Minnesota is home to hundreds of beautiful butterfly species. From the iconic Monarch to the massive Eastern Giant Swallowtail there are many types of butterflies to see in the Land of 10000 Lakes.
In this guide, we will explore 35 of the most common and recognizable butterflies found in Minnesota. Whether you are exploring open fields and meadows, strolling through backyard gardens, or hiking shady forest trails, keep an eye out for these winged beauties!
1. Monarch
The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is Minnesota’s state butterfly for good reason – it is widespread and easily recognized by its bright orange wings with black veins and white spots. Monarchs migrate south for the winter and return to Minnesota each spring to breed Look for them wherever milkweed grows
2. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is a large butterfly with yellow wings and bold black tiger stripes. Look for them in parks, gardens, and other open, sunny areas. Their caterpillars are green with two black, harmless “eyes” on their heads.
3. Painted Lady
Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) are orange-pink with intricate black and white patterns. These migratory butterflies occasionally have major population surges, so numbers vary widely from year to year. They frequent open fields and will visit backyard gardens.
4. Red Admiral
Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) have velvety black wings with bright red-orange bands. Watch for their fluttering, erratic flight pattern near woodland edges and in yards where they stop to sip tree sap and rotting fruit.
5. Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is a dark purplish-black butterfly with a bright yellow border. This species overwinters as an adult and is often the earliest butterfly seen in spring when snow is still on the ground. Find them in woodlands and forest edges.
6. Pearl Crescent
The small Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) has predominantly orange wings with a “lacy” black pattern. Look for them fluttering low to the ground in sunny fields, meadows, marshes, and backyards. They are attracted to asters and other flowering plants.
7. Red-spotted Purple
The iridescent Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) is a large, spectacular butterfly found near forests. Its wings are a striking blue-black with red-orange spots near the margins. Adults feed on sap, rotting fruit, and dung.
8. Viceroy
The Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) closely mimics the Monarch but can be distinguished by a black line crossing the lower wings. Viceroys frequent open areas near willow, cottonwood, and aspen trees which their caterpillars rely on.
9. Cabbage White
The small Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) has white wings with black tips and one or two black dots. True to their name, these butterflies lay eggs on cabbage and other garden vegetables where their green, worm-like caterpillars feed.
10. Orange Sulphur
Orange Sulphurs (Colias eurytheme) are medium-sized, bright orange butterflies that swarm over open fields in summer. Watch for their fast, erratic flight as they move between alfalfa, clover, vetch and other host plants.
11. Clouded Sulphur
The pale yellow Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) has the same jagged flight pattern as Orange Sulphurs but lacks orange tones. Look for them just about anywhere there are open, sunny areas with flowering plants.
12. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtails have bold yellow and black striping. Females may be yellow or black, mimicking the dark colors of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail. Minnesota’s largest butterfly, with a wingspan over 5 inches, making it easy to spot.
13. Eastern Black Swallowtail
The Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) has wings of black with rows of yellow dots. The caterpillars are green with black bands and yellow spots. Adults visit gardens to sip nectar alongside their lookalike cousins, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.
14. Great Spangled Fritillary
The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) has orange wings intricately patterned with black lines and spots. Find them in large numbers in fields of violets – the caterpillar’s sole host plant. Adults visit a wide variety of flowers.
15. Common Wood-Nymph
As their name implies, Common Wood-Nymphs (Cercyonis pegala) frequent the dappled sunlight of forest edges and trails. These medium-sized butterflies are various shades of golden brown and black with prominent eyespots on the wings.
16. Red Admiral
Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) are a familiar sight in Minnesota. Watch for them and their distinctive orange bands and white spots fluttering along woodland paths from spring through fall as they stop to sip tree sap.
17. Question Mark
Question Marks (Polygonia interrogationis) get their name from the faint silvery “question mark” on the underside of their wings. Their ragged edges and mottled brown coloring help them disappear into tree bark. Look for them along forested streambanks.
18. Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti) has wings of burnt orange, yellow, and black. This woodland butterfly drinks tree sap, overwinters as an adult, and is often spotted on sunny days even with snow on the ground.
19. Peck’s Skipper
Tiny Peck’s Skippers (Polites peckius) have orange forewings and brown hindwings, both with yellow spots. Watch for their rapid, skipping flight over grassy areas from midsummer into fall when they visit flowers like thistles and ironweed.
20. Cabbage White
The small Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) has predominantly white wings with one or two black dots. They are found just about everywhere in Minnesota and lay eggs on cabbage and other garden vegetables where the green caterpillars feed.
21. American Lady
American Ladies (Vanessa virginiensis) are brightly colored in russet orange with black spots and white and blue bands on the wing edges. Their favorite habitat is along roadsides, fields, and other open areas with flowers.
22. Painted Lady
Keep an eye out for Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) and their pink-orange wings intricately patterned with black and white. They migrate through Minnesota in varying numbers, sometimes suddenly appearing in huge influxes.
23. Clouded Sulphur
Pale yellow Clouded Sulphurs (Colias philodice) seem to be everywhere in Minnesota in summer! Look for them fluttering erratically over meadows and grassy roadsides as they move between clover, alfalfa and other host plants.
24. Black Swallowtail
The Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) is named for its dark wings with bands of iridescent blue spots and yellow dots. The plump, green caterpillars have black and yellow bands and are sometimes found in gardens feeding on carrots and parsley.
25. Cabbage White
Small white Cabbage Whites (Pieris rapae) flit around just about everywhere in Minnesota, living up to their name by laying eggs on cabbage and other vegetables where the green, worm-like caterpillars feed.
26. Red-Spotted Purple
Red-spotted Purples (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) are a stunning iridescent blue-black with orange spots along the edges that stand out against the dark wings. Look for them patrolling forests and skimming over streams.
27. Orange Sulphur
Orange Sulphurs (Colias eurytheme) are hard to miss with their bold yellow-orange coloring. Watch for them bobbing and weaving erratically through fields and meadows as they move between host plants like alfalfa and vetch.
28. Gray Comma
The Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) is named for the jagged gray outline of its wings. This small, mostly brown butterfly can be spotted along wooded trails, streams, and in backyards, especially on rotting fruits, tree sap, and animal droppings.
29. Compton Tortoiseshell
The Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum) flies early in the season, even when snow is still on the ground. Look for its wings of mottled orange, yellow, and black with blue and red spots near wetlands, forests, and willow thickets.
30. Eastern Comma
Eastern Commas (Polygonia comma) are small orange and black butterflies named for the jagged outline of their wings. They overwinter as adults, often tucked into tree hollows, and are one of the earliest butterflies on the wing in spring.
31. Least Skipper
Tiny Least Skippers (Ancyloxypha numitor) have dark brown wings brightly marked with orange patches. Look for them zipping and zig-zagging low over marshes and wet fields where grasses grow that their caterpillars use as hosts.
32. Silver-spotted Skipper
Silver-spotted Skippers (Epargyreus clarus) are larger skippers with dark wings marked by a prominent silver patch. They are drawn to mud, sap, fruit, and other food sources often found along trails in woodland openings and sunny field edges.
33. Common Checkered-Skipper
Checkered-Skippers (Pyrgus communis) are named for their unique checkerboard wing pattern. These small brown butterflies with orange patches on the forewings frequent roadsides, fields, and other open, sunny sites where their caterpillars feed on mallows.
34. Eastern Tailed-Blue
Male Eastern Tailed-Blues have brilliant blue upper wings; females are grayish-brown. Look for these tiny butterflies no bigger than a thumbnail dancing through the air in fields and gardens where they lay eggs on legume host plants like clover and alfalfa.
35. Monarch
No list of Minnesota’s butterflies would be complete without the Monarch! Watch for these iconic beauties with orange and black wings gliding over meadows and perching on milkweed plants, their caterpillar’s only food source, from spring through fall.
The diversity of butterfly species found across Minnesota is amazing. Watching their beauty and interesting behaviors as they flutter through backyards and natural areas is a treat for nature lovers of all ages. Use this guide to help identify the next butterfly that crosses your path!
Will you help Minnesota’s pollinators, including monarch butterflies?
Yes! I want to become a supporter and help restore more pollinator prairies in Minnesota.
Get Your Free Gift!
Submit your name and email below for instant access. Your Name
Butterfly House Minnesota State Fair! Live Butterflies Flying & Landing On Me! Great Attraction!
FAQ
What is the most common butterfly in Minnesota?
Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) – These charismatic butterflies are famous for their migrations across the Americas. Their northward migration brings them to southern Minnesota beginning in May, but large populations don’t gather until September. In the Arb, they are most common during July and August.
Is it good to have butterflies in your yard?
Butterflies are great for your garden as they are attracted to bright flowers and need to feed on nectar. When they do this their bodies collect pollen and carry it to other plants. This helps fruits, vegetables and flowers to produce new seeds.
What is the largest butterfly in Minnesota?
Eastern giant swallowtail is a large swallowtail butterfly. It is the largest butterfly in North America north of Mexico. Adults have a wingspan of 4″ to 6¼″.
Are monarch butterflies in Minnesota yet?
Monarchs are found throughout Minnesota and live in fields and parks where milkweed and native plants are common.