There are 69 species of butterflies you can find in Baltimore City, Maryland. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Baltimore City. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Baltimore City, Maryland
‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple
A ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in open areas with plenty of nectar sources. They are typically found in temperate regions, but have been spotted in a variety of locations around the world. They have a wingspan of about 2 inches.
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is a pretty butterfly with a yellow and black wings. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as gardens or parks.
American Snout
The American Snout butterfly is a small black and orange butterfly that can be found in open habitats near or in water.
Appalachian Brown
The Appalachian Brown butterfly is a small brown butterfly that is found in the Appalachian Mountains. The butterfly is usually found in areas with dense deciduous forests.
Common Buckeye
The Common Buckeye butterfly ranges from the Northeastern United States all the way to the Midwest. They are common in forests, especially around streams and ponds.
Common Wood-Nymph
A Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. They are typically light brown or tan in color and have a distinctive dark brown band across their wings. They are most commonly found near forested areas, but can be found in other areas with some amount of tree cover.
Compton Tortoiseshell
A Compton Tortoiseshell butterfly is a delicate butterfly with a colorful wingspan. They are typically found in open, grassy areas with some flowers, such as lupines, in the vicinity.
Eastern Comma
Eastern Comma butterflies are dark brown and have dark markings on their wings. They live in open, grassy areas with some trees.
Great Spangled Fritillary
The Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright blue and golden wings. They can be found in mountainous areas, meadows, and gardens.
Gulf Fritillary
The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is a small butterfly that has a blue-green wings and a yellow-orange abdomen. They are found in Florida, Texas, and some parts of the southwestern United States. They live in open and forested areas, and in areas with flowers.
Little Wood-Satyr
The Little Wood-Satyr butterfly is a small brown and black butterfly with a white band across its wingtips. They are found in mixed forests and woodlands, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Meadow Fritillary
A Meadow Fritillary butterfly is typically a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are brightly colored with a variety of patterns and shades, and they often flutter around in the air. They are found in meadows and other open areas with plenty of nectar and flowers, and they often migrate during the summer.
Monarch
The Monarch butterfly is a large and colorful butterfly. It is typically dark brown or black, with a bright yellow or orange band across its wings. Monarchs live in open country, such as meadows and farmland, and prefer areas with plenty of flowers.
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak butterfly is a large, black and white butterfly with a long tail. It is found in open habitats with plenty of flowers.
Painted Lady
A Painted Lady butterfly is a beautiful orange and black butterfly. They live in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Pearl Crescent
The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in subtropical and tropical habitats. It is typically found near water and has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The butterfly has a light brown body with a light brown and white stripe down the center of its wings.
Queen
Queen butterflies are large, colorful butterflies with a wingspan of up to 2.5 inches. They are found in the forests of North America. They are attracted to flowers, and are the main food source for many other butterflies.
Question Mark
A Question Mark butterfly has a dark brown body with a white and light brown stripe going down the middle of its wings. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowery dunes, such as meadows and prairies.
Red Admiral
A Red Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright red wings and a black body. They live in warm, tropical areas, and feed on nectar from flowers.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
The Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly is a large butterfly that is brightly colored with a red spot on each wing. The butterfly is found in open habitats, such as fields and meadows, and prefers to feed on nectar from flowers.
Silvery Checkerspot
The Silvery Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with metallic iridescence on its wings. They are common in open woodland and other areas with lots of flowers, but can also be found in urban areas. They are mainly found in the eastern United States, but have been spotted in other parts of North America.
Tawny Emperor
The Tawny Emperor butterfly has a wingspan of about 3 1/2 inches. It is a beautiful butterfly with a reddish brown body and wings. It is found in tropical areas, especially in forests.
Variegated Fritillary
Variegated Fritillary butterflies usually have a range of colors including yellow, green, blue, white and brown. They are found in meadows, forests, and gardens.
Viceroy
A Viceroy butterfly is typically a beautiful dark brown or black butterfly with a bright yellow or orange band across its wings. They are found in open habitats such as fields and meadows, but can also be found near streams and rivers.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Baltimore City, Maryland
Banded Hairstreak
A Banded Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a band of black around each wing. It is found in open areas, such as prairies, meadows, and open woods, and is often seen perched on flowers.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies are beautiful insects with blue wings and tails. They are found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Gray Hairstreak
A Gray Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is mostly gray with a white throat and wings. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Harvester
The Harvester butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is often seen flitting around in the beautiful gardens and meadows. They are very common in the United States, but they can also be found in other parts of the world. They are usually seen hovering around flower petals, drinking nectar.
Red-banded Hairstreak
The Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red band across the middle of its wings. They are found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, prairies, and meadows.
Spring Azure
A Spring Azure butterfly looks like a delicate blue and white butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch. They are found in open areas such as fields and meadows, where they are attracted to the flowers.
Summer Azure
A Summer Azure butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is usually found in warm, sunny areas. They are usually seen flying around flowers or drinking nectar.
White-M Hairstreak
A White-M Hairstreak butterfly looks like a small, delicate white butterfly with a bright blue collar around its neck. They are most commonly found in open forests and woodlands, but can also be found in gardens and other urban areas. They are usually active during the day, but can be seen flying around at night as well. The habitat of a White-M Hairstreak butterfly is generally warm and sunny.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Baltimore City, Maryland
Black Swallowtail
The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with black and orange wings. They are found in the forests of North America. They are known to visit flowers to get the nectar.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies look different in each region they inhabit. In the eastern United States, they are typically a dark brown with lighter stripes down their wings. In the southwestern United States, they are a bright golden yellow with black stripes. In the eastern Canadian provinces, they are a deep purple with black stripes. They inhabit humid areas with plenty of flowering plants, including honeysuckles, lilacs, and roses.
Giant Swallowtail
The Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of up to 3 feet. They are typically blue or black, but can also have a variety of colors and patterns. They are found in open, sunny areas, typically near running water.
Pipevine Swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields and meadows.
Spicebush Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies are small, colorful insects with long tails. They are found in warm, moist areas near trees, such as forests, gardens, and marshes.
Zebra Swallowtail
The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with black and yellow stripes on its wings. They live in tropical rainforest environments.
Skipper Butterflies in Baltimore City, Maryland
Brazilian Skipper
The Brazilian Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that frequents open areas such as fields, gardens, and meadows. They are common in South America, but have also been known to migrate to North America. They are migratory butterflies, and are known to fly long distances in search of new habitats.
Broad-winged Skipper
The Broad-winged Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in open areas such as prairies, meadows, and woodlands. They are usually seen flying around in groups.
Clouded Skipper
Clouded Skipper butterflies are best known for their striking black and white wings. They are usually found in open areas near water, such as meadows and marshes.
Common Checkered-Skipper
The Common Checkered-Skipper is a brightly-colored butterfly that is found in a variety of habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, open fields, and suburban gardens.
Common Sootywing
A Common Sootywing butterfly is typically a light brown with darker brown markings on the wings. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Crossline Skipper
The Crossline Skipper butterfly is a delicate butterfly that has a blue-green color with a white cross on its wings. The butterfly is found in open habitats with lots of flowers.
Dreamy Duskywing
A Dreamy Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in North America. They are typically a dark brown or black with a light brown or white stripe down the middle of their wings. They are found in open habitats such as meadows, woods, and fields.
Dun Skipper
The Dun Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 1/2 inches. It is a light brown color with a yellow band across the middle of the wings. It is found in open habitats, such as meadows and fields, and is most active in early morning and late afternoon.
European Skipper
A European Skipper butterfly is a small, brightly-colored butterfly that frequents open areas such as fields, meadows, and woods. They are typically seen during the morning and evening hours, and are attracted to light.
Fiery Skipper
A Fiery Skipper butterfly is typically a brightly-colored butterfly with a striking pattern on its wings. They are found in open habitats, such as meadows and fields, as well as in forested areas. They are usually seen flying close to the ground.
Hayhurst’s Scallopwing
A Hayhurst’s Scallopwing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. They are usually brown or black with a yellow or white band across their wings. They are found in the forested areas of the eastern United States.
Horace’s Duskywing
The Horace’s Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful, black and brown butterfly that prefers open habitats. They are common in North America, but can also be found in Europe.
Least Skipper
A Least Skipper butterfly is a small, black and white butterfly that is common in North America. They are found in open, grassy areas with good amounts of flowers.
Little Glassywing
The Little Glassywing butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly black, with a small amount of blue on its wings. They are found in open areas, such as fields, meadows, and forests, and are active during the day.
Long-tailed Skipper
The Long-tailed Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is a colorful insect with black markings on its wings. It is found in open grassy areas and along the edges of woods.
Ocola Skipper
The Ocola Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. It has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. The Ocola Skipper butterfly is a member of the family Nymphalidae. It is a skipper butterfly and is known for its quick flight. The Ocola Skipper butterfly prefers open spaces, such as meadows and fields, but it can also be found in forests.
Peck’s Skipper
The Peck’s Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in open, grassy areas.
Sachem
A Sachem butterfly is a beautiful, colorful butterfly found in the Northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They have a wingspan of about 2 inches (5 cm). They are attracted to flowers and are commonly seen flitting around near gardens and woodlands.
Silver-spotted Skipper
The Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. It is found in open areas, such as meadows and fields, but is also found in forests.
Southern Broken-Dash
The Southern Broken-Dash butterfly is a small, brown and white butterfly. It is found in the southern United States, where it lives in open, dry habitats.
Swarthy Skipper
A Swarthy Skipper butterfly is a dark brown butterfly that frequents open woods and meadows.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a brown and black butterfly with a yellow edge on its wings. It lives in open, grassy areas and can be found in Canada and the United States.
Wild Indigo Duskywing
The Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The wings are dusky blue with a lighter blue-violet stripe running down the center. The butterfly lives in the Appalachian Mountains and other wooded areas of the eastern United States.
Zabulon Skipper
The Zabulon Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue-green wings. They are found in open habitats such as meadows and fields.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Baltimore City, Maryland
Cabbage White
The Cabbage White butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly that usually has a white or light brown body with a small black spot near the base of each wing. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, like meadows and gardens.
Checkered White
A Checkered White butterfly is typically a beautiful butterfly, with its wings having alternating light and dark bands. It is found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Clouded Sulphur
The Clouded Sulphur butterfly is a small butterfly with a dark brown body and wings. Their habitat is the forests of North America.
Cloudless Sulphur
The Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is a delicate looking butterfly that is typically found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests. They are usually seen flitting around in search of flowers.
Little Yellow
A Little Yellow butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 1/2 inches. It is a common butterfly in eastern North America. It is usually found near water or in open fields.
Orange Sulphur
The Orange Sulphur butterfly is a small, orange and black butterfly. It is found in North America. It lives in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and can be seen flying around during the day.
Sleepy Orange
Sleepy Orange butterflies are typically seen in open areas with lots of flowers. They are usually found near streams or in other areas with plenty of water.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Baltimore City, Maryland. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Maryland? We have lists for each of the 24 counties in the state.