There are 111 species of butterflies you can find in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Fairfield County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut
‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple
The ‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red stripe on its wings. They are found in the forests of North America.
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 1 1/2 inches. The wings are a bright blue color with a white border. The American Lady butterfly is found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, as well as in forested areas.
American Snout
The American Snout butterfly is a large, brown and black butterfly with a long proboscis. They are found in open habitats, such as meadows and fields, but are also found near woodlands.
Aphrodite Fritillary
The Aphrodite Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue wing color. They are found in open, sunny areas near water sources, such as streams and ponds. This butterfly is very common in the Midwest United States.
Appalachian Brown
The Appalachian Brown butterfly is a brown and black butterfly that can be found in the Appalachian Mountains. It has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches.
Baltimore Checkerspot
The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. They have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches and are light green with a black and yellow checkerboard pattern on their wings. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowering plants, such as fields and gardens.
Common Buckeye
The Common Buckeye butterfly is a medium-sized yellow and black butterfly that can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Common Ringlet
A Common Ringlet butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches and is light brown with a dark brown band around its wings. They live in colonies in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to light.
Common Wood-Nymph
A Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is typically a dull brown or tan color and has a wingspan of about two inches. They are found in open woods and gardens and are attracted to flowers.
Compton Tortoiseshell
A Compton Tortoiseshell butterfly has a brown and orange body and wings. They are found in warm, dry habitats like chaparral and woodlands.
Eastern Comma
Eastern Comma butterflies are typically a bright yellow or orange with black markings on the wings. They are found in open areas, such as meadows, pastures, and woods, and can be seen flitting around during the day.
Eyed Brown
Eyed brown butterflies have a bright red eye, brown wings, and a white band on their wings. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Gray Comma
The Gray Comma butterfly is a small, brown and black butterfly. They have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are found in the eastern United States and parts of Canada. They are often found near streams and in open areas with plenty of fresh, flowering plants.
Great Spangled Fritillary
A Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright colors and a wingspan of up to three inches. They live in open, grassy areas with plenty of flowers, such as blue lupine, Queen Anne’s lace, and phlox.
Hackberry Emperor
The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in the eastern United States. It is a brightly coloured butterfly that is commonly seen flitting around in the open spaces of the forests. The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a migratory butterfly and spends the winter in the tropical regions of Central and South America.
Harris’ Checkerspot
The Harris’ Checkerspot butterfly has bright orange wings and a black band across the middle of each wing. They are found in the eastern United States and parts of Canada. They live on open fields and flowers, and are usually not seen flying around.
Little Wood-Satyr
The Little Wood-Satyr butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a white band across its wings. It is found in the forests of North America.
Meadow Fritillary
The Meadow Fritillary butterfly is a small butterfly with a bright yellow and black wings. They are found in meadows and other open areas with flowers.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
A Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a distinctive pattern of black and white stripes on its wings. They usually live in open, sunny areas such as fields, but can also be found in gardens. They are usually seen flying around during the day, but can also be found resting on flowers at night.
Monarch
A Monarch butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is found in North America. They are typically found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields, meadows, and forests. Monarchs are also known to migrate long distances, so they can be found in a variety of different habitats across North America.
Mourning Cloak
A Mourning Cloak butterfly looks like a small, dark brown butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are usually found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows and fields. They are usually solitary, but sometimes they can be found in small groups. They are usually active during the day, but they can also be seen flying around at night.
Northern Pearly-eye
The Northern Pearly-eye butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. The butterfly is found in the north-central United States, and its habitat consists of open woodlands and meadows.
Painted Lady
A Painted Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a striking pattern of brown, black, and yellow on its wings. They are most commonly found in open areas such as meadows, fields, and forests, and are attracted to flowers.
Pearl Crescent
The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a small, brown and black butterfly with a white band across its wings. It is found in temperate forests and woodlands in the eastern United States and Canada.
Question Mark
The Question Mark butterfly is a small, black and white butterfly that has a distinctive “question mark” pattern on its wings. They are found in coastal and mountain forests across the eastern US and Canada, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Red Admiral
A Red Admiral butterfly is a beautiful, brightly coloured butterfly. They typically have red, orange, and yellow wings and tails. They are usually found in open areas near water, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
The Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of around two inches. They are found in tropical areas all over the world, but are particularly common in the Americas. They are very active fliers and are often seen hovering above the ground. Their wings are bright red and spotted with white, making them easy to spot in the air. They prefer open areas with plenty of flowers to feed on, and can often be found near water.
Regal Fritillary
The Regal Fritillary butterfly ranges from the eastern part of North America to Central America. They are found in forests and meadows.
Silver-bordered Fritillary
The Silver-bordered Fritillary butterfly is a small, brightly-colored butterfly that is found in open, sunny areas throughout the United States. They are members of the family Nymphalidae and are often seen flitting around flowers.
Silvery Checkerspot
The Silvery Checkerspot butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is typically seen in open areas near water. This butterfly is usually found in gardens and parks.
Tawny Emperor
The Tawny Emperor butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. It is found in tropical and subtropical forests.
Variegated Fritillary
The Variegated Fritillary butterfly is a brightly colored butterfly with a variety of colors on its wings. It is found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Viceroy
A Viceroy butterfly typically has a dark brown or black body with a yellow or white band across the middle of the wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers, and are commonly seen in North America.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Acadian Hairstreak
The Acadian Hairstreak butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The wings are marked with dark bands and light spots. The butterfly is found in open, sunny areas near streams and rivers.
American Copper
The American Copper butterfly is a large, brightly-colored butterfly. It is found in the eastern United States, from Florida to New England. Its habitat includes open forests, parks, and gardens.
Appalachian Azure
The Appalachian Azure butterfly is a beautiful blue butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are found in the Appalachian Mountains, where they live in open areas with plenty of nectar sources.
Banded Hairstreak
A Banded Hairstreak butterfly typically has a wingspan of about 3 inches. The wings are a bright yellow with black bands. The butterfly typically lives in open areas with a lot of flowers.
Bronze Copper
The Bronze Copper butterfly is a dark brown with copper markings on the wings. They usually inhabit open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields and meadows.
Brown Elfin
The Brown Elfin butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a light brown body with dark brown markings on its wings. Its habitat is coastal areas and open forests.
Cherry Gall Azure
Cherry Gall Azure butterflies are colorful and have a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are found in warm, dry areas such as the Great Lakes region in North America. They are attracted to flowering plants, such as cherry trees, and are often seen perched on twigs or leaves.
Coral Hairstreak
A Coral Hairstreak butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a metallic sheen. They are usually found in the sunflower fields and other open habitats near water.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies live in wet areas such as marshes, creeks, and ponds. They are attracted to flowers such as lilies, dill, and ferns.
Edwards’ Hairstreak
The Edwards’ Hairstreak butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. The wings are a light tan color with a few brown patches. The butterfly frequents open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Gray Hairstreak
The Gray Hairstreak butterfly is a small butterfly with a gray body and brown wings. The Gray Hairstreak butterfly lives in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Harvester
A Harvester butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a brown and black body. They are found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Hickory Hairstreak
The Hickory Hairstreak butterfly is a small, dark butterfly with a characteristic hairstreak on its hindwing. It is found in forested areas throughout the eastern United States, from New England south to Florida and west to Texas. The habitat of the Hickory Hairstreak butterfly is mostly deciduous and mixed forests, with a few scattered oak and hickory trees.
Juniper Hairstreak
A Juniper Hairstreak butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly that is typically brightly colored and has a distinctive hairstreak pattern on its wings. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and prairies.
Oak Hairstreak
The Oak Hairstreak is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. They are found in oak-hilled areas, where they feed on the nectar of flowers.
Red-banded Hairstreak
A Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in a variety of habitats, such as forests, meadows, and gardens. They are often seen flitting around flowers, and their wings are red with a black band running along the middle.
Silvery Blue
The Silvery Blue butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue wing and a silver body. They are found in tropical areas, and are typically found near water sources. They are a very common butterfly in many parts of the world.
Spring Azure
The Spring Azure butterfly is a beautiful blue butterfly with yellow markings on the wings. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, like prairies.
Striped Hairstreak
A Striped Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a variety of markings on its wings. They are commonly found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, but can also be found in forests. They are not typically found in large numbers, but are rather shy and elusive.
Summer Azure
The Summer Azure butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue wingspan. They are commonly found in open spaces, such as fields and meadows, where they feed on flowers.
White-M Hairstreak
The White-M Hairstreak butterfly looks like a delicate snowflake with brightly colored wings. They are found in open habitats with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Metalmark Butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Northern Metalmark
Northern Metalmark butterflies have glossy brown wings with speckles, and a metallic blue or green sheen. They are found in coniferous and deciduous forests, and in meadows and pastures.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Black Swallowtail
The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with black wings and a yellow and black band across the middle of its wings. They are common throughout much of North America, but are especially common in the Eastern U.S. and in the Midwest. They are primarily found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests, but can also be found near ponds and rivers.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are brightly colored and have long tails. They thrive in open habitat such as meadows, forests, and savannas.
Giant Swallowtail
The Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are found in open, forested areas across North America. The Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a member of the Papilionidae family, which is known for its swallowtails.
Pipevine Swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in a variety of habitats, but is often found in areas with lots of Pipevine plants. They are very active fliers and are often seen flying around in search of food.
Spicebush Swallowtail
The Spicebush Swallowtail is a beautiful butterfly with a black and yellow wings. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Skipper Butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Black Dash
Black Dash butterflies are relatively small, black butterflies with a distinctive yellow dash on their wings. They are found in open woodlands, grasslands, and agricultural areas throughout the United States.
Broad-winged Skipper
and give some information about their feeding habits
Broad-winged Skipper butterflies are colorful and have broad wings. They live in habitats such as forests, meadows, and gardens. They feed on nectar from flowers.
Cobweb Skipper
A Cobweb Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 1/2 inches. Its wings are a deep chocolate brown, and the underside is light brown. They live in open areas with lots of moisture, such as marshes and stream banks.
Columbine Duskywing
A Columbine Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a dusky wing coloration. They are found in the forests of North America.
Common Checkered-Skipper
The Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a small, light brown butterfly with a series of white checks on its wings. They are found in open habitats, including fields, meadows, and forests.
Common Roadside-Skipper
The Common Roadside-Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly that frequents open areas near roadsides.
Common Sootywing
The Common Sootywing butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is a tropical butterfly that can be found in a variety of habitats, including rain forests and gardens.
Crossline Skipper
The Crossline Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly brown with a cross line down the center of its wings. They live in wet areas such as ponds and streams.
Delaware Skipper
The Delaware Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that is found in open, sunny areas throughout much of the eastern United States. They are often seen flying around flowers or other small sources of nectar.
Dion Skipper
The Dion Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The wings are a bright lime green with black markings. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Dreamy Duskywing
The Dreamy Duskywing butterfly is a small, dark brown butterfly with a faint dusky pattern on its wings. It is found in the eastern United States and parts of Canada. Its habitat is open woodland and meadows.
Dun Skipper
A Dun Skipper butterfly has a black body with a yellow band across the middle of the wings. They live in open areas with lots of flowers, and are usually seen flitting around in the air.
Dusted Skipper
The Dusted Skipper is a small butterfly with a wingspan of around 1.5 inches. It is a light brown with a dusting of gold and green. It is found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and is often seen flitting around flowers.
European Skipper
The European Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in open areas with plenty of flowers. They are usually found in Europe, but have been found in other parts of the world. They are very active butterflies and are able to fly quickly.
Fiery Skipper
A Fiery Skipper butterfly is a beautiful, colorful butterfly found in open areas with plenty of flowers to feed on. They are usually found near streams and other bodies of water.
Hoary Edge
A Hoary Edge butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of up to 2.5 inches. They are commonly found in open woods and meadows, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Hobomok Skipper
The Hobomok Skipper butterflies are small, with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are green with a black stripe down the center of their wings. They are found in open areas with dense vegetation, such as meadows and forests.
Horace’s Duskywing
The Horace’s Duskywing butterfly is a dark brown butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. They are found in a variety of habitats including open forests, swamps, and meadows.
Indian Skipper
The Indian Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a long tail. They live in warm, sunny areas near water. They are common in gardens and parks.
Juvenal’s Duskywing
The Juvenal’s Duskywing butterfly is a brown and black butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. It is found in the southern United States and in Central America. Its habitat is open woodlands and forests.
Least Skipper
The Least Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly that is found in open habitats such as fields and meadows.
Leonard’s Skipper
Most Leonard’s Skippers are brown, with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows and prairies.
Little Glassywing
The Little Glassywing butterfly is a small, slender butterfly that is mostly black with a metallic sheen. They are commonly found in open, sunny areas such as meadows and prairies.
Long Dash
The Long Dash butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. The butterfly is found in tropical forests and is known to feed on nectar from flowers.
Long-tailed Skipper
A Long-tailed Skipper butterfly is a beautiful, delicate butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. They are found in open areas near water, such as fields and meadows, where they lay their eggs on the underside of flowering plants.
Mottled Duskywing
A Mottled Duskywing butterfly looks like a dark-brown butterfly with mottled wings. They are found in open, grassy areas with some trees nearby, usually near streams or lakes.
Mulberry Wing
A Mulberry Wing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that lives in the wild. They are usually a beautiful dark blue or black color, and have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are usually found in open areas, such as fields, parks, and gardens, and like other butterflies, they feed on nectar from flowers.
Northern Broken-Dash
The Northern Broken-Dash butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the North American continent. It is a small butterfly that has a broken dash on its wings. The butterfly is found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and prairies.
Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing butterflies are small and have a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. They are mostly brown, but have a white band at the base of each wing. They are found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, meadows, and gardens.
Ocola Skipper
The Ocola Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that can be found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Peck’s Skipper
A Peck’s Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with blue wings and a white or light yellow patch on the front of its wings. They live in open areas such as meadows and prairies, and are most common in the summer.
Pepper and Salt Skipper
A Pepper and Salt Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has a bright yellow and black wings. They are found in coastal areas and sometimes in open fields. They are attracted to light and often fly around in search of flowers.
Sachem
A Sachem butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are found in open habitats, such as meadows and prairies, where they feed on flowers.
Silver-spotted Skipper
A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has bright metallic silver markings on a light tan background. It is found in open areas with plenty of flowers, especially milkweed.
Sleepy Duskywing
A Sleepy Duskywing butterfly is typically black with a dusky brown band across the wings. They are found in open, grassy areas with a lot of trees nearby.
Southern Cloudywing
The Southern Cloudywing butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to 2.5 inches. They are found in the southern United States, and are common in open, sunny areas with some dense vegetation nearby.
Swarthy Skipper
The Swarthy Skipper butterfly is a dark brown butterfly with a yellow band across its wings. It is found in open country, such as fields and meadows, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a tawny edge on its wings. It is found in open areas, such as meadows and forests, and is often seen flitting near flowers.
Three-spotted Skipper
The Three-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that is found in open habitats near water. They are commonly seen flying around flowers or other plants.
Wild Indigo Duskywing
A Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a unique coloration. They are typically a dark indigo color with a dusky wing border. They are found in open, grassy areas with plenty of flowers, such as bluebonnets and thistles.
Zabulon Skipper
A Zabulon Skipper butterfly is typically a blue and white butterfly with black and yellow markings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers and are usually seen at high altitudes.
Zarucco Duskywing
The Zarucco Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a black and yellow pattern. It is found in the US east of the Rockies and in a small area in the west. The habitat of the Zarucco Duskywing butterfly is deciduous and mixed forests.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Cabbage White
A Cabbage White butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a pale brown body with a white border. It prefers to live in meadows and prairies, but can also be found in gardens and orchards.
Checkered White
A Checkered White butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens. They are attracted to flowers, but also like to drink nectar from plants.
Clouded Sulphur
Male Clouded Sulphur butterflies have a black body with a white “sulphur” band across the middle of the abdomen. The wings are a light blue-grey color and have black spots on the wings. The females are similar, but their abdomen is a light brown color and they have a yellow band on their wings. The Clouded Sulphur butterflies live in the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. They are attracted to the flowers of the mountain laurel, and they are also found in meadows and forest areas.
Cloudless Sulphur
A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful, delicate butterfly that is found in open, grassy areas such as meadows and prairies. They are usually seen hovering around flowers, but can also be found napping on tree branches. They are usually yellow and brown, but can also have a pale green or blue tint. They are often seen flying in large flocks.
Falcate Orangetip
The Falcate Orangetip butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a broad wing span. The wings are a beautiful orange with black stripes. The butterflies usually inhabit tropical forests.
Little Yellow
The Little Yellow Butterfly is a small, yellow butterfly that is found in open habitats such as fields and meadows.
Orange Sulphur
The Orange Sulphur butterfly, Eurema hectori, is a beautiful butterfly that is found in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in the northern Mexico. They are attracted to open areas with flowers, and are usually found near streams and ponds.
Sleepy Orange
Sleepy Orange butterflies are typically small and have a dull coloration. They are found in open habitats, such as fields and meadows, and are often seen flying during the day.
West Virginia White
West Virginia White butterflies are typically a light brown color with black markings on their wings. They are found in meadows, fields, and other open areas with a lot of grass.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Connecticut? We have lists for each of the 8 counties in the state.