Copper underwing Order: Lepidoptera Family: Noctuidae Genus and species: Amphipyra pyramidoides Guenée Adult copper underwings have a fairly large wingspan, up to 2.3 inches, but smaller than those of most true underwings of the genus Catocala. The forewings are dark...

Tersa sphinx Order: Lepidoptera Family: Sphingidae Genus and species: (Linnaeus) Caterpillars of the tersa sphinx moth are sometimes found feeding on foliage of starclusters (Pentas species) in Arkansas flower gardens. They have also been recording feeding on...

Carolina sphinx, tobacco hornworm Order: Lepidoptera Family: Sphingidae Genus and species: Manduca sexta (Linnaeus) Tobacco hornworms, larvae of Carolina sphinx moths, are pests that often defoliate tomato plants and damage tomato fruit in Arkansas gardens. They are...

Snowberry clearwing Order: Lepidoptera Family: Sphingidae Genus and species: Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval) There are four species in the clearwing moth genus Hemaris in North America. The distinctive moths have areas of their wings that are clear and free of scales....

Luna moth Order: Lepidoptera Family: Saturniidae Genus and species: Actias luna (Linnaeus) Adult luna moths are often seen flying around lights on spring and summer evenings in Arkansas. They normally emerge from their cocoons in the morning and mate at night,...

Monarch butterfly Order: Lepidoptera Family: Nymphalidae (Subfamily: Danainae) Genus and species: Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus) The monarch butterfly is one of North America's most iconic insects for several reasons. Both the adult and immature stages are aposematically...

Great spangled fritillary Order: Lepidoptera Family: Nymphalidae Genus and species: Speyeria cybele (Fabricius) The fritillaries are a subgroup of the brushfooted butterflies, family Nymphalidae. The silvered fritillaries, genus Speyeria, comprise 14 New World...

Black swallowtail caterpillar (parsleyworm) Order: Lepidoptera Family: Papilionidae Genus and species: Papilio polyxenes Fabricius Caterpillars of black swallowtail butterflies, Papilio polyxenes, are various shades of green, with narrow black bands on each body...

Giant swallowtail, orange dog Order: Lepidoptera Family: Papilionidae Genus and species: Papilio cresphontes Cramer Arkansas homeowners occasionally find odd looking caterpillars defoliating small, potted citrus plants. These caterpillars, which are protected from...

Silver-spotted skipper Order: Lepidoptera Family: Hesperiidae Genus and species: Epargyreus clarus (Cramer) This large, conspicuous, and easily identified skipper occurs in disturbed and open forest situations in southern Canada, most of the continental United States,...