There are 57 species of butterflies you can find in Bristol County, Rhode Island. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Bristol County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Bristol County, Rhode Island
‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple
The Astyanax red-spotted purple butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2-1/2 inches. The butterfly is mostly light purple, with a few red spots on the wings. The butterfly is found in open forests and woodlands, and is usually seen flying around during the day.
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about three inches. The wings are a bright yellow with black markings. The American Lady butterfly is found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Aphrodite Fritillary
Aphrodite Fritillary butterflies are brightly colored butterflies that can be found in open, sunny areas such as meadows, fields, and forests. They are often seen flitting around flowers and are attracted to nectar.
Baltimore Checkerspot
A Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly is a patterned white and black butterfly with a black border around each wing. They live in open, sunny areas such as meadows and fields.
Common Ringlet
The Common Ringlet butterfly is a small butterfly that is found in the summertime in forests. They are typically a light brown or tan color and have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches.
Common Wood-Nymph
A Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly that is usually tan or light brown in color. They are usually found in open, rural areas or near wooded areas.
Compton Tortoiseshell
The Compton Tortoiseshell butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a brown and yellow body. The butterfly is found in open areas, such as grasslands, scrub, and prairies.
Gray Comma
The Gray Comma butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is a small butterfly found in North America. It is a gray butterfly with a white comma on its wing. The butterfly is found in wooded areas, meadows, and gardens.
Great Spangled Fritillary
The Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in the eastern United States. They are mostly found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Little Wood-Satyr
The Little Wood-Satyr butterfly is a small, brown butterfly that frequents wooded areas.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterflies are small, delicate creatures with a dark brown or black body and light brown wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Monarch
A Monarch butterfly looks like a bright yellow and black butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They live in warm climates and are usually found near flowers. Monarchs are the only butterfly that migrates long distances, flying up to 5,000 miles from the north to the south.
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak butterfly is a small, black and orange butterfly that typically rests on tree branches or flowers. They are attracted to light and can be found in open habitats such as fields and forests.
Painted Lady
The Painted Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright orange and black wings. They are usually seen at dusk and in the morning. They are usually found in open areas near water.
Pearl Crescent
The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the tropics. It has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches and is mostly white with a few brown spots. It lives in warm, humid areas such as rainforests orchards.
Question Mark
A Question Mark butterfly has a black body with a white spot on the front of its wings. They are found in open spaces such as meadows, fields, and gardens, and are attracted to flying insects.
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red body, black wings and a yellow tail. They are found throughout the eastern United States, in regions such as the Appalachian Mountains and the Midwest. They prefer warm and sunny areas, and are often seen feeding on nectar from flowers.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
The Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly looks like a large, colorful butterfly with red spots on its wings. They are commonly found in open, sunny areas with plenty of trees and flowers.
Regal Fritillary
The Regal Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright yellow and orange wings. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields and meadows.
Silver-bordered Fritillary
The Silver-bordered Fritillary butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and woods. They are attracted to flowers, especially aster and goldenrod, but will also feed on nectar from other plants. They are usually seen flying around in groups and are active during the day.
Silvery Checkerspot
The Silvery Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in the United States and parts of Canada. They are mostly found in open areas with lots of sunlight, such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Bristol County, Rhode Island
Acadian Hairstreak
A Acadian Hairstreak butterfly is typically a beautiful orange and white butterfly with black spots on its wings. They are found in moist woodlands and along riverbanks.
American Copper
The American Copper butterfly is a beautiful insect with dark brown wings and a bright copper color on the wings. They are found in open habitats, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies are beautiful and colorful creatures. They have blue wings with white stripes and tails. They live in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Gray Hairstreak
The Gray Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a gray body and wings. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and woodlands.
Juniper Hairstreak
The Juniper Hairstreak butterfly is a small, brown and black butterfly with a bright yellow patch on its hindwing. It is found in the eastern United States and parts of Canada. The Juniper Hairstreak butterfly prefers open, sunny areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, gardens, and fields.
Red-banded Hairstreak
A Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly has a reddish brown body with a white band across the middle of the abdomen. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and prairies.
Spring Azure
A Spring Azure butterfly has a blue body with a white border along the wings. The butterflies frequent open areas, such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to nectar sources.
Striped Hairstreak
A Striped Hairstreak butterfly is typically a dark brown or black butterfly with a stripe down the middle of its wings. They are usually found in open areas such as fields, gardens, and meadows, but can also be found in urban areas. They are particularly fond of flowers, and spend a lot of time flitting around looking for nectar.
Summer Azure
The Summer Azure butterfly has a blue and white wingspan. They are found in meadows and fields during the summer.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Bristol County, Rhode Island
Black Swallowtail
The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a brightly colored butterfly with a long tail. They are found in open areas, such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a black and yellow pattern on its wings. They live in open areas such as fields and meadows, and are usually found near water.
Pipevine Swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful, colorful butterfly with long wings. They are found in warm, dry areas such as deserts and chaparral.
Spicebush Swallowtail
The Spicebush Swallowtail is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. They are common in open forests, but can also be found in parks and gardens. They are active during the day and often fly low to the ground.
Skipper Butterflies in Bristol County, Rhode Island
Broad-winged Skipper
Broad-winged Skippers are beautiful butterflies that can be found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and forests. They are active during the daytime, flying around looking for food.
Cobweb Skipper
The Cobweb Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful insect that typically rests on a leaf with its wings closed. They are most commonly found in deciduous and mixed forests.
Delaware Skipper
The Delaware Skipper butterfly has a light brown body with a black band across the wings. The butterfly is found in forests and meadows near streams and rivers.
Dun Skipper
A Dun Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about one inch. It is a brown and black butterfly with a white spot on the front of its wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Dusted Skipper
The Dusted Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a white band across its wings. It is found in the eastern United States, from Virginia to Maine, and west to Texas. It prefers open, sunny areas with plenty of flowers.
European Skipper
The European Skipper butterfly is typically a black and white butterfly with a blue-green background. They typically live in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to flowers.
Hobomok Skipper
The Hobomok Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that frequents open, sunny areas such as meadows and fields. They are attracted to nectar sources such as milkweed, but also enjoy flowers such as dandelions.
Horace’s Duskywing
The Horace’s Duskywing butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly that is mostly black with a dusky stripe down its side. They are found in open spaces, such as meadows and woodlands, and are most active at night.
Indian Skipper
The Indian Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a bright orange wings with black markings. It lives in open areas with fresh water sources, such as rivers and lakes.
Least Skipper
The Least Skipper butterfly is a small brown butterfly that is typically found near water. They are typically found near deciduous trees and shrubs.
Little Glassywing
The Little Glassywing butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with translucent wings. They are often found near water sources, such as streams and ponds. They are common in the eastern United States and Canada.
Long Dash
The Long Dash butterfly has a wingspan of up to 2 1/2 inches. It is a metallic blue with a white stripe running the length of its wings. They are found in open habitats, such as fields and meadows, as well as in forests.
Mottled Duskywing
The Mottled Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in many habitats across North America. They are usually found in deciduous and mixed forests, as well as in open areas near bodies of water.
Northern Broken-Dash
Northern Broken-Dash butterflies look like brightly-colored butterflies with broken-dash patterns on their wings. They live in open, grassy areas with lots of flowers.
Peck’s Skipper
The Peck’s Skipper butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a bright yellow and black wings. They are found in temperate regions of North America, and prefer open, sunny areas with plenty of flowers.
Persius Duskywing
A Persius Duskywing butterfly is a black and brown butterfly with a white band across the front of its wings. They live in wet areas, such as marshes and streams, and are common in the eastern US.
Silver-spotted Skipper
A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly looks like a small, delicate butterfly with colorful spots on its wings. They live in open habitats, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with dark brown wings and a narrow yellow band along each edge. They are commonly found in open, grassy areas, such as meadows, fields, and along the edges of woods.
Zabulon Skipper
The Zabulon Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a black band across its hind wings. They are found in open woodland and gardens, where they feed on nectar from flowering plants.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Bristol County, Rhode Island
Cabbage White
The Cabbage White butterfly is a delicate looking butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. The wings are a light blue color with a white band running along the middle. The butterflies are usually seen flying around flowers or other plants in the wild.
Clouded Sulphur
The Clouded Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The wings are a light blue with a cloudy effect. The butterfly is found in open woods and meadows, and prefers to feed on nectar from flowers.
Cloudless Sulphur
A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. It is a common butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is commonly found in open areas with plenty of sunlight, such as fields, meadows, or forests.
Orange Sulphur
The Orange Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of around two inches. They are typically found in dense rainforest, but can also be found in other types of tropical rainforest. They are very active fliers and are known to be attracted to light.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Bristol County, Rhode Island. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Rhode Island? We have lists for each of the 5 counties in the state.