60 butterflies were recorded flying in Iowa in May in our iNaturalist sample; 1 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top butterflies in May
Red Admiral
Monarch
Silver-spotted Skipper
Pearl Crescent
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tailed-Blue
American Lady
Question Mark
Hobomok Skipper
Small White
Mourning Cloak
All butterflies flying in Iowa in May
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 159 | Jul (rising) |
| 2 | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 103 | Aug (rising) |
| 3 | Silver-spotted Skipper | Epargyreus clarus | Skippers | 65 | Aug (rising) |
| 4 | Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Brush-footed Butterflies | 57 | Sep (rising) |
| 5 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 57 | Aug (rising) |
| 6 | Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 55 | Aug (rising) |
| 7 | Eastern Tailed-Blue | Everes comyntas | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 35 | Aug (rising) |
| 8 | American Lady | Vanessa virginiensis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 33 | Jun (rising) |
| 9 | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 31 | Jul (rising) |
| 10 | Hobomok Skipper | Lon hobomok | Skippers | 29 | Jun (rising) |
| 11 | Small White | Pieris rapae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 28 | Jul (rising) |
| 12 | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | Brush-footed Butterflies | 24 | Jun (rising) |
| 13 | Zabulon Skipper | Lon zabulon | Skippers | 24 | Aug (rising) |
| 14 | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Brush-footed Butterflies | 22 | Sep (rising) |
| 15 | Meadow Fritillary | Boloria bellona | Brush-footed Butterflies | 16 | Jul (rising) |
| 16 | Common Sootywing | Pholisora catullus | Skippers | 15 | Aug (rising) |
| 17 | Viceroy | Limenitis archippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 15 | Aug (rising) |
| 18 | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 14 | Sep (rising) |
| 19 | Eastern Giant Swallowtail | Heraclides cresphontes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 14 | Aug (rising) |
| 20 | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 12 | Sep (rising) |
| 21 | Melissa Blue | Plebejus melissa | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 12 | Jul (rising) |
| 22 | Bronze Copper | Tharsalea hyllus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 12 | Jul (rising) |
| 23 | Little Wood Satyr | Megisto cymela | Brush-footed Butterflies | 11 | Jun (rising) |
| 24 | Peck's Skipper | Polites peckius | Skippers | 9 | Sep (rising) |
| 25 | Tawny-edged Skipper | Polites themistocles | Skippers | 8 | Aug (rising) |
| 26 | Gorgone Checkerspot | Chlosyne gorgone | Brush-footed Butterflies | 7 | Jun (rising) |
| 27 | Orange Sulphur | Colias eurytheme | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 6 | Sep (rising) |
| 28 | Red-spotted Admiral | Limenitis arthemis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 6 | Jul (rising) |
| 29 | Juvenal's Duskywing | Erynnis juvenalis | Skippers | 5 | Apr (past peak) |
| 30 | Summer Azure | Celastrina neglecta | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 5 | Jun (rising) |
| 31 | Great Spangled Fritillary | Argynnis cybele | Brush-footed Butterflies | 5 | Jun (rising) |
| 32 | Spring Azure | Celastrina ladon | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 4 | Apr (past peak) |
| 33 | Gray Comma | Polygonia progne | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Jul (rising) |
| 34 | Henry's Elfin | Callophrys henrici | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 4 | Apr (past peak) |
| 35 | Least Skipper | Ancyloxypha numitor | Skippers | 3 | Jun (rising) |
| 36 | Checkered White | Pontia protodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 3 | Sep (rising) |
| 37 | Silvery Checkerspot | Chlosyne nycteis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 3 | Jun (rising) |
| 38 | Hackberry Emperor | Asterocampa celtis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 3 | Jun (rising) |
| 39 | Northern Pearly-eye | Lethe anthedon | Brush-footed Butterflies | 3 | Aug (rising) |
| 40 | Common Checkered-Skipper | Burnsius communis | Skippers | 3 | Jul (rising) |
| 41 | Northern Cloudywing | Cecropterus pylades | Skippers | 3 | Jun (rising) |
| 42 | Dun Skipper | Euphyes vestris | Skippers | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 43 | Clouded Sulphur | Colias philodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 2 | Sep (rising) |
| 44 | Reakirt's Blue | Echinargus isola | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 45 | American Silver-bordered Fritillary | Boloria myrina | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 46 | Gulf Fritillary | Dione vanillae | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | May (peak) |
| 47 | Horace's Duskywing | Erynnis horatius | Skippers | 1 | Jul (rising) |
| 48 | Fiery Skipper | Hylephila phyleus | Skippers | 1 | Sep (rising) |
| 49 | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Aug (rising) |
| 50 | Wild Indigo Duskywing | Erynnis baptisiae | Skippers | 1 | Aug (rising) |