There are 68 species of butterflies you can find in Cumberland County, Maine. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Cumberland County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Cumberland County, Maine
‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple
The Astyanax red-spotted purple butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red spot on its wing. This butterfly lives in the rainforest.
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is typically a light brown color with a dark band across the lower wings. They are found in open areas such as fields, woodlands, and gardens.
American Snout
The American Snout butterfly is a small, brown and white butterfly with a long, protruding snout. They are found in open, grassy areas with a lot of flowers, such as meadows and prairies.
Aphrodite Fritillary
Aphrodite Fritillary butterflies are typically light brown with a black border around their wings. They are found in open areas such as meadows, woods, and gardens.
Atlantis Fritillary
The Atlantis Fritillary butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually dark brown or black with a metallic sheen. They are found in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas. They are usually seen flying around flowers or drinking nectar.
Baltimore Checkerspot
The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright yellow and black wings. They are found in the eastern United States, from New York to Florida, and in the West Indies. They are attracted to flowers, and can be found in open areas with lots of flowers. Their habitat includes pine forests, oak forests, and other areas with lots of flowers.
Common Buckeye
A Common Buckeye butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests. They are also found in gardens and orchards.
Common Ringlet
The Common Ringlet butterfly is a small butterfly that is typically blue or black with a yellow or white band around its middle. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and parks.
Common Wood-Nymph
The Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually brown or black, with a white band across its wings. They live in wooded areas, and fly during the day.
Eastern Comma
Eastern Comma butterflies are medium-sized butterflies with a wingspan of about two inches. They are usually light brown with a white comma on the wing. They are found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, but are also found in woodlands.
Gray Comma
The Gray Comma butterfly is a small butterfly with a gray body and white wings. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Great Spangled Fritillary
The Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a colorful wingspan. They are often seen flitting around flowers in the wild, and can be found in open grasslands and meadows.
Green Comma
The Green Comma butterfly is typically a light green with black comma markings on its wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers and are not particularly threatened.
Harris’ Checkerspot
The Harris’ Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. It is found in the eastern United States, from Maryland to Florida. The butterfly loves to live in open areas with large expanses of green vegetation, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Little Wood-Satyr
A Little Wood-Satyr butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a long tail. They live in the forests of Europe and North America.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
A Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly is a small brown and white butterfly with a characteristic pattern of brown and white triangles on its wings. They are found in open habitats such as meadows, woods, and fields, and are common in the eastern United States.
Monarch
Monarchs are the largest butterflies in North America. They can be black, brown, or orange and have a wingspan of up to three inches. They usually feed on nectar from flowers, but they can also sip water from rivers or lakes. They live in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak butterfly is a large, black and orange butterfly that is common in open habitats such as fields and meadows.
Northern Crescent
Northern Crescent butterflies are typically a brown or black color and have pink or white hind wings. They are found in areas with a lot of open space, such as meadows and fields.
Northern Pearly-eye
Northern Pearly-eye butterflies are colorful, and have a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are found in open areas, such as meadows and fields, and may fly low to the ground. They lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and the larvae eat the leaves and flowers.
Painted Lady
A Painted Lady butterfly is a striking, colorful butterfly. They are often seen flitting around flowers in gardens or fields. They are usually found in open, sunny areas.
Pearl Crescent
The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a white band across its wings. It lives in warm, tropical climates and is most commonly found near water.
Question Mark
The Question Mark butterfly is a light brown and black butterfly that frequents open areas such as prairies, meadows, and pastures.
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. The butterfly’s wings are a bright red, and they have a black and yellow band across the middle of each wing. The butterfly lives in tropical forests, and its larvae feed on flower nectar.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
A Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with distinctive red spots on the wings. They live in temperate and tropical climates, and prefer open areas with plenty of nectar sources.
Regal Fritillary
A Regal Fritillary butterfly has a bright green and black body with an orange-red abdomen. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, woodlands, and gardens.
Silver-bordered Fritillary
The Silver-bordered Fritillary butterfly is a striking butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. They are found in open country, such as meadows and pastures, and are attracted to flower nectar.
Silvery Checkerspot
The Silvery Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. The habitat of a Silvery Checkerspot butterfly is open, sunny areas with plenty of nectar sources.
Variegated Fritillary
A Variegated Fritillary butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches and is light green on top with darker green and yellow markings. They live in open areas such as meadows and prairies, and are attracted to flowers.
Viceroy
The Viceroy butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of up to two inches. The wings are a rich brown with a cream-colored border. They are found in warm, moist habitats, including rainforests, deciduous forests, and gardens.
White Admiral
A White Admiral butterfly mostly has a light brown and white wingspan with black markings. They are commonly found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens. They are also known to inhabit coastal areas and can be found flying close to the water.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Cumberland County, Maine
American Copper
The American Copper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is a member of the Lycaenidae family and can be found in many parts of North America, including the east coast. American Copper butterflies prefer open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows and fields. They are also known to inhabit areas near streams and ponds.
Banded Hairstreak
The Banded Hairstreak butterfly is a colorful butterfly with a band of brown and black around each wing. They prefer shady areas with plenty of flowering plants, but can be found in other areas of the garden as well. They are usually found in open areas near water, but can also be found in forests.
Bog Copper
The Bog Copper butterfly is a large, brown butterfly with a distinctive copper coloration on the wings. They are found in deciduous and mixed forests in the eastern US and Canada, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Coral Hairstreak
The Coral Hairstreak is a small butterfly that is usually seen flitting about near flowers. It has a brightly coloured body and wings, and is often seen perched on flower petals. The habitat of the Coral Hairstreak butterfly is typically near water, where it can find nectar and pollen.
Eastern Pine Elfin
Eastern Pine Elfin butterflies are small and brightly colored. They have a wingspan of about one inch. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and marshes.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies are typically a light blue with a bright yellow tail. They are mainly found in open, sunny areas such as gardens and parks.
Gray Hairstreak
A Gray Hairstreak butterfly looks like a delicate, gray-and-white butterfly with long, narrow wings. They inhabit open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Harvester
A Harvester butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is mostly black with a white band across the wings. It prefers open, sunny areas, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Silvery Blue
The Silvery Blue butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue and silver wings. They live in open areas with plenty of flowers such as ragweed, honeysuckle, and aster.
Summer Azure
The Summer Azure butterfly has a metallic blue wingspan and a bright blue hindwing. They are common in open fields and meadows during the summer.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Cumberland County, Maine
Black Swallowtail
The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a black body and wings. They live in open spaces such as meadows, forests, and fields.
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with a black and yellow body. They are found in open areas with lots of flowering plants, such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Giant Swallowtail
A Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with a wingspan of up to three feet. They are often seen flitting around in the sunlight, and can be found in open areas such as forests and fields. They prefer to live near water sources, where they can drink and hunt for food.
Skipper Butterflies in Cumberland County, Maine
Cobweb Skipper
A Cobweb Skipper butterfly is a small, brightly-colored butterfly that is found in open areas near streams and other bodies of running water. They are attracted to light and fly around quickly, so they are commonly seen in sunny areas.
Crossline Skipper
The Crossline Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that is found in open habitats, such as prairies, meadows, and open woods.
Dreamy Duskywing
A Dreamy Duskywing butterfly has a dark brown body with a light brown stripe running down its center. It is usually found in open areas, such as meadows and prairies, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.
Dun Skipper
A Dun Skipper butterfly is a small, dark butterfly that lives in open areas near water. It has a wingspan of about 1 inch.
Hobomok Skipper
A Hobomok Skipper butterfly looks like a small, drab brown butterfly with a white stripe down its center of its wings. They typically inhabit open habitats such as meadows and fields, but can also be found near streams and ponds.
Indian Skipper
The Indian Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is predominantly brown and black. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Juvenal’s Duskywing
A Juvenal’s Duskywing butterfly looks like a dusky brown butterfly with black markings on the wings. They are found in open areas with lots of wildflowers, such as meadows and fields.
Least Skipper
The Least Skipper butterfly is a small, brown and white butterfly that lives in meadows and other open habitats.
Leonard’s Skipper
Leonard’s Skipper butterflies are bright white with brown and black markings on their wings. They live in meadows, fields, and other open areas with plenty of flowers.
Long Dash
The Long Dash butterfly is a species of butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. They are mostly found in the Appalachian Mountains, but have been found as far south as Georgia. They are also found in the Ozark Mountains and in parts of the Midwest. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, but they can also be found in forests.
Northern Broken-Dash
The Northern Broken-Dash butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a broken dash on its wings. They are found in open, grassy areas with a lot of flowers.
Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywings are a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about three inches. They are mostly brown, but have a fuzzy patch on their wings that is light blue-gray. They are found in open, forested areas across North America.
Peck’s Skipper
The Peck’s Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with yellow markings on the wings. It is found in open habitats, such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Pepper and Salt Skipper
The Pepper and Salt Skipper butterfly is a small, brown and white butterfly that is found in open, grassy areas and meadows. They are common in the eastern half of the United States.
Silver-spotted Skipper
The Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly black with a white spot on each wing. They live in a variety of habitats including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Sleepy Duskywing
The Sleepy Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with black wings and a dusky brown body. They are found in the forests of North America.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 2-3 inches. It is a metallic blue butterfly with a bright yellow edge on each wing. It is found in forests and gardens, flying around flowers.
Two-spotted Skipper
The Two-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has two spots on its wings. The butterfly lives in open areas such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Wild Indigo Duskywing
A Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with an iridescent blue and black wings. They are found in the eastern half of North America, and are often seen flitting around in open areas such as fields and meadows. They are most commonly found in woodlands and forests, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Cumberland County, Maine
Cabbage White
The Cabbage White butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly. It is usually found near gardens and other areas with lots of flowers.
Clouded Sulphur
The Clouded Sulphur butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan up to three inches. The wings are a light blue with a few clouds scattered across the surface. The butterfly is found in open habitats, such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Mustard White
A Mustard White butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are usually seen in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Orange Sulphur
A Orange Sulphur butterfly is a delicate looking butterfly, with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are usually a bright orange color, with black markings on the wings. They are usually found in warm, sunny areas, such as along the edges of forests or in agricultural areas.
Pink-edged Sulphur
A Pink-edged Sulphur butterfly has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. It is a metallic green with a pink edge on each wing. The butterfly is common in open areas near streams and ponds, but can also be found in gardens.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Cumberland County, Maine. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Maine? We have lists for each of the 16 counties in the state.