There are 49 species of butterflies you can find in Washington County, Maine. Not all of them are common. In fact, some of the butterflies on our list are quite rare sights in Washington County. The butterflies on our list are grouped by the following categories:
Brush-footed Butterflies in Washington County, Maine
American Lady
The American Lady butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. It is a colorful butterfly that has a black border around each of its white wings. The American Lady butterfly is found in open areas such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Aphrodite Fritillary
Aphrodite Fritillary butterflies are brightly colored and have a wingspan of about 1-1/2 inches. They are found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas, and are often found near water.
Atlantis Fritillary
The Atlantis Fritillary butterfly is dark brown with white markings on its wings. It lives in tropical forests.
Common Ringlet
The Common Ringlet butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a distinctive pattern of black and white rings on its wings. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and fields.
Common Wood-Nymph
The Common Wood-Nymph butterfly is a small, black and white butterfly. They usually have a wingspan of about one and a half inches. They are usually found in open areas such as forests, meadows, and gardens.
Eyed Brown
An Eyed Brown butterfly has brown wings with a black border, and brown eyespots on the wings. They prefer dry, open areas with plenty of flowers, such as prairies and meadows.
Great Spangled Fritillary
A great spangled fritillary butterfly looks like a colorful butterfly with large wings. They are found in open areas near forests, meadows, and gardens.
Green Comma
The Green Comma butterfly has a wingspan of about 3.5 inches. It is a green and brown butterfly that is found in open areas such as meadows and forests.
Harris’ Checkerspot
A Harris’ Checkerspot butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. The wings are a bright yellow with a brown band across the middle. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as fields, gardens, and meadows.
Jutta Arctic
A Jutta Arctic butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of around two inches. It is a dark brown and black butterfly with a white marking on its wings. The butterfly is found in the tundra biome of the Arctic region. It lives in colonies of around ten butterflies and feeds on nectar from flowers.
Monarch
The Monarch butterfly is a beautiful insect with a wingspan of up to 3.5 inches. They are usually brown or black and have a bright yellow band on the hindwing. They normally live in tropical areas, but can also be found in subtropical areas. Monarchs are attracted to flowers, so they are commonly found near gardens or other areas with lots of flowers.
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about two inches. Its wings are a deep purplish black, and the butterfly has a white band across the middle of its wings. The Mourning Cloak butterfly is found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, where it sits on the tips of plants looking for prey.
Northern Crescent
A Northern Crescent butterfly has a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. It is a dark brown and has a bright orange band on its bottom wing. The butterfly is found in the boreal forests of North America.
Painted Lady
The Painted Lady butterfly is a colorful butterfly with a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are commonly found in open areas with plenty of flowers, such as meadows and fields.
Pearl Crescent
The Pearl Crescent butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright pink body, yellow wings, and a bright white stripe running down the center of its wings. The butterfly is found in the tropical regions of Asia and North America. The butterfly is usually found in areas with dense forests and streams.
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral butterfly looks like a large red butterfly with black markings on its wings. It is common to find this butterfly in open areas such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral
A Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a red spot on each wing. They live in tropical forests and gardens and are usually seen flying around in groups.
Silver-bordered Fritillary
A Silver-bordered Fritillary butterfly has a wingspan of about 2.5 inches. The butterfly is tan with a metallic sheen on its wings. It is found in meadows, forests, and gardens, and is most common in the eastern United States.
Viceroy
A Viceroy butterfly has a bright yellow and black wings, and is usually found in open areas such as fields and meadows.
White Admiral
A White Admiral butterfly is typically a bright, colorful butterfly. They are typically found in open, sunny areas such as meadows, fields, and gardens.
Gossamer-wing Butterflies in Washington County, Maine
Bog Elfin
The Bog Elfin butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch. They live in wet, spongy areas, such as bogs and marshes, where they feed on sap from plants.
Brown Elfin
The Brown Elfin Butterfly is a small butterfly that is typically light brown in color. They are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies are slender and colorful with a blue hindwing and a yellow tail. They live in forests, meadows, and gardens and are attracted to nectar and flowers.
Gray Hairstreak
A Gray Hairstreak butterfly looks like a small, drab butterfly with a gray body and a bluish-gray head and wings. They are common butterflies found in open areas, such as fields and meadows, but can also be found in urban areas. They are attracted to light and fly quickly around flowers. They are typically found in warm climates, but can also be found in colder climates. They live in colonies and feed on nectar.
Greenish Blue
The wingspan of a Greenish Blue butterfly is about 2 inches. They are found in open areas such as meadows, fields, and forests.
Henry’s Elfin
The Henry’s Elfin butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually found in open areas with lots of flowers.
Hoary Elfin
The Hoary Elfin butterfly is a large butterfly with a wingspan of up to 2.5 inches. It is a metallic blue with a metallic sheen and is often seen flitting about near streams and rivers. The habitat of the Hoary Elfin butterfly is mostly open woodland, but it can also be found near urban areas.
Northern Blue
Northern Blues have a metallic blue color with a yellow border. They live in open areas, such as fields, meadows, and woods.
Summer Azure
A Summer Azure butterfly is a beautiful blue butterfly with yellow and black markings. They are found in open, sunny areas such as meadows and fields.
Parnassian and Swallowtail Butterflies in Washington County, Maine
Black Swallowtail
A Black Swallowtail butterfly is typically dark brown with a yellow band across the hindwings. They are found in open areas with plenty of nectar sources, such as meadows, pastures, and gardens.
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
A Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with a wingspan of up to 3 inches. They are found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows, grasslands, and forests.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with bright blue wings and a black band across its middle. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies love to live in open, sunny areas with plenty of flowering plants.
Giant Swallowtail
A Giant Swallowtail butterfly is a beautiful insect with a wingspan of up to three inches. They are found in tropical forests and are commonly seen flitting around flowers.
Skipper Butterflies in Washington County, Maine
Arctic Skipper
The Arctic Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a blue-black body and wingspan. It is found in the Arctic regions of North America and Europe. The butterfly prefers open areas with flowers, and is typically seen flying around in sunny weather.
Common Roadside-Skipper
The Common Roadside-Skipper butterfly is a small, colorful butterfly that you can find near roadways. They are usually found in open, sunny areas, such as fields, orchards, or gardens.
Crossline Skipper
The Crossline Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly with a wingspan of just over one inch. The wings are a light blue with a series of black lines running across them. The butterflies are found in open habitats such as grasslands and meadows.
Dreamy Duskywing
A Dreamy Duskywing butterfly is typically a beautiful dark brown or black butterfly. They can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, meadows, and gardens.
Hobomok Skipper
The Hobomok Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is commonly found in open habitats such as meadows and fields. This butterfly is typically seen flitting around near flowers.
Indian Skipper
The Indian Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is often seen flitting about near water. They are usually brown or black with a yellow or green border, and their wings are tipped with green and brown spots. They are most common in warm climates, but can be found in a variety of habitats.
Juvenal’s Duskywing
The Juvenal’s Duskywing butterfly has a dark brown body with a yellow-orange band across the middle of the wings. They live in the eastern United States, Canada, and parts of Mexico. They are usually found in open areas with lots of flowers, such as meadows and forests.
Leonard’s Skipper
The Leonard’s Skipper butterfly is a colorful butterfly that is found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and woodlands.
Long Dash
A Long Dash butterfly looks like a large orange and black butterfly with a white line down the center of its wings. They are found in open habitats such as fields and meadows, and are attracted to flowers.
Northern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing butterflies are a beautiful dark blue with white wings. They are found in the north, in habitats that include meadows, forests, and gardens.
Tawny-edged Skipper
The Tawny-edged Skipper butterfly is a small, brown butterfly with a yellow band on its wings. It is found in open areas near water, such as meadows, fields, and forest edges.
Two-spotted Skipper
The Two-spotted Skipper butterfly is a small butterfly that is typically green and has two black spots on its wings. They are found in the Appalachian Mountains and other mountain ranges. They are also found in some open areas near streams.
White and Sulphur Butterflies in Washington County, Maine
Clouded Sulphur
The Clouded Sulphur butterfly is a delicate butterfly that is often spotted flitting around near streams and rivers. They are considered an endangered species and their habitat is often damaged by development.
Mustard White
The Mustard White butterfly is a small butterfly that is usually found in open habitats such as fields, meadows, and forests.
Orange Sulphur
A Orange Sulphur butterfly looks like a light brown and tan butterfly with a blue and white band across its wings. The butterfly is found in open areas with lots of flowering plants, such as fields, meadows, and gardens.
Pink-edged Sulphur
The Pink-edged Sulphur butterfly is a beautiful butterfly with a bright pink edge on its wings. They are found in open, sunny areas near streams and rivers.
That’s the end of our look at the butterflies in Washington County, Maine. Interested in learning about more butterflies in Maine? We have lists for each of the 16 counties in the state.