Identify Any Butterfly from a Photo
Saw a butterfly in the garden and want to know what it is? Our AI butterfly identifier reads wing shape, color, and pattern from your photo and names the species, along with its range, host plants, and whether it is a common visitor or a rarer find.
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North America is home to hundreds of butterfly species, and they sort into a few families you can learn to recognize at a glance. The wing pattern is the headline feature, but shape, size, and how the butterfly rests all narrow it down. A photo freezes the wings long enough to read those details, which is exactly what makes identification from a picture reliable.
These are the butterflies people most often spot in gardens and parks. Use them to orient yourself, then scan yours for a specific species with its range and host plants.
Common types of butterflies
A quick reference to the ones people ask about most. Not sure which you have? Snap a photo above and let the AI name it.
Monarch
Large, orange with black veins and a white-dotted border. The famous migratory species that depends on milkweed as its host plant.
Swallowtails
Big yellow-and-black or dark butterflies with tail-like extensions on the hindwings. Tiger and black swallowtails are the most common.
Painted Lady
Orange, brown, and white with eyespots underneath. One of the most widespread butterflies in the world and a frequent garden visitor.
Cabbage White
Small, pale white with one or two black wing spots. Extremely common, and its caterpillars are a familiar garden pest on brassicas.
Red Admiral
Dark wings crossed by a bold red-orange band, with white spots near the tips. Bold and often lands on people.
Fritillaries
Orange-and-brown checkered wings with silvery spots underneath. A large group that can be tricky to tell apart species by species.
Why identifying butterflies matters
Knowing which butterflies visit you tells you which native plants are working and which to add. Some species, like monarchs, are conservation flagships, and spotting them helps you support the right host plants and habitat.
What helps identify butterflies
Wing Color and Pattern
The arrangement of spots, bands, and eyespots is the single most diagnostic feature for naming a butterfly species.
Wing Shape and Tails
Rounded, angular, or tailed hindwings separate families such as swallowtails, brushfoots, and skippers.
Size and Wingspan
A large showy monarch and a tiny blue or skipper occupy very different size ranges that help confirm identity.
Underwing Markings
Many butterflies look different with wings closed, so the underside pattern is often the deciding clue.
Butterfly or moth?
Butterflies fly by day, rest with their wings held up over the back, and have thin antennae with a small club at the tip. Moths are mostly active at dusk or night, rest with wings flat or tented, and have feathery or thread-like antennae with no club. If your photo shows clubbed antennae and daytime activity, you almost certainly have a butterfly.
Photo tips for the best identification
- 1Photograph the butterfly with wings both open and closed if you can.
- 2Get close enough that the wing pattern fills the frame and stays sharp.
- 3Shoot in the morning when butterflies are slower and easier to approach.
- 4Note the flower or plant it landed on, since host plants narrow the species.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
Butterflies are usually active by day with thin clubbed antennae and rest with wings up. Moths are mostly nocturnal with feathery antennae and rest with wings flat. The AI flags which one your photo shows.
Can it identify a caterpillar too?
Butterfly identification works best on the adult. For the larval stage, use the caterpillar identifier, which is tuned to body shape, color, and markings rather than wings.
Will it work on a worn or faded butterfly?
Often yes. Late-season butterflies lose scales and color, but wing shape and remaining pattern usually carry enough information for a confident best match.
Identify butterflies on the go
Get the What Is This app for unlimited scans, offline mode, and a history that syncs.
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