60 butterflies were recorded flying in Kentucky in August in our iNaturalist sample; 16 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top butterflies in August

Monarch

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Huron Skipper

Spicebush Swallowtail

Pearl Crescent
Hackberry Emperor

Variegated Fritillary

Common Buckeye

Silver-spotted Skipper

Silvery Checkerspot

Zabulon Skipper

Pipevine Swallowtail
All butterflies flying in Kentucky in August
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1,207 | Aug (peak) |
| 2 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 1,081 | Aug (peak) |
| 3 | Huron Skipper | Atalopedes huron | Skippers | 626 | Sep (rising) |
| 4 | Spicebush Swallowtail | Papilio troilus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 449 | Jul (past peak) |
| 5 | Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Brush-footed Butterflies | 441 | Sep (rising) |
| 6 | Hackberry Emperor | Asterocampa celtis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 427 | Aug (peak) |
| 7 | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 412 | Sep (rising) |
| 8 | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 406 | Sep (rising) |
| 9 | Silver-spotted Skipper | Epargyreus clarus | Skippers | 391 | Jul (past peak) |
| 10 | Silvery Checkerspot | Chlosyne nycteis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 335 | Jul (past peak) |
| 11 | Zabulon Skipper | Lon zabulon | Skippers | 311 | Aug (peak) |
| 12 | Pipevine Swallowtail | Battus philenor | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 300 | Jul (past peak) |
| 13 | Eastern Tailed-Blue | Everes comyntas | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 275 | Jul (past peak) |
| 14 | Tawny Emperor | Asterocampa clyton | Brush-footed Butterflies | 233 | Aug (peak) |
| 15 | Great Spangled Fritillary | Argynnis cybele | Brush-footed Butterflies | 228 | Jun (past peak) |
| 16 | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 226 | Aug (peak) |
| 17 | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 223 | Sep (rising) |
| 18 | Peck's Skipper | Polites peckius | Skippers | 196 | Jul (past peak) |
| 19 | Cloudless Sulphur | Phoebis sennae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 189 | Aug (peak) |
| 20 | Red-spotted Admiral | Limenitis arthemis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 155 | Aug (peak) |
| 21 | Small White | Pieris rapae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 147 | Jul (past peak) |
| 22 | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Brush-footed Butterflies | 141 | Sep (rising) |
| 23 | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 136 | Jul (past peak) |
| 24 | Northern Pearly-eye | Lethe anthedon | Brush-footed Butterflies | 136 | Aug (peak) |
| 25 | Carolina Satyr | Hermeuptychia sosybius | Brush-footed Butterflies | 119 | Aug (peak) |
| 26 | Fiery Skipper | Hylephila phyleus | Skippers | 97 | Sep (rising) |
| 27 | American Snout | Libytheana carinenta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 96 | Jul (past peak) |
| 28 | Meadow Fritillary | Boloria bellona | Brush-footed Butterflies | 96 | Jul (past peak) |
| 29 | Zebra Swallowtail | Eurytides marcellus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 89 | Apr (past peak) |
| 30 | Viceroy | Limenitis archippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 87 | Sep (rising) |
| 31 | Red-banded Hairstreak | Calycopis cecrops | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 81 | Sep (rising) |
| 32 | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 79 | Mar (past peak) |
| 33 | Orange Sulphur | Colias eurytheme | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 77 | Jul (past peak) |
| 34 | Checkered White | Pontia protodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 74 | Aug (peak) |
| 35 | Clouded Sulphur | Colias philodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 68 | Jul (past peak) |
| 36 | Eastern Giant Swallowtail | Heraclides cresphontes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 64 | Jul (past peak) |
| 37 | Wild Indigo Duskywing | Erynnis baptisiae | Skippers | 57 | Aug (peak) |
| 38 | Least Skipper | Ancyloxypha numitor | Skippers | 55 | Jul (past peak) |
| 39 | Gulf Fritillary | Dione vanillae | Brush-footed Butterflies | 54 | Sep (rising) |
| 40 | Tawny-edged Skipper | Polites themistocles | Skippers | 47 | Sep (rising) |
| 41 | Little Glassywing | Vernia verna | Skippers | 47 | Jun (past peak) |
| 42 | Common Sootywing | Pholisora catullus | Skippers | 45 | Aug (peak) |
| 43 | Sleepy Orange | Eurema nicippe | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 39 | Aug (peak) |
| 44 | Eastern Gemmed-Satyr | Cyllopsis gemma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 39 | Apr (past peak) |
| 45 | Summer Azure | Celastrina neglecta | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 37 | Jul (past peak) |
| 46 | Dun Skipper | Euphyes vestris | Skippers | 36 | Aug (peak) |
| 47 | Little Yellow | Eurema lisa | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 36 | Aug (peak) |
| 48 | Common Wood-Nymph | Cercyonis pegala | Brush-footed Butterflies | 29 | Jul (past peak) |
| 49 | Common Checkered-Skipper | Burnsius communis | Skippers | 26 | Oct (rising) |
| 50 | Delaware Skipper | Anatrytone logan | Skippers | 24 | Jun (past peak) |