37 butterflies were recorded flying in Delaware in April in our iNaturalist sample; 6 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top butterflies in April
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Small White
Eastern Comma
Pearl Crescent
American Lady
Juvenal's Duskywing
Red Admiral
Mourning Cloak
Red-banded Hairstreak
Henry's Elfin
Spicebush Swallowtail
All butterflies flying in Delaware in April
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 77 | Aug (rising) |
| 2 | Eastern Tailed-Blue | Everes comyntas | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 63 | Sep (rising) |
| 3 | Small White | Pieris rapae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 50 | Jun (rising) |
| 4 | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 42 | Apr (peak) |
| 5 | Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Brush-footed Butterflies | 39 | Sep (rising) |
| 6 | American Lady | Vanessa virginiensis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 37 | Jun (rising) |
| 7 | Juvenal's Duskywing | Erynnis juvenalis | Skippers | 25 | Apr (peak) |
| 8 | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 20 | Jul (rising) |
| 9 | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | Brush-footed Butterflies | 13 | Mar (past peak) |
| 10 | Red-banded Hairstreak | Calycopis cecrops | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 13 | Aug (rising) |
| 11 | Henry's Elfin | Callophrys henrici | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 12 | Apr (peak) |
| 12 | Spicebush Swallowtail | Papilio troilus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 10 | Aug (rising) |
| 13 | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 10 | Aug (rising) |
| 14 | Silver-spotted Skipper | Epargyreus clarus | Skippers | 9 | Aug (rising) |
| 15 | Spring Azure | Celastrina ladon | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 8 | Apr (peak) |
| 16 | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 7 | Sep (rising) |
| 17 | Zebra Swallowtail | Eurytides marcellus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 7 | Jun (rising) |
| 18 | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 6 | Aug (rising) |
| 19 | American Copper | Lycaena hypophlaeas | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 6 | Sep (rising) |
| 20 | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Sep (rising) |
| 21 | Orange Sulphur | Colias eurytheme | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 4 | Sep (rising) |
| 22 | Wild Indigo Duskywing | Erynnis baptisiae | Skippers | 3 | Aug (rising) |
| 23 | Eastern Pine Elfin | Callophrys niphon | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 3 | Apr (peak) |
| 24 | Falcate Orangetip | Anthocharis midea | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 3 | Apr (peak) |
| 25 | White M Hairstreak | Parrhasius m-album | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 3 | Sep (rising) |
| 26 | Least Skipper | Ancyloxypha numitor | Skippers | 2 | Jul (rising) |
| 27 | Clouded Sulphur | Colias philodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 2 | Jul (rising) |
| 28 | Viceroy | Limenitis archippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Sep (rising) |
| 29 | Red-spotted Admiral | Limenitis arthemis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 30 | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Sep (rising) |
| 31 | Zabulon Skipper | Lon zabulon | Skippers | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 32 | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Sep (rising) |
| 33 | Fiery Skipper | Hylephila phyleus | Skippers | 1 | Oct (rising) |
| 34 | Common Sootywing | Pholisora catullus | Skippers | 1 | Aug (rising) |
| 35 | Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 1 | Sep (rising) |
| 36 | American Snout | Libytheana carinenta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Jul (rising) |
| 37 | Great Purple Hairstreak | Atlides halesus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Sep (rising) |