There are 89 species of butterflies you can find in Dorchester County, Maryland. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Dorchester County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Dorchester County, Maryland
‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple
The ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly found in open habitats near water. They are typically seen flying around flowers, but can also be seen resting on leaves.
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The butterfly is predominantly blue with a white border. The butterfly prefers to live in open areas, such as fields and meadows.
American Snout
The American Snout butterfly is a large insect with a long, proboscis. It is a common butterfly found in open areas, such as fields and meadows.
Appalachian Brown
The Appalachian Brown butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about three inches. It is a dull brown with darker markings on its wings. It is found in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States and Canada. It lives in open areas, such as meadows and forests, where it feeds on flower nectar.
Baltimore Checkerspot
The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a yellow and black wings. They are found in the eastern United States, primarily in the Appalachian Mountains. They are usually found near streams, rivers, and other wetland habitats.
Common Buckeye
The Common Buckeye butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in many different habitats across the United States. They are usually found near streams, lakes, and other bodies of water.
Common Wood-Nymph
The Common Wood-Nymph butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. Its wings are a dark brown with a light brown band. It lives in open woodland and gardens.
Great Spangled Fritillary
A Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful colorful butterfly with large wings that can span up to six inches. They are found in open, grassy areas with some trees nearby, and are attracted to nectar sources.
Gulf Fritillary
The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is a delicate creature that has a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are typically a light green, with a darker green band across the top of their wings. They are found in temperate areas of the world, and are commonly found in open areas near water.
Hackberry Emperor
The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a large, striking butterfly with a bright orange wingspan. They are found in the warm, dry climates of the American southwest. They primarily inhabit scrubby areas near rivers and other moist areas.
Little Wood-Satyr
The Little Wood-Satyr butterfly is a small butterfly that is typically brown and has a yellow band around its edge. They are found in open areas, such as fields, meadows, and forests, and are usually found near trees.
Monarch
Monarch butterflies are colorful and graceful creatures that can often be seen flitting around in the open spaces of forests. They are commonly found in North America, but are also found in other parts of the world. Their habitat includes forested areas, meadows, and gardens.
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly black with a white band across its wings. They are found in warm, dry areas such as deserts.
Painted Lady
A Painted Lady butterfly is typically a metallic blue or green color with a white or cream band across the middle of its wings. They are commonly found in open areas such as fields, forests, or meadows, but can also be found in urban areas. They feed on nectar and pollen from flowers.
Pearl Crescent
A Pearl Crescent butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a yellow and black wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of nectar sources, such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Question Mark
The Question Mark butterfly is a small, black and white butterfly with a distinctive question mark on its wings. The habitat of the Question Mark butterfly includes open woodlands, meadows, and fields.
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to 2.5 inches. They are commonly found in wet, humid areas near bodies of water, such as streams and ponds. They are also known to inhabit gardens and other areas with a lot of flowers.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
As a Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly, they are strikingly beautiful with their bright colors and long wings. They are common butterflies found throughout North America, but are especially common in the east. They are usually seen flitting around flowers or hovering near water. Their habitat includes meadows, fields, and gardens.
Tawny Emperor
A Tawny Emperor butterfly has a rich, deep brown color with a metallic sheen. They are often spotted with orange and yellow markings on their wings. They are commonly found in open, grassy areas with lots of flowers.
Variegated Fritillary
A Variegated Fritillary butterfly is typically a light yellow or cream color with black markings on its wings. They are common in gardens and forest areas, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Viceroy
A Viceroy butterfly is a beautiful and brightly coloured butterfly. They are usually found in open habitats such as meadows, gardens and parks.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Dorchester County, Maryland
American Copper
The American Copper butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The wings are a rich copper color and the butterfly has a bright orangey-red patch on the top of its wings. The butterfly is found in open woodlands and prairies, often near rivers or streams.
Banded Hairstreak
The Banded Hairstreak is a butterfly that is typically seen in open areas with lots of flowers. They are typically found near water sources.
Bronze Copper
A Bronze Copper butterfly has a metallic bronze or copper coloring on its wings and body. It is found in open, grassy habitats, such as meadows and open forests.
Brown Elfin
A Brown Elfin butterfly is a delicate looking insect with a wingspan of about two inches. They are typically brown with a paler edge to their wings. They are usually found in open areas such as meadows, but can also be found in forested areas. They are usually active in the early morning and late evening hours.
Coral Hairstreak
A Coral Hairstreak butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a long tail. They live in warm, humid environments near streams and ponds.
Eastern Pine Elfin
Eastern Pine Elfin butterflies are small, colorful butterflies that inhabit forests and woodlands. Their wings are a light blue and purple, with white spots on the wings. They are attracted to sweet smells, and can be found flying around flowers and shrubs.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies are typically blue with a yellow tail. They live in open areas with plenty of flowers, including blueberry bushes and cornfields.
Gray Hairstreak
The Gray Hairstreak butterfly is a small, brown and white butterfly. They are found in open, wooded habitats in the United States.
Great Purple Hairstreak
A Great Purple Hairstreak butterfly has a wingspan of about three inches. The wings are a deep purple color with a bright blue-violet sheen. The butterfly is usually found in open, grassy habitats such as meadows, prairies, and savannas.
Harvester
The Harvester butterfly is a small, brown butterfly that lives in the tropics. It has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The habitat of the Harvester butterfly is forests and woodlands.
Henry’s Elfin
A Henry’s Elfin butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a bright orange, yellow, or red body and wings. They are found in open, grassy areas with lots of flowers, and are usually seen during the morning and evening.
Juniper Hairstreak
A Juniper Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are light green with a purple, blue, or black streak on their wings. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and forests.
Oak Hairstreak
The Oak Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that has a bright red, orange, and yellow wings. They are found in oak forests and other open areas with lots of flowers.
Red-banded Hairstreak
A Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly has a bright red band across its wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Spring Azure
A Spring Azure butterfly is a beautiful, delicate butterfly with a blue and white wingspan. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and woods.
Striped Hairstreak
A Striped Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a striped pattern on its wings. It is found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows and prairies.
Summer Azure
A Summer Azure butterfly is a beautiful, bright blue butterfly. They are found in warm, sunny areas near water.
White-M Hairstreak
A White-M Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in open spaces like meadows and fields. They are usually seen flying around during the morning and late afternoon.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Dorchester County, Maryland
Black Swallowtail
The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with black wings and a yellow band across its middle. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests. They feed on nectar from flowers.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are beautiful creatures with bright colors and intricate patterns on their wings. They live in open, sunny areas near water, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Giant Swallowtail
A Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are found in open, sunny habitats near water, such as meadows and prairies.
Palamedes Swallowtail
The Palamedes Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to two inches. The wings are a deep purple with a brown and white band. They are found in open woodlands and prairies, but are also found in gardens and parks.
Pipevine Swallowtail
A Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. They are mostly black with a yellow and brown band around their wings. They live in the habitats of meadows, prairies, and forests. They are attracted to flowers, especially pipevines.
Spicebush Swallowtail
The Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. They are typically found in the forests of North America, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Zebra Swallowtail
A Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with black and white stripes on its wings. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests, and are usually seen flitting around in the air.
Skipper Butterflies in Dorchester County, Maryland
Aaron’s Skipper
The Aaron’s Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1-1/2 inches. The wings are a light yellow color with a black band around the middle. The butterflies live in meadows and grasslands, and are attracted to flowers such as lupine, thistle, and aster.
Broad-winged Skipper
Broad-winged Skipper butterflies are very colorful and usually have a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are usually found in open areas such as meadows, fields, or forests.
Clouded Skipper
A Clouded Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are mostly light green with a dark band across the middle of their wings. They live in open areas with lots of trees and flowers.
Common Checkered-Skipper
The Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly brown with a series of white and black checkered patterns on its wings. They are found in open areas with lots of vegetation, such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Common Sootywing
A Common Sootywing butterfly is a small, black and brown butterfly that can be found in open areas, such as meadows and fields. They are most commonly found in North America, but they can also be found in Europe and Asia.
Confused Cloudywing
A Confused Cloudywing butterfly looks like a small, dark-colored butterfly with a light-colored area on its wings. It is usually found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Crossline Skipper
The Crossline Skipper is a brightly colored butterfly with a black line down the center of its wings. It lives in open areas, such as gardens and meadows, and is usually seen flying near the ground.
Delaware Skipper
A Delaware Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1 inch and a bright yellow and black pattern on its wings. They are found in open areas such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to flowers.
Dion Skipper
A Dion Skipper butterfly is a small, light-colored butterfly with black markings on the wings. They are found in open areas with grasses and flowers, and are often seen flitting around in the air.
Dun Skipper
The Dun Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly brown with a bright blue band across the wings. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
European Skipper
The European Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that frequents open areas such as meadows, gardens, and fields.
Fiery Skipper
The Fiery Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright orange wings and a black stripe down the center of each wing. They live in open, grassy areas near streams and rivers.
Hayhurst’s Scallopwing
The habitat of a Hayhurst’s Scallopwing butterfly is wet areas with lots of flowers.
Hoary Edge
The Hoary Edge butterfly is a large butterfly that is often seen flying high in the sky. They are commonly seen in open, sunny areas such as parks and gardens.
Horace’s Duskywing
The Horace’s Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful, dark brown butterfly with a black border around each wing. They are found in the southeastern United States, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains. They are usually found in open, wooded areas, but can also be found near streams and rivers.
Least Skipper
A Least Skipper butterfly is a small black and yellow butterfly with a distinctive white band on its upper wing. They prefer open habitats such as fields and meadows, but can also be found near bodies of water.
Little Glassywing
The Little Glassywing butterfly is a small, pale butterfly with a wingspan of about 1-1.5 inches. They are found in open habitats such as prairies and meadows, as well as in woodland.
Long-tailed Skipper
The Long-tailed Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has a wingspan of about 2 ½ inches. The wings are light brown with a few darker spots. The females are darker than the males. The butterfly is found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and woodlands.
Mulberry Wing
The Mulberry Wing Butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in forests and gardens. They have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are mostly brown with a few white spots on their wings. They are very active and fly around a lot. They live on nectar and eat insects.
Northern Broken-Dash
Northern Broken-Dash butterflies have a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are mostly green with a black dash on their wings. They are found in the north temperate region of the United States. They live in grasslands and meadows.
Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywings are a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 1/2 inches. They are typically a light brown or gray color with a few white markings near the margins of their wings. They are found in a variety of habitats including open fields, meadows, and forests.
Ocola Skipper
The Ocola Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a bright orange wing. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Palatka Skipper
The Palatka Skipper butterfly is a dark brown butterfly with a distinctive white band across its wings. They are found in open woodland and prairies, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Peck’s Skipper
The Peck’s Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The wings are a light brown color with a white band near the center. The butterfly frequents open areas near water sources, such as streams, ponds, and lakes.
Rare Skipper
Rare Skipper butterflies look like small, brown butterflies with white spots on their wings. They live in open, sunny areas such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Sachem
Sachem butterflies are brown with a yellow and black border. They live in tropical forests.
Salt Marsh Skipper
A Salt Marsh Skipper butterfly is a small, brown and white butterfly that lives near salt marshes. They are common in the southeastern United States.
Silver-spotted Skipper
A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with silver spots on its wings. They live in open habitats, such as fields and meadows, and are common in summertime.
Southern Broken-Dash
The Southern Broken-Dash butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly that is dark brown with a broken-dash pattern on its wings. It is found in the southern United States, where it lives in open areas with plenty of flowers.
Southern Cloudywing
The Southern Cloudywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 3 inches. The wings are a light blue with a few cloudy spots, and the butterfly has a white stripe down its back. The butterflies are found in habitats that have a lot of oak trees and other plants that the butterflies can feed on.
Swarthy Skipper
A Swarthy Skipper butterfly is typically brown with darker brown markings along its wings. The habitat of a Swarthy Skipper butterfly is typically open grasslands and prairies.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly has a dark band on its wings that runs the length of the wing. This butterfly lives in open, grassy areas.
Zabulon Skipper
A Zabulon Skipper butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly that is primarily blue and black. They fly in open spaces, often near water, and are attracted to flowers. Zabulon Skippers are found in temperate areas of the world, including North America.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Dorchester County, Maryland
Cabbage White
The Cabbage White butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. The butterfly is mostly light brown with a white band running along the middle of each wing. The butterfly is found in forests and other wooded areas.
Checkered White
A Checkered White butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a colorful pattern on its wings. It is usually found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Clouded Sulphur
A Clouded Sulphur butterfly has a green body with gray and white markings. They live in meadows, forests, and gardens.
Cloudless Sulphur
A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens. They are very active and often fly around in groups.
Falcate Orangetip
The Falcate Orangetip butterfly has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches and is primarily found in the rainforest regions of Southeast Asia. They are colorful butterflies that are known for their striking orange and black wings. They are attracted to flowers and are also known to feed on nectar.
Great Southern White
A Great Southern White butterfly is a beautiful white butterfly that is found in the southern United States. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields, woods, and gardens.
Little Yellow
A Little Yellow butterfly is small and has a yellow stripe down its back. They live in open areas such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Orange Sulphur
The Orange Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright orange body and wings. They usually inhabit open forests, but can also be found in parks and gardens.
Sleepy Orange
A Sleepy Orange butterfly is typically a dark brown or black with a light orange band across its wings. It is found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, woodlands, and gardens.
Southern Dogface
The Southern Dogface butterfly is typically a bright orange or yellow with a black border. They are found in deciduous and mixed forest with a lot of tall trees and flowers.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Dorchester County, Maryland. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Maryland? We have lists for each of the 24 counties in the state.