There are 89 species of butterflies you can find in Manatee County, Florida. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Manatee County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Manatee County, Florida
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in warmer climates. They are usually seen flying around flowers.
American Snout
The American Snout butterfly has a distinctive appearance with its large proboscis and bright yellow eyes. It is found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and is attracted to flowers.
Carolina Satyr
Carolina Satyrs are forest butterflies that are typically found in the southeastern United States. They are predominantly green and brown, with a white spot on the wing. Their habitat is primarily deciduous and mixed forests, but they can also be found in open fields and gardens.
Common Buckeye
The Common Buckeye butterfly has a wingspan of about one and a half inches. They have a light brown body with a tan stripe down the center. They are found in the eastern United States and Canada, in deciduous and mixed forests.
Georgia Satyr
A Georgia Satyr butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. They are usually seen in open woods, but can also be found in gardens and other areas with well-maintained vegetation. Georgia Satyrs are usually shy and will fly away if disturbed.
Gulf Fritillary
A Gulf Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a blue and green wings. They live in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. They are found in open meadows, forests, and woodland, and are usually found near water.
Hackberry Emperor
The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in the eastern United States. It is a large butterfly that is predominantly black with a yellow band across its wings. The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a migratory butterfly, and is known to fly long distances to find new areas to live. It is a butterfly that prefers to live in open areas with lots of flowers, and is known to be a threatened species.
Malachite
The Malachite butterfly features a metallic green coloration on its wings. It lives in warm, tropical environments.
Mangrove Buckeye
A Mangrove Buckeye butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the Florida Everglades. These butterflies are often seen perched on the tips of palm trees or other tall vegetation in the wetlands. Mangrove Buckeye butterflies are very common in the area and are known for their beautiful colors and patterns.
Monarch
A Monarch butterfly is a beautiful, brightly-colored butterfly with a wingspan of up to 3 inches. They thrive in open spaces, such as meadows and forests, and are often seen flitting around flowers. Monarchs are migratory, and can be found throughout North America, Eurasia, and parts of South America.
Mourning Cloak
A Mourning Cloak butterfly is typically a large, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are found in a variety of habitats, but are especially common in meadows and woodlands.
Painted Lady
Painted Lady butterflies are typically a bright orange color with black and white markings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Pearl Crescent
The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a wingspan of just over one inch. The wings are a beautiful creamy white with a pink and purple iridescence. The butterfly is found in the temperate forests of North America, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.
Phaon Crescent
The Phaon Crescent butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly found in the eastern United States. This butterfly has a wingspan of about 1 inch. The Phaon Crescent butterfly is found in coastal areas, such as salt marshes and meadows, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.
Queen
A Queen butterfly is colorful and has a wingspan of about one foot. They are typically found in habitats with lots of flowers, such as fields and gardens.
Question Mark
Question Mark butterflies are small, brown butterflies with a white “V” on their chest. They live in open habitats such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red body and wings. They are found in warm, moist environments, such as forests and gardens.
Ruddy Daggerwing
A Ruddy Daggerwing butterfly is a beautiful, brightly-colored butterfly with a reddish-brown body and wings. They are found in the forests of North America, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Soldier
A Soldier Butterfly is a brightly coloured butterfly with a wingspan of up to two inches. They are found throughout the United States, but are especially common in the east. They prefer warm, sunny areas with plenty of flowers.
Tawny Emperor
The Tawny Emperor butterfly is a large butterfly with bright orange wings and a black border. They are found in tropical rainforest, usually near the tops of trees.
Viceroy
The Viceroy butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, is a beautiful butterfly found in North America. It is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 2-3 inches. The Viceroy butterfly is mostly black with a metallic sheen and white markings on the wings. It is found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, prairies, and fields.
White Peacock
The White Peacock butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. It is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue and green wings. It is found in tropical forests and can be found feeding on nectar from flowers.
Zebra Heliconian
A Zebra Heliconian butterfly looks like a colorful butterfly with a stripe down its center. They are found in warm, tropical climates. They are usually found near water sources, such as streams and rivers.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Manatee County, Florida
Cassius Blue
A Cassius Blue butterfly is a beautiful blue butterfly with a white band on its wings. They live in open areas such as fields and meadows, and their habitat is warm, sunny areas.
Ceraunus Blue
A Ceraunus Blue butterfly is a small, blue butterfly with a white stripe across its wings. It is found in open, grassy areas, such as meadows and prairies, and can be seen flying around during the day.
Eastern Pygmy-Blue
The Eastern Pygmy-Blue butterfly is a small, blue butterfly found in eastern North America. They are found in wooded areas and gardens, and are also known to be common around streams and rivers.
Fulvous Hairstreak
A Fulvous Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue and white wings. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Gray Hairstreak
The Gray Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a gray body and brown wings. They are found in the forests of North America.
Gray Ministreak
The Gray Ministreak butterfly has a wingspan of about 3 inches and is light gray with black markings. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak
The Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a green and brown stripe on its wings. They live in scrubby areas near rivers and streams.
Oak Hairstreak
The Oak Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful, delicate butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are mostly found in oak forests, but can also be found in other warm, wooded areas. They are active during the day, but are also attracted to light at night.
Red-banded Hairstreak
The Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a red band across its wings. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowering plants, such as meadows, forests, and gardens.
White-M Hairstreak
The White-M Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. It is predominantly white, but has black spots on its wings. It is found in open areas, such as meadows, fields, and forests, and prefers to feed on nectar.
Metalmark Butterflies in Manatee County, Florida
Little Metalmark
A Little Metalmark butterfly has a light brown body, with a dark brown band across its middle. It has a yellow-orange tail, and its wings are light brown with dark brown stripes. They live in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to flowers.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Manatee County, Florida
Black Swallowtail
The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the United States and Canada. The butterfly has a black body with bright green wings. They are usually seen flying around flowers in the summertime.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a striking black and yellow coloration. They are often seen flitting around flowers in warm, open habitats such as meadows and gardens.
Giant Swallowtail
A Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a large and colorful butterfly. They are found in a variety of habitats including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Palamedes Swallowtail
The Palamedes Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with blue, white, and brown wings. The butterfly lives in open forests and clearings, often near streams.
Pipevine Swallowtail
The Pipevine Swallowtail is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in the Eastern United States. They are usually found in meadows and other open areas with lots of flowers.
Polydamas Swallowtail
The Polydamas Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a metallic blue and green wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and woodlands.
Spicebush Swallowtail
A Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly is typically a dark brown or black and has a blue or purple tail. They are found in open areas with lots of Spicebush trees, and sometimes in other areas with some Spicebush trees.
Zebra Swallowtail
A Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is a colorful butterfly with black and white stripes. They are found in the North American continent in habitats with lots of flowers.
Skipper Butterflies in Manatee County, Florida
Aaron’s Skipper
The Aaron’s Skipper butterfly is typically a metallic blue with a white or yellow center. They are found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as prairies and meadows.
Baracoa Skipper
The Baracoa Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with speckles across its wings. It is found in subtropical and tropical forests.
Brazilian Skipper
The Brazilian Skipper butterfly is a beautiful creature with a wingspan of about one and a half inches. The wings are a light blue color and the butterfly has a yellow-orange border around its wings. The Brazilian Skipper butterfly lives in the tropical rainforest and is one of the most common butterflies in the area.
Byssus Skipper
The Byssus Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are a bright lime green with black markings. They are found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Clouded Skipper
The Clouded Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The wings are a light blue color with a few scattered white spots. The Clouded Skipper is found in the United States and Canada. It is usually found in open areas with plenty of vegetation, such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Cofaqui Giant-Skipper
The Cofaqui Giant-Skipper butterfly is a large butterfly found in the Andes. They are black with a bright yellow band across the wings. They live in the cloud forests of the Andes.
Common Checkered-Skipper
The Common Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has a checkered pattern on its wings. It is found in open areas with long grasses, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Confused Cloudywing
A Confused Cloudywing butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a cloudy appearance. It lives in forests and woodlands and is bisexual.
Delaware Skipper
The Delaware Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually orange or yellow in color. They are usually found in open areas such as fields and meadows, but can also be found in suburban areas. They are mainly found in North America, but have been found in Europe.
Dorantes Longtail
A Dorantes Longtail butterfly looks strikingly different from other butterflies. Its wingspan can be up to seven inches, and it has a long tail that helps it fly. The Dorantes Longtail butterfly is found in forests and jungles in Central and South America. It is a butterfly that is very active and spends a lot of its time flying.
Eufala Skipper
Eufala Skipper butterflies are typically green and black, with yellow and orange markings on the wings. They are found in open areas, such as fields and forests, and are usually seen flying around in the early morning or late evening.
Fiery Skipper
A Fiery Skipper butterfly has bright orange wings with black stripes and a black band across the middle of the wings. They live in open areas, such as meadows, fields, and forests, and are usually seen flying around flowers.
Hammock Skipper
and the food it eats
The Hammock Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It is a dark brown butterfly with alternating bands of light and dark brown. The wings have a distinctive “V” shape. The butterflies inhabit open spaces, such as hammocks, and feed on nectar from flowers.
Horace’s Duskywing
The Horace’s Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a dark brown body and wings. They are found in open areas with lots of tree cover, such as forests and grasslands.
Juvenal’s Duskywing
Juvenal’s Duskywing butterflies live in the eastern United States, from the Carolinas north to New England. They are usually found near water, especially in marshes and wet meadows.
Least Skipper
Least Skipper butterflies are generally small and have a wingspan of about 1-1.5 inches. They are brightly colored and often have a contrasting stripe on the outside of their wings. They are butterflies that live in open, sunny habitats such as meadows, prairies, and fields.
Long-tailed Skipper
A Long-tailed Skipper butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a long tail. This butterfly is found in open, grassy areas near streams and rivers.
Mangrove Skipper
The Mangrove Skipper butterfly is a small, black and brown butterfly with a distinctive green and brown pattern on its wings. It is found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where it is typically found in mangrove habitats.
Monk
Monk butterflies are typically light blue or green with black and white stripes. They live in open areas such as meadows and forests, often flying close to the ground.
Neamathla Skipper
A Neamathla Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are found in open, grassy areas with scattered trees, and are usually seen flitting around in the air.
Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing butterflies are small, with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. They are typically a light tan, but can vary in color depending on their location. They are often found in open spaces near water, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Obscure Skipper
The Obscure Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a white band across the wings. They are found in open habitats, such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Ocola Skipper
The Ocola Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. It is a small, brown and white butterfly with a yellow band running along the top of its wings. It lives in open, grassy areas and is attracted to nectar sources.
Palmetto Skipper
A Palmetto Skipper butterfly has a dark brown body with a yellow and black band on its thorax. The wings are a bright orange and the butterfly can be found in open woodlands and early successional habitats.
Sachem
A Sachem butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is found in the forests of North America. They are usually seen flying around during the day.
Silver-spotted Skipper
The Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a metallic sheen on its wings. They are usually found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and woodlands.
Sleepy Duskywing
The Sleepy Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the eastern United States and parts of Canada. This butterfly has a light brown and black wings and is often seen resting on a leaf or flower. This butterfly is usually found in moist habitats such as wetlands or bogs.
Southern Broken-Dash
Southern Broken-Dash butterflies are typically a dark brown or black, with a broken-dash pattern on their wings. They prefer open, sunny areas, such as meadows and grasslands, but can also be found in forested areas.
Southern Skipperling
The Southern Skipperling butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. This butterfly is mostly blue with a few white markings. It is found in open areas and gardens in the south-central and southeastern United States.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a black border around the edge of each wingspan. They usually live in close to the ground in deciduous trees or understory, but can also be found in open areas near water.
Tropical Checkered-Skipper
The Tropical Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in tropical areas. They are usually found near water, and their wings are decorated with colorful checkered patterns.
Twin-spot Skipper
A Twin-spot Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly with two spots on its wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, and often perch on high plants.
Whirlabout
A Whirlabout butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that lives in warm climates. They are usually seen flitting around near water sources.
White Checkered-Skipper
A White Checkered-Skipper butterfly is a beautiful creature with a wingspan of up to 3 inches. They are usually light blue with white and black checkered patterns, and live in open areas such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Zarucco Duskywing
A Zarucco Duskywing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a dark brown wings and body. They are found in the Amazon rainforest where they live in the understory of the trees.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Manatee County, Florida
Barred Yellow
A Barred Yellow butterfly is typically a yellow butterfly with black markings on its wings. They are found in warm areas with plenty of flowers.
Cabbage White
The Cabbage White butterfly is a small, fragile butterfly that is mostly white with black markings. They are found in the eastern United States, where they are common in meadows and open woods.
Checkered White
The Checkered White butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens. They are often seen flitting around flowers, and their wings are decorated with colorful patterns.
Cloudless Sulphur
A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue wings. They live in open areas with plenty of sunshine, such as fields, meadows, and forest clearings.
Dainty Sulphur
The Dainty Sulphur butterfly is a small butterfly with a yellow and black wings. They are found in the tropical rainforest.
Great Southern White
The Great Southern White butterfly is typically a light brown or cream color with a broad band of white across the hindwings. They are most commonly found in open, sunny areas with lots of flowers.
Large Orange Sulphur
Large Orange Sulphur butterflies are bright orange and have a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are found in open areas, such as sand dunes, prairies, and meadows, where they feed on nectar from flowers.
Little Yellow
A Little Yellow butterfly is a small, delicate butterfly with a yellow and brown body. They are found in open areas such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Orange Sulphur
A Orange Sulphur butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 1/2 inches. It is a creamy-colored butterfly with a yellow border. It is found in the eastern United States, where it is associated with the orange orchards.
Orange-barred Sulphur
An orange-barred Sulphur butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. It has predominantly reddish-orange wings, with a yellow band across the wings. The butterfly is found in open areas near streams and rivers, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.
Sleepy Orange
Sleepy Orange butterflies are typically small, with a wingspan of about two inches. They are mostly orange with a black border, and they have a sleepy appearance due to their lowered wings. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Statira Sulphur
The Statira Sulphur butterfly is a delicate and brightly-colored butterfly. It is common to find Statira Sulphur butterflies in open areas with plenty of flowers.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Manatee 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