26 butterflies were recorded flying in Minnesota in April in our iNaturalist sample; 0 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top butterflies in April
Mourning Cloak
Red Admiral
Eastern Comma
Small White
American Lady
Gray Comma
Painted Lady
Orange Sulphur
Green Comma
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Clouded Sulphur
Black Swallowtail
All butterflies flying in Minnesota in April
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | Brush-footed Butterflies | 396 | Jun (rising) |
| 2 | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 335 | Jul (rising) |
| 3 | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 181 | Jul (rising) |
| 4 | Small White | Pieris rapae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 59 | Aug (rising) |
| 5 | American Lady | Vanessa virginiensis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 55 | Jun (rising) |
| 6 | Gray Comma | Polygonia progne | Brush-footed Butterflies | 25 | Jul (rising) |
| 7 | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Brush-footed Butterflies | 23 | Sep (rising) |
| 8 | Orange Sulphur | Colias eurytheme | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 12 | Sep (rising) |
| 9 | Green Comma | Polygonia faunus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 8 | Jul (rising) |
| 10 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 7 | Aug (rising) |
| 11 | Clouded Sulphur | Colias philodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 6 | Sep (rising) |
| 12 | Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 5 | Jul (rising) |
| 13 | Silvery Blue | Glaucopsyche lygdamus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 4 | May (rising) |
| 14 | Meadow Fritillary | Boloria bellona | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Jul (rising) |
| 15 | Milbert's Tortoiseshell | Aglais milberti | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Jul (rising) |
| 16 | Henry's Elfin | Callophrys henrici | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 4 | May (rising) |
| 17 | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 3 | Aug (rising) |
| 18 | Common Checkered-Skipper | Burnsius communis | Skippers | 3 | Sep (rising) |
| 19 | Juvenal's Duskywing | Erynnis juvenalis | Skippers | 2 | May (rising) |
| 20 | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Jun (rising) |
| 21 | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Jun (rising) |
| 22 | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Jul (rising) |
| 23 | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Sep (rising) |
| 24 | Wild Indigo Duskywing | Erynnis baptisiae | Skippers | 1 | Aug (rising) |
| 25 | Brown Elfin | Callophrys augustinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | May (rising) |
| 26 | Eastern Pine Elfin | Callophrys niphon | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Jun (rising) |