38 butterflies were recorded flying in North Carolina in February 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 February
Eastern Comma
Question Mark
Summer Azure
Mourning Cloak
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Small White
American Snout
Cloudless Sulphur
Sleepy Orange
Falcate Orangetip
Gulf Fritillary
Pipevine Swallowtail
All butterflies flying in North Carolina in February
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 32 | Mar (rising) |
| 2 | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 30 | May (rising) |
| 3 | Summer Azure | Celastrina neglecta | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 27 | Jul (rising) |
| 4 | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | Brush-footed Butterflies | 25 | May (rising) |
| 5 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 25 | Aug (rising) |
| 6 | Small White | Pieris rapae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 15 | Jun (rising) |
| 7 | American Snout | Libytheana carinenta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 15 | Jun (rising) |
| 8 | Cloudless Sulphur | Phoebis sennae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 12 | Sep (rising) |
| 9 | Sleepy Orange | Eurema nicippe | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 11 | Aug (rising) |
| 10 | Falcate Orangetip | Anthocharis midea | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 8 | Mar (rising) |
| 11 | Gulf Fritillary | Dione vanillae | Brush-footed Butterflies | 6 | Sep (rising) |
| 12 | Pipevine Swallowtail | Battus philenor | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 6 | Jul (rising) |
| 13 | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 5 | Jul (rising) |
| 14 | American Lady | Vanessa virginiensis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Jun (rising) |
| 15 | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Sep (rising) |
| 16 | Great Purple Hairstreak | Atlides halesus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 4 | Sep (rising) |
| 17 | Fiery Skipper | Hylephila phyleus | Skippers | 3 | Jul (rising) |
| 18 | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 3 | Jul (rising) |
| 19 | Juvenal's Duskywing | Erynnis juvenalis | Skippers | 3 | Apr (rising) |
| 20 | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 3 | Sep (rising) |
| 21 | Red-banded Hairstreak | Calycopis cecrops | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 3 | Aug (rising) |
| 22 | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 23 | Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Apr (rising) |
| 24 | Brown Elfin | Callophrys augustinus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 2 | Mar (rising) |
| 25 | Silver-spotted Skipper | Epargyreus clarus | Skippers | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 26 | Zebra Swallowtail | Eurytides marcellus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 2 | Jun (rising) |
| 27 | White M Hairstreak | Parrhasius m-album | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 2 | Sep (rising) |
| 28 | Common Checkered-Skipper | Burnsius communis | Skippers | 2 | Oct (rising) |
| 29 | Huron Skipper | Atalopedes huron | Skippers | 2 | Aug (rising) |
| 30 | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Sep (rising) |
| 31 | Horace's Duskywing | Erynnis horatius | Skippers | 1 | Jul (rising) |
| 32 | Clouded Sulphur | Colias philodice | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 1 | Jun (rising) |
| 33 | Spring Azure | Celastrina ladon | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Mar (rising) |
| 34 | Viceroy | Limenitis archippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Sep (rising) |
| 35 | Silvery Checkerspot | Chlosyne nycteis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Jul (rising) |
| 36 | Long-tailed Skipper | Urbanus proteus | Skippers | 1 | Oct (rising) |
| 37 | Palamedes Swallowtail | Papilio palamedes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 1 | Aug (rising) |
| 38 | Juniper Hairstreak | Callophrys gryneus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Apr (rising) |