Discover 12 Amazing Butterflies That Live in Tennessee

Tennessee is filled with butterflies. In this state alone, there are about 140 butterfly species. They are abundant in spring and summer. If you want to see them, all you need to do is take a nature walk outside. These stunning butterflies come in many different colors and patterns. Some have eye marks, while others perfectly camouflage with their surroundings. Follow along to learn about 12 butterflies that live in Tennessee.

1. American Lady

The first butterfly on our list is the American lady, sometimes also called the American painted lady. It’s found throughout North and South America. However, you can occasionally see this beautiful butterfly species as far as Europe or Hawaii. They are very common in Tennessee. On the ventral side, the butterfly has two large eyespots. The wings are bright orange with brown markings and white spots along the wing’s border. American lady butterflies have a wingspread between 1.75 to 2.40 inches.

Before these butterflies emerge from their cacoons, they live in many forms. American lady caterpillars are dark green with purple markings, but there is a lot of variation.

2. Silvery Checkerspot

Another butterfly found in Tennessee is the silvery checkerspot. It’s an orange and black butterfly with some color variation. They have dark borders and markings with pale yellow or orange spots. Silvery checkerspot butterflies are found in North America. Although its overall conservation status is secure, some experts believe this butterfly species is locally extinct in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

You can find most silvery checkerspot butterflies in moist areas like meadows and forest openings near a body of water. Silvery checkerspot caterpillars consume many types of aster flowers.

3. Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern tailed-blue butterflies are beautiful. They have furry bodies and small blue wings. The underside of their wings is a lighter blue. Interestingly, some females have light blue or brown upper sides. There is a lot of variety with this butterfly species. Some even have pink, white, or orange spots. These beautiful butterflies are about an inch long. They are common in eastern North America, but you can find them as far south as Central America. Eastern tailed-blue caterpillars aren’t picky eaters. They mainly consume legumes.

4. Frosted Elfin

The frosted elfin is another butterfly species in Tennessee. Although many of the butterflies on this list are bright colors, the frosted elfin butterfly has brown, grey, white, and black wings with many spots and markings. They are native to North America and are sadly endangered. While their native range was larger, they are now mainly found in Maine, New York, southern Ontario, and Michigan. Although they aren’t common in Tennessee, experts have recorded this species in Madison County in west Tennessee. Frosted elfin butterflies thrive in rocky or acidic areas. They blend well into their surroundings, hiding from birds and other predators.

5. Great Purple Hairstreak

Next on our list of butterflies in Tennessee is the great purple hairstreak. Despite its name, this beautiful small butterfly isn’t just purple. Actually, the upper side of the wings is an iridescent blue at the center. Male great purple hairstreak butterflies have brighter blue wings. These butterflies also have two uneven ‘tails’, known as hairstreaks. Interestingly, in their larvae form, great purple hairstreaks don’t eat their eggshells. Instead, they consume their host plant immediately, mainly targeting the male flowers. Great purple hairstreak caterpillars are green. You can easily mistake them for leaves.

6. Red-banded Hairstreak

Next on our list is the red-banded hairstreak, another hairstreak butterfly in Tennessee. They are native and common throughout the southeastern United States. These beautiful butterflies come in many colors but typically have black-and-white striped bodies and legs. Their bodies are also furry. Interestingly, red-banded hairstreaks can grow up to 1.25 inches long. They live in coastal areas and mainly consume fallen leaves of Sumac species. Red-banded hairstreaks have grey and brown wings with red, orange, and white markings. They sometimes also have blue spots or lines.

7. Appalachian Azure

The Appalachian azure is a stunning and unique-looking butterfly in the family of Lycaenidae. They are native to North America. While native to North America, they are common throughout the central and southern Appalachian mountains. There are also a few isolated communities in Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio. These blue and white small butterflies live in moist deciduous woodlands. They need plenty of shade and water. These butterflies produce pale green eggs and release them on the flower buds of a host plant. Like most butterfly species, the Appalachian azure has a short lifespan, only living for a few weeks as an adult.

8. Bronze Copper

There are many butterflies in Tennessee, including the bronze copper. It’s a small butterfly with short and round-looking wings. Most bronze copper butterflies have orange, grey, brown, black, and white wings. They are best known for their unique zig-zag borders along the margins of the hind wings. You can find these beautiful butterflies in Canada and the United States. Bronze copper butterflies use water dock and curled dock plants as hosts. They also feed from blackberry and red clover.

9. Mourning Cloak

Mourning cloak butterflies are stunning. They have beautiful and velvety dark maroon large wings with unique markings and light borders. Mourning cloaks are called the Camberwell beauty in Britain. You can find this beautiful butterfly in North America and Eurasia. Mourning cloak butterflies live long lives, about 11 to 12 months. Despite their beautiful wings, they camouflage well on trees since the undersides of their wings are brown and textured.

10. Red-spotted Purple

Red-spotted purple butterflies are stunning. They have shiny and shimmering dark blue wings. Red-spotted purple butterflies have red, orange, white, and light blue spots. The coloration varies. Another name for this beautiful butterfly is the white admiral. It’s native to North America but is mostly found in the north, but is found as south as Florida. However, many red-spotted purple butterflies live in the New England and southern Great Lakes area. They live in wooded areas with plenty of shade, like in deciduous woodlands. There is a lot of hybridization within this species.

11. Giant Swallowtail

Another butterfly found in Tennessee is the giant swallowtail. They are common and one of the most recognizable butterflies in North America, other than the monarch butterfly. The giant swallowtail is common throughout the eastern United States. While they are common in the United States, you can find them as far south as Panama. These large butterflies have a wingspan of 5.5 to 7.4 inches long. They have black and yellow wings with a small patch of red on the ventral wing. Giant swallowtails mainly live in deciduous forests and citrus orchards.

12. Great Spangled Fritillary

Last but not least is the great spangled fritillary, a butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. It’s a North American butterfly with a wingspan ranging from 2.4 to 3.5 inches. They are sometimes confused for monarch butterflies because of their orange and black coloration. However, great spangled fritillary butterflies have two rows of black crescents along the edges of the wings. There are also many subspecies including Krautwurm’s fritillary. They mainly use native violets as hosts.

IAN WARKENTIN

I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.

Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.