The Top 37 Butterflies Commonly Found in Florida

Florida is home to over 170 species of butterflies due to its subtropical climate and diversity of habitats. I have compiled a list of the 37 most frequently seen butterflies in the Sunshine State along with tips on how to identify and attract them.

1. Gulf Fritillary

The Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) is one of the most common butterflies in Florida. Its wingspan reaches 2-4 inches and it has a brilliant orange color with black streaks on the upper wings. The Gulf Fritillary can be found in open areas like fields, parks, and woodlands. To attract it, plant passionflower vines or Lantana.

2. Zebra Longwing

With its distinctive black and yellow striped pattern the Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) is easy to identify. Its wingspan is 3-3.5 inches. Look for it in coastal woodlands where it feeds on pollen and nectar. Zebra Longwings are unique in that they can live 3 months, much longer than other butterflies.

3. Julia Heliconian

The large Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia), with wingspans over 3 inches, is mostly orange with black borders. It gets toxins from its host plants that make it distasteful to predators. Julia Heliconians prefer open, arid areas near their host plants.

4. Monarch

The iconic Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) has bright orange wings with black veins and white spots along the edges. With 3.5-4 inch wingspans, it’s one of the largest butterflies in Florida. Monarchs are migratory, traveling to Mexico for the winter.

5. Queen

Similar to the Monarch, the Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) is mostly orange with black borders and white spots. Its wingspan reaches about 3 inches. Queens gather toxins from milkweed that protect them from predators.

6. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (Papilio glaucus) are vibrant yellow with black stripes, while females are darker with blue spots on their hindwings. With wingspans of 3.5-5.5 inches, this is one of the biggest butterflies in Florida.

7. Pipevine Swallowtail

The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is black with metallic blue edges and orange spots on its underside. It has a wingspan of 2-3 inches. This species seeks out pipevine plants as hosts for its caterpillars.

8. Spicebush Swallowtail

The Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) has black wings with cream-colored spots and blue patches on its hindwings. It has a wingspan of 3-4 inches. As its name suggests, it uses spicebush as a host plant.

9. Palamedes Swallowtail

Reaching 3-4 inch wingspans, the Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) is mostly black with rows of white spots and broad white bands across the hindwings. Its caterpillar has false eyespots for defense.

10. Black Swallowtail

The Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) is black with rows of yellow spots. It has a red and blue spot on each hindwing. With a wingspan of 2.5-4 inches, its caterpillar feeds on carrots and other garden herbs.

11. Cloudless Sulfur

Reaching 2.2-2.8 inch wingspans, the Cloudless Sulfur (Phoebis sennae) is bright lemon-yellow in color. This species seeks out open, sunny areas like fields and roadsides. It does not have many markings.

12. Orange Sulphur

The Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) lives up to its name with its vivid orange hue. It has black borders and irregular spots. Its wingspan is 1.5-2.5 inches. Look for it along sunny roadsides and in meadows.

13. Sleepy Orange

True to its name, the Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) has a dull orange color. Its wingspans reach 1.5-2 inches. The Sleepy Orange prefers open and sunny areas like fields and forest edges. Its caterpillar feeds on cassia plants.

14. Dainty Sulphur

Smaller than other sulphurs, the Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) has a wingspan of only 1-1.5 inches. Its wings are yellow with black wing tips. It migrates from the North and is seen in Florida primarily in the winter.

15. Barred Yellow

The Barred Yellow (Eurema daira) has bright yellow wings with thick black borders. Its wingspan is just over 1 inch. Look for it in pastures and sandy coastal areas. It uses plants in the pea family as hosts.

16. Little Yellow

One of the smallest butterflies in Florida, the Little Yellow (Eurema lisa) has plain bright yellow wings spanning 1-1.5 inches. Females have darker blotches on their wings. This species prefers disturbed, open habitats.

17. Cassius Blue

With wingspans of .8-1.1 inches, the Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius) is mostly white with some blue and gray markings. It is heat-loving and found in southern Florida year-round. Cassius Blues use pea family plants as hosts.

18. Ceraunus Blue

The tiny Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) has brown wings with black eyespots. Its wingspan is only .8-1 inch. It mimics the eyespots of larger butterflies to deter predators. Look for it in open areas of southern Florida.

19. Gray Hairstreak

True to its name, the Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) has predominantly slate gray wings with an orange spot on its hindwings. Its wingspan is 1-1.5 inches. It does not rely on specific host plants.

20. Red-banded Hairstreak

The Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis ceraunus) has a wingspan of 1-1.25 inches. As its name suggests, it has a vivid red band with white borders across its brownish gray wings. It uses plants in the bean family as hosts.

21. White Peacock

The White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) has wingspans reaching 2.5 inches. It is patterned with orange, brown, black, and white. Very heat tolerant, it thrives in southern Florida and the Keys. It uses water hyssop as a host plant.

22. Painted Lady

Wingspans of Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) reach 1.75-2.5 inches. They have pinkish-orange wings with intricate dark brown patterns. This migratory species winters in Mexico and breeds in North America.

23. American Lady

The American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) has brilliant orange wings with contrasting brown patterns and white and purple spots. Its wingspan is 1.75-2.5 inches. It inhabits open landscapes with flowers.

24. Red Admiral

With a wingspan of 1.75-2.5 inches, the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) has velvety brown wings with reddish bands and white spots. It is the most widespread butterfly in the state. Red Admirals commonly feed on rotting fruit.

25. Common Buckeye

The Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) has prominent eyespots on its wings. Its wingspan reaches 2-2.5 inches. The coloring is brown and orange with black and blue eyespots. It prefers open, sunny habitats.

26. Variegated Fritillary

The Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) has wingspans of 1.75-2.25 inches. Its wings are shades of orange with black spots and lines. Look for it in fields, meadows, and gardens, where it feeds on flower nectar.

27. Great Southern White

Mostly white in color, the Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) has a wingspan around 2 inches. In the summer its wings are plain white, while in winter they feature some black stripes. It uses plants in the mustard family as hosts.

28. Checkered White

The Checkered White (Pontia protodice) is white with extensive dark grayish-black scales that give it a checkered look. Its wingspan is 1-2 inches. This heat-loving species prefers hot, arid climates.

29. Little Wood Satyr

With a wingspan of 1.5-1.9 inches, the Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela) has brown wings with yellow-ringed eyespots. As its name suggests, it stays low in shady wooded areas and forest clearings.

30. Monarch

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is orange with black veins and white spots along its wing edges. Its wings span 3.5-4 inches. The Monarch migrates long distances to Mexico and California for the winter.

31. Viceroy

Similar to the Monarch, the Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) has orange wings with contrasting black veins and white spots. It reaches 2.5-3.25 inches across. Unlike the Monarch, Viceroys do not migrate.

32. Gulf Fritillary

With brilliant orange wings spanning 2-4 inches, the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanilla) is a common sight. It frequents fields, parks, and other open areas. Passionflower vines attract it.

33. Zebra Longwing

The Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) has distinctive black and yellow striped wings spanning 3-3.5 inches. It lives longer than other butterflies, up to 3 months, because it eats pollen.

34. Julia Heliconian

The vivid orange Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia) gets toxins from its host plants that provide protection from predators. Its wingspan exceeds 3 inches. It prefers open, sunny areas.

35. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is yellow and black, with very large wingspans of 3.5-5.5 inches. The female is darker than the male. This species is common in gardens.

36. Queen

The mostly orange Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), spanning about 3 inches, collects toxins from milkweed that make it foul-tasting to predators. Queens frequent open areas near milkweed.

37. Cloudless Sulfur

With its bright yellow wings spanning 2.2-2.8 inches, the Cloudless Sulfur (Phoebis sennae) is a common sight in Florida. It does not have many markings on its wings.