Deciphering Butterflies

Many closely related butterflies are difficult to identify, even to the most trained eye. Using the guides to the right will link you with listings of closely related species and how to tell them apart.

There are terms you can familiarize yourself with to help understand some scientific descriptions of differences between species. The illustration below will be of some use for that.

It is also good to know that often a single view of a butterfly is not enough to make an identification. Oftentimes it is necessary to see both upperside (dorsal) and underside (ventral) of a butterfly to identify it with certainty. Sometimes one must be satisfied in narrowing the search to a few species.