Butterflies flying against the sun

Butterflies in Erie County, Ohio

There are 65 species of butterflies you can find in Erie County, Ohio. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Erie County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:

Brush-footed Butterflies in Erie County, Ohio

‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple

The ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. The butterfly is a brightly colored butterfly with a reddish-purple body and wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.

American Lady

The American Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to two inches. The wings are dark brown with a metallic sheen and a blue-green color in the center. The female American Lady butterfly is larger than the male and has a wingspan of up to three inches. The American Lady butterfly is commonly found in meadows, gardens, and other areas with wildflowers.

American Snout

The American Snout butterfly is a beautiful insect with a long, narrow head and a long proboscis. They are found in open, grassy areas and often feed on nectar from flowers.

Aphrodite Fritillary

Aphrodite Fritillary butterflies are typically a beautiful light blue with black markings, and can often be seen flitting around in open areas such as meadows and fields. They are found in areas with lots of flowering plants, such as in the US and Canada.

Atlantis Fritillary

The Atlantis Fritillary is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in warm, tropical areas. They are typically found in forested areas, but can also be found in open areas near water. They are very active fliers, and are often seen hovering near flowers.

Common Buckeye

The Common Buckeye butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is a common sight in Ohio and other parts of the Midwest. The Common Buckeye butterfly prefers open, sunny areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens.

Common Wood-Nymph

The Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is a butterfly that is found in North America. It is typically a brown or black butterfly and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma butterflies are small, brown and black butterflies with a yellow band across their wings. They are found in meadows, woodlands and gardens throughout the eastern United States. They prefer areas with damp soil and plenty of flowers.

Eyed Brown

Eyed Brown butterflies are medium-sized with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They have brown wings with a distinctive eye-spot on each wing. They are found in open woodland and meadows, and are especially common in the eastern United States.

Great Spangled Fritillary

The Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright colors. They typically inhabit open areas with plenty of flowers, such as fields and meadows.

Hackberry Emperor

The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright colors and a long tail. They live in the tropical forests of Central and South America.

Little Wood-Satyr

The Little Wood-Satyr butterfly is a small, dark brown butterfly with a white spot on its wing. It is found in the warm, moist forests of the eastern United States and Canada.

Meadow Fritillary

The Meadow Fritillary butterfly is a small brown and black butterfly with a yellow patch on its hindwing. They are found in meadows and other open spaces, and are usually found flying around during the day.

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

The Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red, yellow and white wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as prairies, meadows and woodlands.

Monarch

Monarchs are beautiful, colorful butterflies that can be found throughout North America. They typically have a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. They are strong flyers, and can be found in a variety of habitats, from forests to deserts.

Mourning Cloak

The Mourning Cloak butterfly is a small, black and white butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch. They are found in open areas, including oak woodlands, sandy dunes, and meadows.

Northern Pearly-eye

Northern Pearly-eye butterflies are a beautiful, colorful butterfly. They are found in cool, damp habitats, such as forests and meadows.

Painted Lady

The Painted Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a colorful wings. They are found in the North America. They are commonly found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.

Pearl Crescent

The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is usually found in open areas such as meadows and prairies. They are usually very active during the day and can be found flitting around the flowers.

Question Mark

A Question Mark butterfly has a wingspan of about 3-4 inches. They are typically light brown or yellow with a darker band across the middle of their wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.

Red Admiral

A Red Admiral butterfly is a colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are usually found in open areas such as meadows and fields, but can also be found in gardens. They are attracted to nectar sources, and prefer flowers with a high concentration of nectar.

Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral

The Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly is a brightly coloured butterfly, with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are found in tropical and subtropical forests, where they feed on nectar from flowers.

Regal Fritillary

A Regal Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful, delicate creature with bright yellow and black wings. They are common visitors to gardens and woods, and prefer open areas with plenty of flowers to feed on.

Silvery Checkerspot

The Silvery Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. It is found in the eastern United States, including parts of Maryland and Virginia. The butterfly prefers open habitats such as fields and meadows, but can also be found in forests.

Tawny Emperor

The Tawny Emperor butterfly is a beautiful orange and black butterfly with a wingspan of up to 6 inches. They are found in open woodlands, gardens, and parks in the eastern United States. They are attracted to flowers and nectar, and are particularly fond of linden flowers.

Variegated Fritillary

Variegated Fritillary butterflies are brightly colored with a variety of patterns on their wings. They are commonly found in forests, but can also be found near farms and other areas with lots of trees. They are usually shy and fly away if they are disturbed.

Viceroy

A Viceroy butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. They are usually dark brown or black, with bright yellow or orange markings on their wings. They usually live in warm, dry habitats like chaparral and oak forests.

Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Erie County, Ohio

Acadian Hairstreak

The Acadian Hairstreak butterfly is a small butterfly with a brown and white wings. They are found in the southern United States, from Maryland to Texas. They are usually seen near streams and rivers.

American Copper

The American Copper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic blue wings and a bright copper body. They are found in open areas with plenty of sunshine, such as meadows, fields, and forests.

Bronze Copper

A Bronze Copper butterfly is a metallic brown butterfly with blue and green stripes on its wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowering plants, such as meadows and fields.

Coral Hairstreak

A Coral Hairstreak butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 1/4 inches. It is a beautiful dark brown and has a bright yellow stripe down the middle of its wings. It is found in the tropical areas of the world and is known to feed on nectar from flowers.

Eastern Tailed-Blue

The Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue and black tail. They live in the forests of North America.

Spring Azure

A Spring Azure butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that is found in the temperate zones of the world. They are usually found in open areas with plenty of flowers to feed on, and they can be found in both rural and urban areas.

Striped Hairstreak

The Striped Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright yellow and black striped wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields. They are usually found in warmer climates, but can also be found in colder climates.

Summer Azure

The Summer Azure butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue wingspan and yellow markings. They are found in a variety of habitats, including prairies, meadows, and suburban gardens.

Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Erie County, Ohio

Black Swallowtail

The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful black and purple butterfly with a yellow band on its wings. They are found in open, sunny areas, like gardens and meadows, and fly during the day.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies have black and yellow wings, and they live in the forests of North America.

Giant Swallowtail

A Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan up to five inches. They are usually tan or brown with a black band along the edge of each wing. They prefer open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests, but are also found near streams and rivers. They eat small insects, and are known to migrate long distances.

Pipevine Swallowtail

A Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly looks like a large, colorful butterfly with a long tail. The butterfly is found in open areas with lots of flowering plants, such as fields, meadows, and gardens.

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies are typically a light brown and have a wingspan of about two inches. They are found in deciduous and mixed forests across North America.

Skipper Butterflies in Erie County, Ohio

Black Dash

A Black Dash butterfly is a beautiful and colorful butterfly. They are found in open, grassy areas with some flowers.

Broad-winged Skipper

A Broad-winged Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that is often seen flitting around flowers in open habitats such as fields and meadows.

Common Checkered-Skipper

The Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a characteristic checkerboard pattern on its wings. They are found in diverse habitats throughout North America, including forests, meadows, and marshes.

Common Sootywing

The Common Sootywing butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about three inches. Its wings are a dusky brown with a few light spots. The butterfly is most commonly found in open areas with plenty of flowers, including meadows, fields, and woods.

Crossline Skipper

A Crossline Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that lives in open habitats such as meadows and fields.

Delaware Skipper

A Delaware Skipper butterfly is a small, delicate-looking butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch. They are usually light brown or tan in color, but can also be light blue, green, or purple. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and pastures, as well as in forests.

Dion Skipper

The Dion Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually light green and has a black border around the wings. They are usually found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, but can also be found near streams and rivers.

Dun Skipper

A Dun Skipper butterfly is a small, slender butterfly with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. Its wings are a beautiful deep blue color and its body is a dark brown. They are found in open areas such as meadows, fields, and forests, and they feed on nectar from flowers.

European Skipper

The European Skipper butterfly is a small, orange and black butterfly. It is found in Europe and Asia. Its habitat includes meadows, hedgerows, gardens and woodland.

Hayhurst’s Scallopwing

A Hayhurst’s Scallopwing butterfly is a beautiful insect with a wingspan of up to 3.5 inches. They are typically blue and black with a metallic sheen, and can often be seen flying around flowers in the late morning and early afternoon. They are found in a variety of habitats, including meadows, forests, and suburban gardens.

Hobomok Skipper

A Hobomok Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch. They are found in open, sunny areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, prairies, and open woodland.

Least Skipper

Least Skipper butterflies are small, brown butterflies that are common in damp areas and near water. They are usually seen flying around bushes and trees.

Little Glassywing

The Little Glassywing butterfly is a small brown butterfly that is found in the United States. They are commonly found in open areas such as fields and meadows.

Long Dash

The Long Dash butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of nearly three inches. The wings are a light blue with a white and black outline. The butterfly is found in forested areas and feeds on nectar from flowers.

Northern Broken-Dash

The Northern Broken-Dash butterfly has a wingspan of about 2-3 inches. It is a colorful butterfly with black, blue, and purple markings on its wings. Its habitat is deciduous and mixed woods, but it can also be found in urban areas.

Northern Cloudywing

The Northern Cloudywing is a small butterfly that is found in the northern United States and eastern Canada. They are typically found in open areas with plenty of flowers, but can also be found in forests. They are usually seen flitting around in the air.

Peck’s Skipper

The Peck’s Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. The wings are a light blue with a black border. The butterfly is found in open areas such as fields and meadows, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.

Silver-spotted Skipper

The Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly looks like a small, iridescent blue butterfly with a bright silver spot on its wing. They are usually found in open, sunny areas near water, such as meadows and fields.

Tawny-edged Skipper

The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a distinctive tawny-edged wing pattern. They typically live in open habitats, such as meadows and open woodland, but can also be found in gardens and other urban areas.

Zabulon Skipper

The Zabulon Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually orange or yellow with black markings. They are found in warm, dry habitats such as deserts and scrubland.

White and Sulphur Butterflies in Erie County, Ohio

Cabbage White

The Cabbage White butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a white body and black wings. They are found in open areas, such as fields, meadows, and gardens, where they feed on nectar from flowers.

Checkered White

A Checkered White butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with intricate markings on a light background. They are found in meadows, parks, and gardens, where they feed on nectar from flowers.

Clouded Sulphur

A Clouded Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in open woodlands and prairies. They are usually seen sitting on a flower, looking around for predators.

Little Yellow

A Little Yellow butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a yellow body and wings. They thrive in open areas with plenty of flowers, but can also be found in forests and parks.

Orange Sulphur

The Orange Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the forests of North America. It is a common sight in the summertime, flitting around from flower to flower.

That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Erie County, Ohio. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Ohio? We have lists for each of the 88 counties in the state.