25 butterflies were recorded flying in Virginia in December 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 December
Small White
Orange Sulphur
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Monarch
Gulf Fritillary
Black Swallowtail
Variegated Fritillary
American Lady
Cloudless Sulphur
Eastern Comma
Painted Lady
Huron Skipper
All butterflies flying in Virginia in December
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small White | Pieris rapae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 13 | Jun (past peak) |
| 2 | Orange Sulphur | Colias eurytheme | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 10 | Jul (past peak) |
| 3 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 10 | Aug (past peak) |
| 4 | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Brush-footed Butterflies | 8 | Aug (past peak) |
| 5 | Gulf Fritillary | Dione vanillae | Brush-footed Butterflies | 8 | Oct (past peak) |
| 6 | Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 7 | Aug (past peak) |
| 7 | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 7 | Sep (past peak) |
| 8 | American Lady | Vanessa virginiensis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 6 | Jun (past peak) |
| 9 | Cloudless Sulphur | Phoebis sennae | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 6 | Sep (past peak) |
| 10 | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Brush-footed Butterflies | 6 | Mar (past peak) |
| 11 | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Brush-footed Butterflies | 5 | Oct (past peak) |
| 12 | Huron Skipper | Atalopedes huron | Skippers | 5 | Sep (past peak) |
| 13 | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Sep (past peak) |
| 14 | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 4 | Aug (past peak) |
| 15 | Sleepy Orange | Eurema nicippe | Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs | 4 | Aug (past peak) |
| 16 | Common Checkered-Skipper | Burnsius communis | Skippers | 3 | Oct (past peak) |
| 17 | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 2 | Jul (past peak) |
| 18 | Spicebush Swallowtail | Papilio troilus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 2 | Aug (past peak) |
| 19 | Clouded Skipper | Lerema accius | Skippers | 2 | Sep (past peak) |
| 20 | Pipevine Swallowtail | Battus philenor | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 1 | Jul (past peak) |
| 21 | Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Sep (past peak) |
| 22 | American Snout | Libytheana carinenta | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Jul (past peak) |
| 23 | Great Purple Hairstreak | Atlides halesus | Gossamer-winged Butterflies | 1 | Aug (past peak) |
| 24 | Red-spotted Admiral | Limenitis arthemis | Brush-footed Butterflies | 1 | Aug (past peak) |
| 25 | Zebra Swallowtail | Eurytides marcellus | Swallowtails and Parnassians | 1 | Jun (past peak) |