16 Best Insect Species That Are Similar To Butterflies(With Photos)

Butterflies are recognized for their bright coloring and regular visits to flowers, which signal the arrival of hot summer days.

With the exception of Antarctica, every continent in the world is home to more than 17,000 different species of butterflies. In the United States, there are more than 700 species of them.

They are insects with three segments on their body and four huge, multicolored wings.
The arthropods with six legs, butterflies belong to the group Insects and order Lepidoptera. Skippers and moths are also members of this group.

The best method to distinguish between moths and skippers is to look at their antennae because they frequently similar to butterflies.

Butterflies have long, bulb-tipped antennae that simulate to threads. Moths have feathery or saw-edged antennae, whereas skippers have thread-like tips with hooks.

The proboscis and mouth of the butterfly are situated between each other. Drinking water, flower nectar, tree sap, and other substances is made possible by the long tube known as the proboscis.

The majority of a butterfly’s chemoreceptor “taste buds” are surprisingly found on its feet. They pollinate flowers, crops, and other plants through their feeding habits.

The four stages of a lepidopteran insect’s life cycle are egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, and imago/adult. Butterflies have an average life span of 15 to 6 weeks, though this can be shortened by the elements and potential predators.

Discover sixteen amazing insects that similar to butterflies by reading on.

1. Peacock Katydid:

Scientific Name: Pterochroza ocellata
Quick Summary: The peacock katydid has eyespot designs similar to butterflies and reveals amazing colors.

There is a connection between peacock katydids and crickets. The hind wings of this specific nocturnal beetle are exquisitely designed and colored. Just as each person has a different set of fingerprints, so too do their wings.

To frighten off predators, the peacock katydid will spread its wings and show off its eye-shaped markings and red-toned hues. It can disguise itself by folding its wings to resemble dead leaves.

2. Spotted Lanternfly

Scientific Name: Lycorma delicatula
Quick Summary: The colourful look of the spotted lanternfly resembles that of a butterfly.

The lanternfly with spots is an invasive insect that is native to China. Currently, they may be found in several US states, including as Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Connecticut, and New York.

The Fulgoridae family includes Spotted Lanterflies. However, due of their vivid, variegated hues, they are sometimes mistaken for Lepidoptera on the surface.

Its general look similar to butterflies. Its hind wings include red patches with black spots and black and white stripes. But the abdomen of this insect is stocky, like a bee’s.

With its sharp tongue, the spotted lanternfly feeds on the sap of plants like willow, maple, grapevine, and black walnut. Moths, ants, and butterflies devour the sweet, sticky honeydew liquid that they exude.

3. Butterfly Dragonfly

Scientific Name: Rhyothemis fuliginosa
Quick Summary: With large wings resembling those of a butterfly, this dragonfly can flutter like a butterfly and is active during the summer.

Typically possessing translucent wings, dragonflies are robust and nimble aerial predators that capture insects midair. This isn’t similar to butterflies at all.

The term “butterfly” is derived from the look of the butterfly dragonfly’s large wings and its capacity to flap like one.

Because of their vivid colors, several species of dragonflies might be mistaken for butterflies in general. With the exception of Antarctica, they may be found anywhere and are most active in the summer.

4. Kalligrammatid Lacewing

Scientific Name: Kalligrammatidae
Quick Summary: These butterflies-like extinct insects possessed fragile wings.

Sadly, these insects are extinct; the only places you could find illustrations of them are in books or museums. But with its large wings and decorations like eyes, this insect from the Jurassic age similar to butterflies.

These 2-inch-long insects shared a proboscis with butterflies, but it was discovered that they consumed gymnosperms from trees rather than nectar.

5. Lubber Grasshopper

Scientific Name: Titanacris albipes
Quick Summary: The lubber grasshopper is a big grasshopper that similar to butterflies with its vividly colored wings.

In the globe, grasshoppers are classified into roughly 11,000 species. To ward off predators, many of them have brightly colored hindwings in tones of red, yellow, or blue.

The rings of the gigantic lubber grasshopper are incredibly colorful, with various colors of blue, green, and yellow in addition to a lot of purple.

Females measure around 13 centimeters (5 inches) bigger than males. They may be found in the canopies of tropical forests across Central and South America.

6. Sawfly Larvae

Scientific Name: Symphyta
Quick Summary: Sawfly larvae look similar to butterflies caterpillars.

There are a few minor distinctions between the caterpillars of butterflies and sawflies.

Prolegs extend from the center and tail ends of caterpillars’ bodies. In contrast, sawfly larvae have prolegs on every part of their body.

These insects do obvious harm because they eat on leaves, evergreens, gardens, and greenery. When fully grown, their appearance resembles that of a wasp or house fly, and their antennae are segmented.

They fly poorly and are not particularly active.

7. Leafhoppers

Scientific Name: Cicadellidae
Quick Summary: Leafhoppers are vibrant and busy in the summer, much similar to butterflies.

With more than 23,000 species, the Cicadellidae family is one of the biggest insect families. With shades of orange, green, yellow, blue, and red, they are vibrant.

Leafhoppers are summertime active beetles that leap onto plants and stab their needle-like beaks into the plant tissue to eat. Their feeding frenzy destroys crops including apples, potatoes, and beans.

These insects are born as juveniles without a cocoon, and they do not go through a caterpillar stage. They are able to hop successfully from plant to plant because to their long, strong hind legs.

8. Swallowtail Moth

Scientific Name: Ourapteryx sambucaria
Quick Summary: These moths, that similar to butterflies greatly, are frequently seen throughout the day.

A lot of moths can be mistaken for butterflies.

Due of their similar names, the swallowtail moth and swallowtail butterfly might be confused for one another by onlookers. But the butterfly is a member of the Papilionidae family, while the moth variation is a member of the Uraniidae family.

Many species of swallowtail moths have wide, metallic-iridescent wings that are frequently vividly colored. Despite being nocturnal moths, swallowtails can be seen during the day. They may therefore be mistaken for butterflies with ease.

“Day moths” frequently imitate the movements of hummingbirds, wasps, and bumblebees.

9. Luna Moth

Scientific Name: Actias luna
Quick Summary: They are similar to butterflies with bulb-tipped antennae and broad, colorful wings.

Similar to butterflies, luna moths have antennae with bulbous tips. However, their antennal stalks vary in that they have feathers on them.

These insects are often found in North American deciduous woods or in locations with good nighttime lighting.

It’s interesting to note that luna moths do not have mouths as they grow into adult winged species. They thus only have a one-week lifespan and reproduce during that time.

Sea also: 9 Best Fish Similar To Crayfish (With Photos)

10. Atlas Moth

Scientific Name: Attacus atlas
Quick Summary: The Atlas moth’s enormous, exquisitely patterned wingspan gives it a butterfly-like appearance.

With a wingspan of 9.8 to 12 inches, the atlas moth is one of the biggest. They have beautiful adorned wings that make them its look similar to butterflies.

The tips of the moth’s wings resemble snake heads, and it imitates a snake when it feels threatened. They may also frighten birds and lizards by using their fake eye patterns.

When this moth matures into an adult with wings, its small, non-functioning proboscis is not employed for eating.

Because they consumed so much food as caterpillars, atlas moths are dependent on dietary energy stores. They mate for one or two weeks till they pass away as adults.

Scarves, ties, and handbags are among the popular items made from the silk from their cocoons.

11. Winter Moth

Scientific Name: Operophtera brumata
Quick Summary: Because of their general form and patterned wings, male winter moths similar to butterflies.

These European-originated invasive moths can be found in the US. Their intense eating and nest-laying activity can cause damage to trees.

Broad, striped wings that are yellow-brown are characteristic of male winter moths. Despite having a drab tint, they similar to butterflies altogether.

It’s interesting to note that female winter moths have shorter, stubby wings and are incapable of flying.

The female’s task after mating is to lay eggs. She lays between 150 and 350 little green eggs in cracks in the bark or other appropriate spots.

The parents pass away while the eggs overwinter, and these eggs take on an orange-red hue. In the spring, when the temperature is regularly at least 55˚F, the eggs hatch.

Known as “ballooning,” the larvae climb tree trunks and spin silken strands to float on the wind.

Additionally, they will fall from trees onto decorative bushes. Reaching the soil is the aim in order to pupate till winter and then come out as adults.

12. Cecropia Moth

Scientific Name: Hyalophora cecropia
Quick Summary: The wings of cecropia moths are a dazzling display of colors and patterns similar to butterflies.

The Rocky Mountains, Maine, Florida, Nova Scotia, and other parts of North America are home to the cecropia moth.

With a wingspan of up to 6 inches and a weight of up to 1.6 ounces, these moths are regarded as enormous and heavy, however their exact sizes might vary.

Their large, vibrant wings that similar to butterflies. The wings of cecropia moths feature brown bases with red crescent-shaped markings with white centers and eye dots.

Their abdomens are decorated in patterns that alternate between red and white.

Males can sense female pheromones up to a mile away, as they create them in order to mate. Bolas spiders are interesting because they can replicate these pheromones, which attracts a nice male cecropia moth for them to consume.

13. Skippers

Scientific Name: Hesperiidae
Quick Summary: Because they have traits in common with butterflies, skippers belong to the same family.

Although it is up for question whether skippers are really moths or butterflies, they belong to the same family, the Lepidoptera.

They have thread-like antennae, similar to butterflies, but instead of bulbs at the ends, they have hooks. They behave like butterflies throughout the day.

Another trait of butterflies is the vertical holding of their initial set of wings by skippers.

But they resemble moths more in their thick, short bodies, head features, and drab coloring. These insects have a dashing speed of up to 20 miles per hour.

Skippers are found all across the world, with tropical regions having a greater diversity of species.

14. Ambragaeana Cicada

Scientific Name: Ambragaeana
Quick Summary: This cicada beats similar to butterflies with its large, vibrant wings.

The name “butterfly cicadas” is frequently used to Ambragaeana cicadas due to their large, colorful wings. Unlike other kinds of cicadas, they beat their wings softly, akin to butterflies.

The eastern hemisphere’s tropical regions are home to the many species of butterfly cicadas.

15. Tiger Moth

Scientific Name: Arctia caja
Quick Summary: Tiger moths similar to butterflies with their colorfully striped wings.

The tiger moth possesses hind wings that are speckled orange-black and forewings with an animal-like spot pattern. Orange colors often have a monarch butterfly feel to them. They may also have green and reddish tones.

These insects resemble wooly or fuzzy caterpillars, which are sometimes known as “wooly bears.”

Tiger moths frequent gardens, forests, and meadows in temperate and frigid regions of North America and Eurasia.

16. Hoverfly

Hoverfly is similar to butterflies — Hoverfly

Scientific Name: Syrphidae

Hoverflies are pollinators just like butterflies, despite not looking similar to butterflies due to their bee-like body and two wings. They like to visit flowers, lingering over them and using their proboscis to sip nectar.

It’s interesting to note that hoverfly larvae mostly eat meat. They consume caterpillars, thrips, aphids, and other insect larvae.

Take a look at some of the stunning butterfly species that are frequently seen in rainforests:

Conclusion

The main reason why the 16 insects listed above similar to butterflies is since they have large wings and stunning colors. They use a proboscis to consume as well, and a large number of them aid in plant pollination.

Most often, people confuse moths and skippers for butterflies. This is as a result of their shared taxonomic categorization within the Lepidoptera. The best method for accurate identification is to look at the antennas.

Antennae on butterflies and skippers resemble threads. Nonetheless, the skippers are hooked, and the tips of the butterflies’ antennae are bulbous. Moths can have antennas with bulb tips, but their stalks are either sawtoothed or feathery.

16 Best Insect Species That Are Similar to Butterflies(With Photos)