Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

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Calendar

Upcoming Events

Possible 2026 BugGuide gathering in Texas?

National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Family Nymphalidae - Brush-footed Butterflies

Representative Images

Common Buckeye - Junonia coenia Viceroy larva - Limenitis arthemis Hackberry emperor - Lateral - Asterocampa celtis - male Question Mark - Polygonia interrogationis Eastern Comma Cat - Polygonia comma Northern Pearly Eye - Lethe anthedon Butterfly - Euptoieta claudia Nymphalis antiopa
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Explanation of Names

The nomenclature and arrangement of subfamilies and tribes used here, largely follows that of Wahlberg. While the names of genera and species primarily follow the Pelham Catalog.

Numbers

Worldwide about 6000 spp. in 544 genera
209 species in North America

Identification

You have to look closely at some members of this family to distinguish the six legs common to all insects. The adult butterfly's front pair of legs is modified into two small "brushes", and only four legs are used for walking around.

Print References

(1) Opler/Malikul, 'Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies'
(2) Pelham, Jonathan P., 2008, 'Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada'

Internet References

Nymphalidae Systematics Group. Checklist of North American Nymphalidae Species
Wahlberg, Niklas. The higher classification of Nymphalidae
Pelham, Jonathan P., 2012. A Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada

Works Cited

1.A Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides)
Paul A. Opler, Vichai Malikul, Roger Tory Peterson. 1992. Houghton Mifflin Company.
2.A Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada
Jonathan P. Pelham. 2008. The Lepidoptera Research Foundation, Inc.
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Nick Block, David Ferguson
Last updated 9 November, 2017 - 6:44pm

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