Blue and yellow butterflies amongst trees

Butterflies in Sandusky County, Ohio

There are 55 species of butterflies you can find in Sandusky County, Ohio. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Sandusky County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:

Brush-footed Butterflies in Sandusky County, Ohio

‘Astyanax’ Red-spotted Purple

The Astyanax red-spotted purple butterfly is a small butterfly with a deep purple body and red spots on the wings. They are found in open habitats including prairies, gardens and meadows.

American Lady

A American Lady butterfly looks like a small, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about three inches. These butterflies are found in warm climates, typically near forests and gardens. They like to feed on nectar, and are considered beneficial insects because they feed on harmful insects.

American Snout

The American Snout butterfly is a very small butterfly with a long snout. They are found in open areas near water, such as meadows, fields, and forests.

Appalachian Brown

The Appalachian Brown butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a brown body with black markings. It lives in open areas, such as meadows and forests, and tends to be found near water sources.

Common Buckeye

The Common Buckeye is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The Common Buckeye is found in the eastern United States and parts of Canada. The Common Buckeye butterfly lives in forests and other wooded areas.

Common Wood-Nymph

The Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. It is found in the eastern and central United States, as well as in the southern parts of Canada. Common Wood-Nymphs are found in forested areas, often near streams or ponds.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma butterflies are typically orange and black, with several white stripes on their wings. They prefer warm, dry areas, such as open fields or forest edges.

Gray Comma

The Gray Comma butterfly is a small butterfly that is mostly gray with black markings. They are found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, but can also be found in woodlands and forests.

Great Spangled Fritillary

The Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright blue and yellow wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, prairies, and woodlands.

Hackberry Emperor

The Hackberry Emperor butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to two inches. They are usually light green or light brown with black spots and stripes. They are found in the eastern United States and in southeastern Canada. They live in open woodland with lots of hackberry trees.

Little Wood-Satyr

The Little Wood-Satyr butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly found in the eastern United States. They are usually found in open forests, but can also be found in gardens and orchards. They are typically seen flying around during the day, but can also be found resting on flowers at night.

Meadow Fritillary

Meadow Fritillary butterflies are typically a dark brown or black with white markings. They are found in meadows, prairies, and other open areas with plenty of nectar sources.

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

A Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly has a light brown body with a dark brown band across the middle of its wings. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.

Monarch

A monarch butterfly is typically a beautiful orange or yellow color, with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are attracted to flowers and live in forests.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak butterflies are typically light brown and have a purple sheen on their wings. They are found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to light. They are often seen in flocks, and their larvae feed on legumes.

Northern Pearly-eye

The Northern Pearly-eye butterfly is a small butterfly that has a very distinctive pattern on its wings. The wings are a light blue with a white border. They are usually found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as fields or meadows.

Painted Lady

The Painted Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright yellow and black wings. They are found in open areas, such as meadows, gardens, and woodlands. They are attracted to light, so they are common in sunny areas.

Pearl Crescent

A Pearl Crescent butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a pink body and blue wings. They live in tropical forests and are often seen flitting around flowers.

Question Mark

A Question Mark butterfly is typically a dark brown and has a lighter brown underside. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.

Red Admiral

The Red Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright red wings and body. They are found in warm climates, often near water, and are very common in gardens. They are very active fliers and can be seen darting around quickly.

Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral

A Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with striking colors. They are typically red on the wings with a purple or white band running the length of each wing. They often inhabit open, sunny areas, such as meadows and fields, where they can feed on nectar from flowers.

Tawny Emperor

A Tawny Emperor butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are usually a deep bronze color with a brown or black border. They are found in warm, dry areas like the desert or the chaparral. They like to perch on flowers and drink nectar.

Variegated Fritillary

A Variegated Fritillary butterfly has colorful wings with a variety of stripes and spots. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and gardens.

Viceroy

A Viceroy butterfly looks like a large, colorful butterfly with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are usually found in open habitats with plenty of flowering plants, such as meadows, fields, and gardens.

Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Sandusky County, Ohio

Banded Hairstreak

A Banded Hairstreak butterfly looks like a beautiful blue and black butterfly. They are often seen flying around in open areas such as fields and meadows. They are typically found in warm, sunny areas.

Bronze Copper

A Bronze Copper butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is found in the eastern United States. These butterflies live in open areas with plenty of flowers.

Coral Hairstreak

The Coral Hairstreak butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright orange wings. They usually reside in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and forests.

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies have a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. They are a blue color with a white tail. They live in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.

Spring Azure

A Spring Azure butterfly looks like a blue and white butterfly with a wingspan of around 2 inches. They live in open areas with plenty of flowers to feed on, such as meadows and fields.

Summer Azure

The Summer Azure butterfly is a beautiful blue butterfly with white wings. They are found in meadows and other butterfly-friendly habitats during the summer.

Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Sandusky County, Ohio

Black Swallowtail

The Black Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a black body and yellow wings. They live in tropical forests and are commonly seen flying around flowers.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are easily recognized by their bright, orange wings. They are found in the Appalachian Mountains and the Great Lakes region of North America. They prefer open, wooded areas with plenty of flowers to feed on.

Giant Swallowtail

A Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a large, colorful butterfly with a long tail. They are found in open, grassy areas and sometimes in forests.

Pipevine Swallowtail

The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) is a beautiful, brightly-colored butterfly that is found in open areas near streams and rivers. It is a member of the swallowtail family, and its wings are decorated with colorful stripes. The butterfly is usually seen flying around in search of food, and its habitat includes open country with plenty of flowers.

Spicebush Swallowtail

A Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly is a delicate looking creature with striking metallic green and black wings. They are found in open areas such as meadows and forests, flying in search of flowers to feed on.

Zebra Swallowtail

A Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is a colorful butterfly with black and yellow markings on its wings. They are found in warm, tropical climates. They live in forests and other areas with plenty of flowers.

Skipper Butterflies in Sandusky County, Ohio

Common Sootywing

The Common Sootywing butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The butterfly has a black and brown pattern on its wings. It is found in open areas with plenty of flowering plants, such as fields, meadows, and gardens.

Delaware Skipper

The Delaware Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that has a bright yellow and black wings. They are found in coastal areas and forests in the eastern United States.

Dion Skipper

A Dion Skipper butterfly is a colorful butterfly that typically inhabits open areas such as meadows and prairies.

Dukes’ Skipper

The Dukes’ Skipper butterfly is a small, brown and yellow butterfly that is found in open areas with plenty of flowering plants. It is most commonly found in the United States, but it has also been introduced to other parts of the world.

Dun Skipper

A Dun Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. It is a beautiful butterfly with a black and yellow body. It lives in open grasslands and prairies, where it feeds on nectar from flowers.

European Skipper

The European Skipper butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly that has a characteristic skipper shape. The wings are brown with black markings. They are found in open, sunny areas such as meadows and fields.

Hobomok Skipper

The Hobomok Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that is found in the Midwest and parts of the East. The habitat of the Hobomok Skipper butterfly is open areas with lots of flowers.

Juvenal’s Duskywing

The Juvenal’s Duskywing butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly that is mostly black with a brown band along the bottom of its wings. They live in forests and woodlands, and are attracted to light.

Least Skipper

The Least Skipper butterfly has a light brown body with dark brown veins and a white tail. It is found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, fields, and gardens.

Little Glassywing

The Little Glassywing butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually light brown or shades of tan with a very small wingspan. They are found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests, and are usually seen flying around during the day.

Mottled Duskywing

The Mottled Duskywing butterfly is a black and brown butterfly with distinctive marbled markings. They are found in open, sunny areas with scattered large trees.

Peck’s Skipper

The Peck’s Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches and is light brown with black markings. It is found in open areas with a lot of flowering plants, such as fields, meadows, and forests.

Silver-spotted Skipper

The Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It has a metallic sheen to its wings and is predominantly silver in color, with black spots scattered evenly across the wings. The butterfly is found in open areas with some vegetation, such as meadows, prairies, and marshes.

Tawny-edged Skipper

The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a dark brown or black border around its wings. It is found in open areas, such as meadows and fields, and is usually seen flitting around flowers.

Zabulon Skipper

The Zabulon Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that typically inhabits open landscapes such as prairies, meadows, and open woodlands.

White and Sulphur Butterflies in Sandusky County, Ohio

Cabbage White

The Cabbage White butterfly is a small butterfly that is often mistaken for a fly. It has a wingspan of about one inch. The butterfly is mostly white, but has a small black spot on its wings. The butterfly is found in open areas such as meadows and fields, and sometimes in gardens.

Clouded Sulphur

A Clouded Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly that is often seen near water. They are usually green and have a black border around the wings. They usually live in forests, but can also be found near farms or streams.

Little Yellow

A Little Yellow butterfly is typically about the size of a small housefly and has striking yellow and black markings on its wings. They are commonly found in open areas near water, often near flowers.

Orange Sulphur

The Orange Sulphur butterfly is a small butterfly with a bright orange body and wings. They are found in open country, such as fields and meadows, and in areas with lots of flowers.

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