryas nycteis nycteis

Seminole Crescent Anthanassa texana seminole

Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon

Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos tharos

Baltimore Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae

Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis

Hop Merchant Polygonia comma

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa antiopa

American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta rubria

Mimic Hypolimnas misippus13

Buckeye Junonia coenia

White Peacock Anartia jatrophae guantanamo

Red-Spotted Purple Basilarchia arthemis astyanax

Florida Viceroy Basilarchia archippus floridensis

Watson's Viceroy Basilarchia archippus watsoni

Goatweed Butterfly Anaea andria

Hackberry Butterfly Asterocampa celtis celtis

Tawny Emperor Asterocampa clyton clyton

SATYRS & NYMPHS (Satyridae)

Pearly Eye Enodia portlandia missarkae

Northern Pearly Eye Enodia anthedon

Creole Pearly Eye Enodia creola

Appalachian Eyed Brown Satyrodes appalachia appalachia

Gemmed Satyr Cyllopsis gemma gemma

Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius

Georgia Satyr Neonympha areolata areolata

Little Wood Satyr Megisto cymela cymela

Southern Wood Nymph Cercyonis pegala abbotti

Common Wood Nymph Cercyonis pegala alope

MILKWEED BUTTERFLIES (Danaidae)

Monarch Danaus plexippus plexippus

Queen Danaus gilippus berenice

Notes:

¹Wild-Indigo Dusky Wing: One specimen known, Big Biloxi, Harrison Co., 19 Mar 1976 (M. Rickard).

²Howard's Skipper: Bay St. Louis, Hancock Co., 27­28 Sep 1992 (Jeff Slotten).

³Bay St. Louis Skipper: Known only from Bay St. Louis, Hancock Co. (R. Kergosien).

⁴Yellow Brimstone: Two specimens known, Hattiesburg, Forrest Co., Aug 1955 (L. Segars), Bay St. Louis, 25 Jul 1976 (R. Kergosien).

⁵Orange-Barred Sulfur: No specimens known. Reported as "rather common in southern sections" of Miss. (R. Hutchins, 1933).

⁶Mexican Sulfur: One specimen known, State College, Oktibbeha Co., 13 Sep 1917 (J.A. Thomas).

⁷Atala: Sight record only, Columbus, Lowndes Co., 1966 (MacDonald Fulton).

⁸Dusky Blue Hairstreak: Four specimens known, Fort Adams, Wilkinson Co., 11 Oct 1969 (B. Mather).

⁹Southern Brown Elfin: One specimen known, Tishomingo St. Pk., Tishomingo Co., 28 Mar 1953 (K. Roever).

¹⁰Eastern Pygmy Blue: Five specimens known, Freemason Is., Nov 1968 and Bay St. Louis, Hancock Co., 1968 (R. Kergosien).

¹¹Diana: One specimen known, Horn Lake, DeSoto Co., Sep 1932 (C.H. Crabill), sight record Tupelo, Lee Co., Sep 1932 (J.R. Jones).

¹²Meadow Fritillary: Grenada and Tishomingo Counties 1994­1996 (L.C.Koehn).

¹³Mimic: Sight record only, Bay St. Louis, 6 Aug 1970 (R. Kergosien).