List of butterflies of Pakistan

Subfamily: Parnassiinae (Apollo butterflies)

Common Mormon

Common blue Apollo (Parnassius hardwickii)

Banded Apollo (Parnassius delphius)

• Hypermnestra helios (desert Apollo)
• Parnassius acco (varnished Apollo)
• Parnassius actius (pale keeled Apollo)
• Parnassius jacquemontii (keeled Apollo)
• Parnassius tianschanica (large keeled Apollo)
• Parnassius boedromius
• Parnassius charltonius (regal Apollo)
• Parnassius delphius (kafir banded Apollo)
• Parnassius epaphus (common red Apollo)
• Parnassius hardwickii (common blue Apollo)
• Parnassius inopinatus
• Parnassius loxias
• Parnassius simo (black-edged Apollo)
• Parnassius staudingeri (Karakoram banded Apollo)
• Parnassius stenosemus (Pir Panjal banded Apollo)
• Parnassius stoliczkanus (Ladak banded Apollo)
• Parnassius cardinalis (Astor banded Apollo)

Subfamily: Papilioninae (swallowtails, peacocks and mimes)

Common mime (Papilio clytia)

• Graphium cloanthus (glassy bluebottle)
• Graphium sarpedon (common bluebottle)
• Papilio alexanor (Alexanor or southern swallowtail or Baluchi yellow swallowtail)
• Papilio arcturus (blue peacock)
• Papilio clytia or Chilasa clytia (common mime)
• Papilio demoleus (lemon butterfly or lime butterfly)

Old World swallowtail (Papilio machaon)

• Papilio machaon (common yellow swallowtail)
• Papilio polyctor or Papilio bianor (common peacock)
• Papilio polytes (common Mormon)

Papilio demoleus, Taxila

• Atrophaneura polyeuctes (common windmill)
• Pachliopta aristolochiae (common rose)

Subfamily: Pierinae (whites)

• Leptosia nina (Psyche)
• Baltia shawi (Shaw's dwarf)
• Baltia butleri (Butler’s dwarf or two-spotted dwarf)
• Euchloe charlonia (lemon white)
• Euchloe lucilla (pale lemon white)
• Euchloe belemia (striped white)
• Euchloe daphalis (pearl white)
• Pontia chloridice (lesser Bath white)
• Pontia callidice (lofty Bath white or peak white)
• Pontia daplidice (Bath white)
• Pontia glauconome (desert Bath white)
• Pieris devta (Chitral green-banded white)
• Pieris ajaka (Himalayan green-veined white or Murree green-veined white)
• Pieris deota (alpine or Kashmir large white)
• Pieris canidia (Asian cabbage white)
• Pieris rapae (small cabbage white)
• Pieris brassicae (large cabbage white)
• Aporia leucodice (Himalayan blackvein)
• Aporia nabellica (dusky blackvein)
• Delias belladonna (hill Jezebel)
• Delias sanaca (pale Jezebel)
• Delias eucharis (common Jezebel)
• Belenois aurota (pioneer)
• Cepora nerissa (common gull)
• Pareronia hippia (Indian wanderer)
• Appias libythea (western striped albatross)

Subfamily: Coliadinae (yellows)

• Catopsilia pomona (common emigrant or lemon migrant butterfly)
• Catopsilia pyranthe (mottled emigrant or white migrant butterfly)

Catopsilia pyranthe, Taxila

• Ixias pyrene (yellow orangetip)
• Ixias marianne (white orangetip) not confirmed
• Eurema hecabe (common grass yellow)
• Eurema brigitta (small grass yellow)
• Eurema laeta (short-bordered or spotless grass yellow)
• Eurema blanda (three-spot grass yellow)
• Gonepteryx rhamni (common brimstone)
• Gonepteryx mahaguru (lesser brimstone)
• Gonepteryx farinosa (Chitral brimstone) (subspecies G. f. chitralensis)
• Colias fieldii (dark clouded yellow)
• Colias erate (pale clouded yellow)

Colias erate, Taxila

• Colias marcopolo (Marcopolo's clouded yellow)
• Colias alpherakii (green clouded yellow)
• Colias wiskotti (broad-bordered clouded yellow)
• Colias stoliczkana (orange clouded yellow)
• Colias cocandica (Pamir clouded yellow)
• Colias ladakensis (Ladak clouded yellow)
• Colias eogene (fiery clouded yellow)
• Colias leechi (glaucous clouded yellow)
• Colotis amata (small salmon Arab)
• Colotis protractus (blue-spotted Arab)
• Colotis vestalis (white Arab)
• Colotis fausta (large salmon Arab)
• Colotis liagore (desert orangetip)
• Colotis etrida (little or small orangetip)

Colotis etrida, Taxila

• Colotis danae (crimsontip or scarlet-tip)

This huge family is represented in Pakistan by following 11 subfamilies:

• Charaxinae 1 species
• Apaturinae 5 species
• Calinaginae 1 species
• Biblidinae 1 species
• Nymphalinae 28 species
• Cyrestinae 1 species
• Limenitidinae 8 species
• Heliconiinae 15 species
• Danainae 4 species
• Libytheinae 2 species
• Satyrinae 55 species

Subfamily: Charaxinae (leafwings)

• Polyura athamas (common nawab)

Subfamily: Apaturinae (emperors and allies)

• Apatura ambica (Indian purple emperor)
• Hestina nicevillei (scarce siren)
• Sephisa dichroa (western courtier)
• Limenitis lepechini (Chitral white admiral)
• Limenitis trivena (Indian white admiral)

Subfamily: Calinaginae (freaks)

• Calinaga buddha (freak)

Subfamily: Biblidinae (castors etc.)

• Ariadne merione (common castor)

Ariadne merione, Taxila

Subfamily: Nymphalinae (nymphs, fritillaries, pansies, eggflies, etc.)

• Junonia hierta (yellow pansy)
• Junonia orithya (blue pansy)
• Junonia almana (peacock pansy)
• Junonia lemonias (lemon pansy)
• Junonia iphita (chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier)
• Junonia atlites (grey pansy)
• Vanessa indica (Indian red admiral)
• Vanessa atalanta (red admiral)
• Vanessa cardui (painted lady)
• Kaniska canace (blue admiral)
• Polygonia egea (eastern comma)
• Polygonia c-album (comma)
• Nymphalis vaualbum (false comma or comma tortoiseshell)
• Nymphalis xanthomelas (large tortoiseshell or scarce tortoiseshell or yellow-legged tortoiseshell)
• Nymphalis polychloros (blackleg large tortoiseshell)
• Aglais caschmirensis (Indian tortoiseshell)
• Aglais rizana (mountain tortoiseshell)
• Hypolimnas misippus (Danaid eggfly)
• Hypolimnas bolina (great eggfly)
• Melitaea shandura (Shandur fritillary)
• Melitaea persea M. p. dodgsoni (Persian fritillary or desert fritillary)
• Melitaea lutko (Balochi fritillary)
• Melitaea trivia M. t. robertsi (lesser spotted fritillary)
• Melitaea didyma M. d. mixta mixta (spotted fritillary or red-band fritillary or fiery fritillary)
• Melitaea chitralensis (Chitral redband fritillary)
• Melitaea minerva (Pamir fritillary)
• Melitaea arcesia M. s. balbita (blackvein fritillary)
• Melitaea ala or Melitaea pseudoala

Subfamily: Cyrestinae (maps)

• Cyrestis thyodamas (common map butterfly)

Subfamily: Limenitidinae (sergeants, sailers, barons, etc.)

• Limenitis trivena (Indian white admiral)
• Limenitis lepechini (Chitral white admiral)
• Athyma opalina (hill sergeant or Himalayan sergeant)
• Neptis sappho (Pallas’s sailer or common glider)
• Neptis mahendra (Himalayan sailer)
• Neptis zaida (pale-green sailer)
• Neptis soma (sullied sailer)
• Neptis nata (clear sailer)
• Euthalia aconthea (common baron)
• Euthalia patala (grand duchess)

Subfamily: Heliconiinae (heliconians or longwings)

• Phalanta phalanta (common leopard)
• Acraea violae (tawny coster or Indian acraea) synonym: Telchinia violae
• Issoria lathonia (Queen of Spain fritillary)
• Issoria isaea (Himalayan queen fritillary)
• Argynnis hyperbius (tropical or Indian fritillary)
• Argynnis pandora pasargades (cardinal or western silverstripe)
• Argynnis childreni (large silverstripe or Himalayan fritillary)
• Speyeria aglaja (dark green fritillary)
• Fabriciana jainadeva
• Fabriciana kamala (common silverstripe)
• Fabriciana argyrospilata (Afghan fritillary)
• Clossiana jerdoni (Jerdon’s silverspot)
• Clossiana hegemone (whitespot (false) fritillary)
• Boloria pales (straightwing silverspot or shephard`s fritillary)

Subfamily: Danainae (milkweed butterflies)

• Tirumala limniace (blue tiger)
• Danaus genutia (common or striped tiger or Indian monarch)
• Danaus chrysippus (plain tiger)

Danaus chrysippus, Taxila

• Euploea core (common crow)

Subfamily: Libytheinae (beaks)

• Libythea celtis (common beak)
• Libythea celtis (European beak or nettle tree butterfly)

Subfamily: Satyrinae (browns)

• Lethe verma (straight-banded tree brown)
• Lethe rohria (common tree brown)
• Lethe confusa (banded tree brown)
• Lasiommata schakra (common wall)
• Lasiommata maerula (Kashmir wall or scarce wall)
• Lasiommata ananda (Chitral wall)
• Lasiommata menava (dark wall)
• Kirinia eversmanni (yellow wall)
• Hyponephele pulchra (dusky meadow brown or beautiful meadow brown)
• Hyponephele pulchella (tawny meadow brown)
• Hyponephele carbonelli (Baltistan meadowbrown)
• Hyponephele narica (tawny branded meadow brown)
• Hyponephele lupina (Branded meadow brown or Oriental meadow brown)
• Hyponephele davendra (white-ringed meadow brown)
• Hyponephele tenuistigma (lesser white-ringed meadow brown)
• Maniola mandane (oval spot meadow brown)
• Hyponephele hilaris (Pamir meadow brown)
• Coenonympha myops subspecies macmahoni (Balochi heath)
• Hipparchia parisatis (white-edged rock brown)
• Eumenis thelephassa (Baluchi rock brown)
• Hipparchia persephone subspecies enervata (dark rock brown)
• Chazara heydenreichi subspecies shandura (Shandur rock brown)
• Pseudochazara mniszechii subspecies gilgitica (tawny rock brown) synonym: Eumenis baldiva
• Pseudochazara annieae (Annie’s rockbrown)
• Satyrus pimpla (dark or black satyr)
• Karanasa bolorica (Turkestan satyr)
• Karanasa leechi subspecies hunza (Leech’s satyr)
• Karanasa digna (Chitrali satyr) synonym: Kanetisa digna
• Karanasa pupilata (Chitral satyr)
• Karanasa modesta (modest satyr)
• Karanasa astorica (Astor satyr)
• Karanasa huebneri (tawny satyr)
• Karanasa safeda (Safed Koh satyr)
• Karanasa cadesia (Moore’s satyr)
• Hipparchia moorei (Turkestan satyr or Shandur satyr)
• Aulocera padma (great satyr)
• Aulocera swaha (common satyr)
• Aulocera saraswati (striated satyr)
• Callerebia nirmala (common argus)
• Callerebia annada (ringed argus)
• Callerebia scanda subspecies caeca (ringed argus)
• Callerebia kalinda (scarce mountain argus)
• Callerebia shallada (mountain argus)
• Paralasa mani (yellow argus) synonym: Erebia mani
• Ypthima inica (lesser threering)
• Ypthima nareda (large threering)
• Ypthima asterope (common threering or African ringlet)
• Ypthima huebneri (common fourring)
• Ypthima bolanica (desert fourring)
• Ypthima lisandra (jewel fourring) or Ypthima avanta
• Ypthima baldus (common fivering)
• Ypthima nikaea (Moore’s fivering or West Himalayan five-ring) formerly Ypthima sakra (Himalayan fivering)
• Melanitis leda (common evening brown)
• Mycalesis perseus (common bush brown)
• Mycalesis nicotia (bright-eyed bush brown)

Subfamily: Polyommatinae (blues)

• Castalius rosimon (common Pierrot)
• Tarucus balkanicus nigra (Balkan Pierrot or little tiger blue)
• Tarucus nara synonym: Tarucus extricatus (striped or rounded Pierrot)
• Tarucus indicus (Indian Pierrot)
• Tarucus rosacea or Tarucus mediterraneae (Balochistan Pierrot or Mediterranean Pierrot)
• Tarucus callinara (spotted Pierrot)
• Tarucus venosus (Himalayan Pierrot or viened Pierrot)
• Tarucus hazara (Hazara Pierrot)
• Leptotes plinius (zebra blue)
• Azanus jesous (African babul blue or topaz-spotted blue)
• Azanus ubaldus (bright babul blue or desert babul blue-or-velvet-spotted blue)
• Azanus uranus (dull babul blue or Indian babul blue)
• Cupido buddhista shandua (Shandur Cupid or Buddhist blue)
• Cupido deporides (Himalayan Cupid or Chapman`s Cupid)
• Cupido argiades indica (short-tailed blue or tailed Cupid)
• Cupido huegelii (dusky-blue Cupid)
• Celastrina huegeli (large hedge blue)
• Celastrina ladonides or Celastrina gigas? (silvery hedge blue)
• Celastrina argiolus subspecies kollari (holly blue or hill hedge blue)
• Acytolepis puspa (common hedge blue)
• Oreolyce vardhana (dusky hedge blue)
• Pseudophilotes vicrama (lesser chequered blue or eastern baton blue)
• Aricia agestis subspecies nazira (brown argus)
• Eumedonia astorica (Astor argus)
• Eumedonia eumedon (streaked argus or geranium argus)
• Plebejus kwaja (dark jewel blue)
• Plebejus christophe (small jewel blue)
• Plebejus baroghila (Baroghil jewel blue)
• Kretania beani (Balochi jewel blue or zephyr blue)
• Turanana cytis subspecies laspura (spotted argus blue)
• Turanana chitrali (Chitral argus blue)
• Agriades pheretiades (Tien Shan blue)
• Agriades jaloka (greenish mountain blue or Jaloka mountain blue)
• Agriades asiatica (azure mountain blue)
• Afarsia iris (jewel argus)
• Afarsia sieversii felicia (pale jewel blue)
• Pamiria omphisa (dusky green underwing)
• Glaucopsyche alexis (western green underwing or green-underside blue)
• Iolana gigantea subspecies gilgitica (Gilgit mountain blue)
• Plebejidea loewii (large jewel blue)
• Alpherakya sarta (brilliant meadow blue)
• Alpherakya devanica (dusky meadow blue)
• Polyommatus bogra (Balochi meadow blue)
• Polyommatus icarus (common blue or violet meadow blue)
• Polyommatus eros (common meadow blue)
• Polyommatus florenciae (silvery meadow blue)
• Chilades lajus (lime blue)
• Luthrodes contracta (small Cupid)
• Luthrodes pandava (plains Cupid or cycad blue)
• Freyeria trochylus (southern grass jewel)
• Pseudozizeeria maha (pale grass blue)
• Zizeeria karsandra (dark grass blue)
• Lachides galba subspecies phiala (small desert blue or Persian grass blue)
• Zizina otis (lesser grass blue)
• Zizula hylax or Zizula gaika (tiny grass blue or Gaika blue)
• Euchrysops cnejus (gram blue or spotted pea blue)
• Catochrysops strabo (forget-me-not)
• Lampides boeticus (pea blue or long-tailed pea blue)
• Jamides celeno (common cerulean)
• Jamides bochus (dark cerulean)
• Prosotas nora (common lineblue or Nora lineblue or long-tailed lineblue)
• Prosotas dubiosa (tailless lineblue or small purple lineblue)

Subfamily: Lycaeninae (coppers and sapphires)

• Lycaena metallica (small green underwing)
• Lycaena galathea (large green underwing)
• Lycaena pavana (white-bordered copper)
• Lycaena phlaeas (small copper or common copper)
• Lycaena kasyapa (green copper)
• Lycaena solskyi subspecies aditya (golden copper)
• Lycaena caspius (purple copper)
• Lycaena phoenicurus (Baluchi copper)
• Lycaena lampon (Persian fiery copper)
• Heliophorus sena (sorrel sapphire)
• Heliophorus bakeri (western blue sapphire)
• Heliophorus tamu ([owdery green sapphire)

Subfamily: Theclinae (hairstreaks and allies)

• Neolycaena connae (Baluchi hairstreak)
• Callophrys rubi (green hairstreak)
• Superflua sassanides (whiteline hairstreak)
• Euaspa milionia (water hairstreak)
• Thecla ziha (white-spotted hairstreak)
• Chrysozephyrus ataxus (wonderful hairstreak)
• Chrysozephyrus syla (silver hairstreak)
• Chaetoprocta odata (walnut blue)
• Arhopala dodonaea (pale Himalayan oakblue)
• Amblypodia rama (dark Himalayan oakblue)
• Arhopala alemon (Indian oakblue)
• Panchala ganesa (tailless bushblue or tailless oakblue)
• Tajuria cippus (peacock royal)
• Deudoryx epijarbas (cornelian)
• Virachola isocrates (common guava blue)
• Rapala manea (slate flash)
• Rapala iarbus (common red flash)
• Rapala nissa (common flash)
• Rapala extensa (Chitral flash)
• Baspa melampus (Indian red flash)
• Bidaspa selira (Himalayan red flash)
• Tomares callimachus (red copper)

Subfamily: Aphnaeinae

• Cigaritis epargyros (yellow silverline)
• Cigaritis acamas (tawny silverline or Arab leopard)
• Cigaritis vulcanus (common silverline)
• Cigaritis ictis (common shot silverline)
• Cigaritis elima (scarce shot silverline)

Subfamily: Nemeobiinae (punches)

• Dodona durga (common punch)
• Dodona dipoea (lesser punch)
• Dodona eugenes (tailed punch)

Subfamily: Coeliadinae (awls)

• Bibasis sena (orangetail awl or pale-green awlet)
• Hasora chromus (common banded awl)
• Badamia exclamationis (brown awl)
• Choaspes xanthopogon (similar awlking or Indian awlking)

Subfamily: Pyrginae (spread-winged skippers: flats and angles)

• Celaenorrhinus leucocera (common spotted flat)
• Celaenorrhinus munda (Himalayan spotted flat)
• Sarangesa purendra subspecies pandra (spotted small flat)
• Seseria dohertyi (contiguous seseria or Himalayan white flat)
• Lobocla liliana (marbled flat)
• Tagiades cohaerens subspecies cynthia (Evans’s snow flat)
• Caprona agama (spotted angle)
• Caprona alida (yellow-spotted or Alida angle)

Subfamily: Hesperinae (grass skippers: swifts and darts etc.)

• Gomalia elma (marbled skipper or African mallow skipper)
• Spialia galba (Indian skipper or Indian grizzled skipper)
• Spialia sertorius = Syrichtus orbifer carnea (red-underwing skipper or brick skipper)
• Spialia phlomidis (Persian skipper or Balochi skipper)
• Spialia geron = Spialia doris evanida (Aden skipper)
• Muschampia staudingeri (Syrian skipper or streaked skipper)
• Hesperia alpina subspecies alichurensis (mountain skipper)
• Pyrgus cashmirensis (Kashmir skipper)
• Carcharodus altheae (tufted marbled skipper)
• Carcharodus alceae (plain marbled skipper or mallow skipper)
• Nisoniades marloyi (marloyi)
• Erynnis pathan (Chitral inky skipper) [synonym: Nisoniades marloyi ?]
• Aeromachus stigmata (veined scrub hopper)
• Suastus gremius (palm bob)
• Notocrypta feisthamelii (spotted demon)
• Halpe homolea (Indian/Ceylon ace)
• Actinor radians (veined dart)
• Taractrocera danna (Himalayan grass dart)
• Taractrocera maevius (common or Oriental grass dart)
• Potanthus dara (Himalayan dart)
• Telicota bambusae (dark palm dart)
• Telicota colon (pale palm dart or pale-orange darter)
• Pamphila comma (chequered darter or silver-spotted skipper)
• Polytremis eltola (yellow spot swift)
• Polytremis discreta (white-fringed swift or Himalayan swift)
• Pelopidas mathias (dark small-branded swift, small branded swift, lesser millet skipper or black branded swift or rice skipper)
• Pelopidas agna (obscure branded or dark branded swift)
• Pelopidas thrax (white-branded swift)
• Parnara guttata (common straight swift)
• Pseudoborbo bevani (Bevan's swift or lesser rice swift)
• Gegenes nostrodamus (dingy swift, light pygmy skipper or Mediterranean skipper)
• Gegenes pumilio (pygmy swift or pygmy skipper or dark Hottentot)
• Eogenes alcides (alcides skipper or torpedo)
• Eogenes lesliei (Leslie's hopper)

• Pakistan Agriculture Research Council
• Evans, W. H. (1927). The Identification of Indian Butterflies. The Diocesan Press, Madras: Bombay Natural History Society.
• Koçak A.O; Kemal M. (12 July 2014), Preliminary annotated checklist of the species recorded in Pakistan; Cesa news, Ankara. Nr.96
• Naz, F., M. Ilyas, M. Ashfaque and A. Shahzad. 2010. The genus Junonia (Lepidoptera: nymphalidae) in Pakistan. Sarhad J. Agric. 26(2): 267-270.
• Pages, J. A new Pseudochazara from Pakistan (15.11.2007). Nota lepid. 30 (2): 361 – 365. ISSN 0342-7536.
• Pages, J. Charmeux J.F. 2004. Une nouvelle espèce du genre Turanana du Pakistan (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) ; Phegea 32 (2) (1.VI.2004): 63-69.
• Paul Van Gasse; Butterflies of India – Annotated Checklist.
• Roberts, T.J. 2001. Butterflies of Pakistan, Oxford Univ. Press, 5- Bangalore Town, Shahra-e-Faisal, Karachi, Pakistan.
• Ashfaq, M. et al. 2013. DNA barcode analysis of butterfly species from Pakistan points towards regional endemism. Molecular Ecology Resources. 13(5):832-43. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.12131.