Wild RVA

How To Use The Butterfly Guide

Use the tools above to select which butterflies you would like to view. Here are what the search tools do:

Family: Select the family that the butterflies belong to. You can select a family by either its scientific name (e.g. Lamiaceae) or its common name (e.g. Mint). Changing this selection will reset other search settings, such as Native Status.

Native Status: Select the native status of the butterflies. Native selects only native butterflies, Non-Native selects only non-native butterflies, and there are specific subcategories of non-native (Introduced, Invasive, etc) that you can select. For more information, please see the Native Status Definitions page.

Group: Select butterflies by their dominant group. These six groups are the basic primary groups that North American butterflies are classed into. They parallel their families, though not one-to-one.

Search: This is a simple search box, where you can look for word matches in names (such as virginia or spotted). Basic search terms are more likely to return results. Enter the search term in the box and hit the go button to run it.

Clear All: This removes all searches and returns you to this guide page.

Note: Some searches can be combined. For example, you could search for all Native Yellow Aster wildflowers by making the appropriate selection from the Family selectors first, then the Native Status and Color selectors.

DisclaimerWhile we try to be accurate and diligent with the information on this site, some errors may exist. More importantly, this site should never be used to ascertain the safety of anything you encounter in the wild, most particularly mushrooms, snakes, and spiders. There are inedible and poisonous plants and fungi in this region, as well as venomous and dangerous creatures, so you should be cautious and respectful around anything you encounter in the wild. Do not handle unfamiliar plants, fungi, and animals, and most certainly do not ingest anything you find in the wild. This site is provided for basic informational and entertainment purposes, and is not intended to be used as a guide for foraging or anything else that brings the reader into direct contact with the wildlife contained herein. The owners and producers of this site are not legally responsible for any consequences resulting from actions taken based on the information contained in this site, and use of this site is taken as agreement to these terms and the waiving of all liability of the site owners and producers.