There are 80 species of butterflies you can find in Lake County, Florida. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Lake County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Lake County, Florida
‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple
The Astyanax Red-spotted Purple butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that can be found in the United States and southern Canada. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and gardens.
American Lady
The American Lady Butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is a member of the family Nymphalidae and is found throughout the eastern United States. The habitat of the American Lady Butterfly is open areas such as meadows, pastures, and woodlands.
Carolina Satyr
The Carolina Satyr butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue wings and a yellow and black body. The butterfly is found in the Appalachian Mountains and the Ozarks. The Carolina Satyr butterfly is a member of the family Nymphalidae and is found in open woodlands, meadows, and gardens.
Common Buckeye
The Common Buckeye butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of up to two inches. They are usually light green with a dark band across the wing, and have a yellow tail. They are found in dry open areas, such as prairies, open woods, and meadows.
Cuban Crescent
The Cuban Crescent butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The wings are a bright orange and the butterflies have black and orange patterns on their wings. They live in tropical forests and are usually seen flying around in groups.
Gulf Fritillary
The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is a colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are commonly found in open areas near streams and rivers, and in late spring and early summer they can be seen flying around flowers.
Mangrove Buckeye
The Mangrove Buckeye butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly that can be found in tropical and subtropical wetlands.
Monarch
A Monarch butterfly is a beautiful, brightly colored insect with a wingspan of up to two inches. Monarchs live in a variety of habitats, from the tropical forests of Central and South America to the temperate deciduous and mixed forests of eastern North America. They are often seen flitting from flower to flower in search of nectar.
Painted Lady
The Painted Lady butterfly is a large butterfly with a bright orange and black wings. The Painted Lady butterfly prefers open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields and meadows.
Phaon Crescent
The Phaon Crescent butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a black and yellow wings. They are typically found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Queen
A Queen butterfly is a beautiful, colorful butterfly that typically flits around flowers. They are most commonly found in open spaces near water, but can also be found in forests. Queen butterflies are very important in the ecosystem because they help to disperse pollen.
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral butterfly is a large butterfly with a bright red body and a blue-green wingspan. They are found in warm, dry environments such as woodlands and gardens.
Southern Pearly-eye
The Southern Pearly-eye butterfly is a beautiful orange and black butterfly found in the Southwestern United States. The habitat of a Southern Pearly-eye butterfly isPreferential habitats of this butterfly include open woodlands, sandy woodlands, and grasslands.
Variegated Fritillary
Variegated Fritillary butterflies are colorful and have a wingspan of about 2 inches. They live in warm, moist environments, such as forests and gardens.
Viceroy
A Viceroy butterfly is a beautiful, brightly colored butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 ½ inches. They are found in open, sunny areas, such as meadows and fields, and are attracted to nectar. They are also found in areas with dense undergrowth, such as riparian areas, and are often seen feeding on milkweed.
Viola’s Wood-Satyr
The Viola’s Wood-Satyr butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 3 inches. It is usually a dark brown or black, but can have a variety of shades of yellow and green. The habitat of a Viola’s Wood-Satyr butterfly is usually moist, shady woods, but they can also be found in gardens and other areas with a lot of vegetation.
White Peacock
The White Peacock butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to 3″ inches. They are typically found in open, grassy areas with plenty of flowers to feed on.
Zebra Heliconian
A Zebra Heliconian butterfly is a beautiful, brightly-colored butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are found in warm, dry climates throughout the Americas, including parts of southern California. They are usually found in open, sunny areas near streams or other bodies of water.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Lake County, Florida
Banded Hairstreak
A Banded Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in many different habitats. They can be found in both open areas and forests. They are usually seen flitting around in the air or on flowers.
Cassius Blue
The Cassius Blue butterfly has a blue body with a brown and white band on its wings. It is found in eastern North America, from New England to Florida and west to Texas. It prefers open woodland, meadows, and fields, but can be found near human settlements as well.
Ceraunus Blue
A Ceraunus Blue butterfly has a blue body and wings with a white border. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and woods.
Eastern Pine Elfin
Eastern Pine Elfin butterflies are small, delicate butterflies with a wingspan of about two inches. They are typically light green or blue in color, with delicate blue and green wings. They are found in the eastern United States and Canada, in forests and woodlands.
Gray Hairstreak
Gray Hairstreak butterflies are beautiful insects with long gray wings. They live in open areas such as forests, fields, and meadows.
Great Purple Hairstreak
The Great Purple Hairstreak is a large butterfly with bright purple wings and a bright orange tail. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, forests, and prairies.
Henry’s Elfin
Henry’s Elfin butterflies are small, delicate creatures with a wingspan of about two inches. They are typically gray or green with brown or black markings, and they prefer to live in open areas such as meadows or grasslands.
Juniper Hairstreak
A Juniper Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with blue and green wings. They are found mainly in the eastern US and Canada, but have been found as far west as Texas. They are usually found in open, wooded areas, but can also be found in gardens.
Oak Hairstreak
The Oak Hairstreak butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a bright green and brown wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows, gardens, and oak forests.
Red-banded Hairstreak
The Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a red band on its wings. It is found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and is usually found near water. This butterfly is very common and can be seen in many places throughout the United States.
White-M Hairstreak
The White-M Hairstreak butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a white and brown wings. They are commonly found feeding on nectar from flowers in the forests of North America.
Metalmark Butterflies in Lake County, Florida
Little Metalmark
The Little Metalmark butterfly is a small, metallic-colored butterfly. They inhabit forests, gardens, and other moist habitats.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Lake County, Florida
Black Swallowtail
A Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with a wingspan of about 3 inches. They are found in the forested areas of North America. They are attracted to nectar from flowers.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are large butterflies with brightly coloured wings. They are found in open country, such as prairies, savannas and grasslands, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Giant Swallowtail
The Giant Swallowtail butterfly is the largest butterfly in North America. They are light green with a black border around their wings. They live in the tropics and their habitat is in open areas with lots of trees and flowers.
Palamedes Swallowtail
The Palamedes Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue color on its wings. It is found in open areas such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Pipevine Swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in open areas with lots of plants and flowers. They are usually found near water sources, such as creeks and rivers.
Polydamas Swallowtail
The Polydamas Swallowtail is a beautiful butterfly with colorful wings. It is found in open areas near streams and rivers.
Spicebush Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies are reddish brown with black markings on their wings. They prefer wide-open spaces such as meadows, grasslands, and forests, where they can find flowers to feed on.
Zebra Swallowtail
The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is a colorful butterfly with black stripes on its wings. It lives in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Skipper Butterflies in Lake County, Florida
Aaron’s Skipper
The Aaron’s Skipper butterfly is a small, brown and black butterfly with a yellow band on its wings. The butterfly is found in open areas such as meadows and fields, but can also be found in gardens.
Berry’s Skipper
The Berry’s Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly orange with brown wings. They are found in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers.
Brazilian Skipper
The Brazilian Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly found in Brazil. It has a wingspan of about 2 inches. The Brazilian Skipper butterfly is found in open areas with scattered trees and flowers.
Byssus Skipper
A Byssus Skipper butterfly looks like a small, black and yellow butterfly with a reddish-orange patch on its wings. The habitat of a Byssus Skipper butterfly is forests, meadows, and gardens.
Clouded Skipper
The Clouded Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. It is a colorful butterfly and can be found in places like wooded areas and gardens.
Common Checkered-Skipper
The Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly with a checkered pattern on its wings. The habitat of a Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Confused Cloudywing
The Confused Cloudywing butterfly is a small but beautiful butterfly. Its wings are a deep blue and its body is a light blue. It lives in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and is attracted to flowery smells.
Delaware Skipper
The Delaware Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is mainly seen flying around flowers. It is most commonly seen in the summertime, but can also be found in the springtime.
Dorantes Longtail
The Dorantes Longtail butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. Its wings are a dark brown with a light brown stripe down the middle. The habitat of a Dorantes Longtail butterfly is open grasslands and meadows.
Dotted Skipper
A Dotted Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about one and a half inches. It has a wings that are dotted with black and yellow spots. The butterfly lives in forests and woodlands.
Dukes’ Skipper
The Duke’s Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is commonly found in open areas near water. They are a brown and black butterfly that has a white band across their wings.
Dun Skipper
A Dun Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is commonly found in wet areas such as marshes, ponds, and streams. They are usually found near water sources where they can sip water and fly away to find new areas to feed.
Fiery Skipper
A Fiery Skipper butterfly has bright red and orange wings with black markings. They live in open habitats, such as meadows and fields, and are commonly seen in late summer and early fall.
Horace’s Duskywing
The Horace’s Duskywing butterfly looks like a dark brown butterfly with a paler underside. They live in subtropical and tropical forests, and are usually seen hovering near the tops of trees.
Juvenal’s Duskywing
The Juvenal’s Duskywing butterfly is a dark brown butterfly with a dark brown and white band across its wings. They are found in the eastern half of North America, from the Great Lakes region to the Appalachian Mountains. They are most commonly found in forests, but can also be found in open fields.
Least Skipper
Least Skipper butterflies are small, dark brown butterflies with yellow spots on their wings. They live in open areas with plenty of flowers, and are most common in the United States and Canada.
Long-tailed Skipper
The Long-tailed Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. It is a light-colored butterfly with a dark band running down the center of its wings. The butterfly inhabits open, sunny areas, such as fields and meadows.
Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywings are a small butterfly that has a wingspan of about 1-1.5 inches. They are dark brown with light brown markings on their wings. They are found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and are active during the morning and evening hours. They feed on nectar from flowers.
Ocola Skipper
The Ocola Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly found throughout the United States. It is a colorful butterfly with black stripes on its wings. It is found in open areas such as ditches and fields.
Palatka Skipper
The Palatka Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with white markings on its wings. It is found in southern Florida, and the tropical forests of Central and South America. The Palatka Skipper butterfly is a specialist butterfly, feeding on nectar from flowers of the genus Heliconia.
Palmetto Skipper
The Palmetto Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch. It is found in open habitats with plenty of flowers, including pastures, meadows, and forests.
Sachem
A Sachem butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. It is found in forests and woodlands throughout North America.
Silver-spotted Skipper
The Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a spotted wingspan. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers, especially in the U.S. Midwest, eastern Canada, and the U.K. They are usually seen hovering over flowers or drinking nectar.
Sleepy Duskywing
A Sleepy Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful dark brown butterfly with a white spot on the front of its wings. It is found in open woodland and grassland, and can be seen flitting around during the day.
Southern Broken-Dash
The Southern Broken-Dash butterfly, Emmelina monodactyla, is a beautiful butterfly with a bright yellow and black wings. They live in open, sunny areas with plenty of flowers to feed on.
Southern Skipperling
The Southern Skipperling butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with white markings on the wings. They are found in open habitats, including deciduous and mixed woods, and gardens.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is common in open areas, such as meadows and fields, and prefers to live near running water.
Three-spotted Skipper
The Three-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has three spots on its wings. The butterfly is found in open grasslands and prairies, but can also be found in forests. The butterfly is attracted to nectar from flowers.
Tropical Checkered-Skipper
A Tropical Checkered-Skipper butterfly has bright colors on its wings and a checkered pattern. They live in tropical forests and often feed on nectar.
Whirlabout
A Whirlabout butterfly is a small butterfly with a brightly coloured body and wings. They are found in tropical rainforests.
Yucca Giant-Skipper
A Yucca Giant-Skipper butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. The wings are a bright yellow and the butterfly has a black band across its wings. Yucca Giant-Skipper butterflies live in the desert Southwest and are attracted to bright colors. They are typically found on the ground in open areas near cacti.
Zabulon Skipper
The Zabulon Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a light brown body and a light brown wings. It lives in grasslands and meadows.
Zarucco Duskywing
The Zarucco Duskywing butterfly is a dark brown butterfly with a yellow band across its wings. They are found in the Palearctic ecozone. They are usually found in oak and beech forests, but can also be found in other types of forests.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Lake County, Florida
Barred Yellow
The Barred Yellow Butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a yellow and black striped wings. They are found in the forested areas of the eastern United States.
Checkered White
A Checkered White butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a light brown body with dark spots on its wings. It is found in open areas such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Cloudless Sulphur
The Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright yellow body and a black band across the middle of its wings. They are found in cooler, more northerly areas of the United States, and are often seen flitting about near flowers. They are quite common and can be spotted easily.
Dainty Sulphur
A Dainty Sulphur butterfly is typically a light brown or tan color with a narrow stripe down the center of its wings. They are found in warm, dry areas, such as deserts or areas near the coast.
Great Southern White
A Great Southern White butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It is a delicate looking butterfly with a pale yellow and white wing pattern. It is typically found in open habitats such as prairies, meadows, and open woodlands.
Little Yellow
A Little Yellow butterfly looks like a small, delicate creature with a yellow and black pattern on its wings. They are usually found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens, but can be found in some urban areas as well. They are active during the day, but are also known to fly at night.
Orange-barred Sulphur
A Orange-barred Sulphur butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. The wings are a bright orange with black stripes. The butterfly is found in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
Sleepy Orange
Sleepy Orange butterflies are typically medium-sized with a wingspan of about 2-3 inches. Their bodies are light orange with black markings. They are found in open areas near water, such as meadows and forests.
Southern Dogface
Southern Dogface butterflies have a light brown body with a dark brown band around the waist. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Lake County, Florida. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Florida? We have lists for each of the 67 counties in the state.
- Alachua
- Baker
- Bay
- Bradford
- Brevard
- Broward
- Calhoun
- Charlotte
- Citrus
- Clay
- Collier
- Columbia
- DeSoto
- Dixie
- Duval
- Escambia
- Flagler
- Franklin
- Gadsden
- Gilchrist
- Glades
- Gulf
- Hamilton
- Hardee
- Hendry
- Hernando
- Highlands
- Hillsborough
- Holmes
- Indian River
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Lafayette
- Lake
- Lee
- Leon
- Levy
- Liberty
- Madison
- Manatee
- Marion
- Martin
- Miami-Dade
- Monroe
- Nassau
- Okaloosa
- Okeechobee
- Orange
- Osceola
- Palm Beach
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Polk
- Putnam
- Santa Rosa
- Sarasota
- Seminole
- St. Johns
- St. Lucie
- Sumter
- Suwannee
- Taylor
- Union
- Volusia
- Wakulla
- Walton
- Washington