Rare or Endangered Butterflies

Florida Leafwing Anaea floridalis Hitching a ride in Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park Photo by David L Lysinger

The following butterflies of southeast Florida and the Florida Keys are considered to be rare, imperiled, on the decline, likely to be extirpated, or recently determined to be extinct – a classification offered by Marc C. Minno, Ph.D. who has closely studied this area’s butterflies over many years. Most of the species on Dr. Minno’s list are found, as well, on the Florida Natural Areas Inventory’s listing of imperiled species (www.FNAI.org).

This list represents approximately one-third of southeast Florida’s butterfly species.

It is sobering to understand that extinction and extirpation are in progress “under our very eyes” as we watch.

Rare or Endangered Butterflies

Schaus’ Swallowtail (imperiled)
Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus
Malachite (imperiled)
Siproeta stelenes biplagiata
Bahamian Swallowtail (likely to be extirpated)
Heraclides andraemon bonhotei
Florida Purplewing (imperiled)
Eunica tatila
Spicebush Swallowtail (Fakahatchee population) (imperiled)
Pterourus Troilus fakahatcheensis
Dingy Purplewing (imperiled)
Eunica monima
Florida White (imperiled)
Appias drusilla neumoegenii
Ruddy Daggerwing (declining)
Marpesia petreus
Statira Sulphur (imperiled)
Aphrissa statira floridensis
Florida Leafwing (imperiled)
Anaea floridalis
Lyside Sulphur (rare)
Krycogonia lyside
Round-eyed Georgia Satyr (rare)
Neonympha halicta dadensis
Mimosa Yellow (rare)
Eurema nise
Mangrove Skipper
(declining)

Phocides pigmalion
Dina Yellow (imperiled)
Eurema dina
Zestos Skipper
(recently determined extinct)

Epargyreus zestos
Atala (imperiled)
Eumaeus atala florida
Hayhurst’s Scallopwing
(likely to be extirpated)

Staphylus hayhurstii
Amethyst Hairstreak (imperiled)
Chlorostrymon maesites
This species may reproduce in South Florida.
It is included because it is periodically observed in South Florida, however, but not necessarily annually.
Florida Duskywing
(imperiled)
Ephyriades brunneus floridensis
Silver-banded Hairstreak (imperiled)
Chlorostrymon simeathis
Zarucco Duskywing
(Keys population)
(likely to be extirpated)

Erynnis zarucco
Martial Scrub-Hairstreak (imperiled)
Strymon matialis
Neamathla Skipper (declining)
Nastra neamathla
Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak (imperiled)
Strymon acis
Baracoa Skipper (declining in many areas of the state)
Polites Baracoa
Gray Ministreak (imperiled)
Ministrymon azia
Rockland Meske’s Skipper (Lower Keys) (recently determined extinct)
Hesperia meskei pinocayo
Miami Blue (imperiled)
Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri
Aaron’s Skipper (rare)
Poanes aaroni howardi
Acacia Blue (Nickerbean)
(likely to be extirpated)

Hemiargus ammon
Palmetto Skipper (Lower Keys) (rare)
Euphyes arpa
Cuban Crescent (imperiled)
Phyciodes frisia
Palatka Skipper (Keys population) (imperiled)
Euphyes pilatka klotsi
Mangrove Buckeye (declining)
Junonia evarete
Berry’s Skipper (rare)
Euphyes berryi
Tropical Buckeye (imperiled)
Junonia genoveva
Obscure Skipper (declining)
Panoquina Panoquinoides