Butterfly Species in the Southwest
From the magnificent Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) to the migratory Monarch (Danaus plexippus), there are an amazing variety of beautiful butterfly species found throughout the southwest states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. There are five main Butterfly Families found in the Southwest including: Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae), Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae), Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae), Metalmarks (Family Riodinidae), Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae), and Skippers (Family Hesperiidae). 
Listed in their family orders, here's some of various Butterfly Species
found in the Southwest:
Swallowtails      Whites and Sulphurs       Gossamer-wing Butterflies     Metalmarks
Brush-footed Butterflies       Skippers     Complete List of Species
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Swallowtails (Family Papilionidae) - Their large size, bright colors and graceful flight make this family very noticeable. Many of the species have tails with eyespots on the hindwings. These colorful eyespots fool predators such as birds into thinking that the butterfly's tail is their head region, so that they will attack the tail of the butterfly instead of the head, allowing the butterfly to escape with no more damage than a piece taken from its wing. Another form of protection - in their early larval stages, Swallowtail caterpillars resemble bird droppings. The caterpillars feed on broad-leafed deciduous trees such as citrus trees, and carrot leaves.
Swallowtail Species found in the Southwest include:
1. Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) who is yellow and black 'tiger-striped'.
2. Pipevine Swallowtail (battus philenor) who is iridescent blue-black.
3. Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudatus) who is very the colorful.
4. Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) who has a distinctive diagonal yellow band and yellow margin stripes.
5. Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) who is yellow and black has blue spots and orange eyespots.
6. Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) who is pale cream with black stripes, broad black borders, and twisted tails.
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Whites and Sulphurs (Family Pieridae) - This family is split into two subfamilies - the whites (Pierinae), and the sulphurs (Coliadinae). Whites and sulphurs are quite common and its member butterflies are usually white, yellow or orange. Some species actually change colors with the season - the broods early in the year are darker, and several of the female sulphurs will be white. Many of the white feed on mustard plants, and the sulphurs enjoy legume plants like alfalfa, Senna, or Lotus. A large number of this family make mass one-way fights north, then die out during cold winters.
White and Sulphur Butterfly Species found in the Southwest include:
1. Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) who is white but has one or two black spots
2. Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) who is yellow-orange in color with black spots and wing edges.
3. Sara Orangetip (Anthocharis sara) who is white with bright orange tips on their forewings
4. California Dogface (Colias eurydice) who is California's state butterfly.
5. Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) who is desert-loving, and bright yellow.
6. Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) who is deep orange with brown spotting.
7. Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) who one of the smallest sulphurs and is also migratory.
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Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae) - Most of this family is made up of small butterflies - the Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis) is one of the smallest butterflies in the world. This beautiful family is divided into three subfamilies - the coppers (Lycaeninae) and the blues (Polyommatinae) who are both named primarily for their colors, and the hairstreaks (Theclinae) named primarily for their hairlike hindwing projections. However, there are some species who do not live up to their 'colorful' or 'hairy' names. Adult butterflies love to feed on nectar, and the caterpillars will feed on flowers or buds on plants - and sometimes even the fruit.
Gossamer-wing Butterfly Species found in the Southwest include:
1. Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota) who is coppery-brown and orange marked.
2. Colorado Hairstreak (Hypaurotis crysalus) who is purple and light gray-brown with orange spots, and has two prominent tails.
3. Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus) who is iridescent blue, has 3 distinctive reddish spots, a bright blue patch, and two black tails.
4. Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) who is rusty-brown with subtle tinges of green, and prominent white lines.
5. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) who is gray with distinct orange spots on its hindwings and near its long black tail.
6. Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis) who is orange-brown, and is the smallest butterfly in the world.
7. Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) who is migratory, with light brown and off-white banding.
8. Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola) who is migratory, and light gray-brown.
9. Western Tailed Blue (Everes amyntula), who is low-flying and pale blue.
10. Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) who is silvery pale blue.
11. Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides), who is the largest North American blue.
12. Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) who is blue with bright orange trailing and black spots.
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Metalmarks (Family Riodinidae) - Aptly named for their metallic markings, they love nectar and will feed on the same flower for quite a while - making them easy to watch. With most of the metalmark species found south of the border, there are only a few species found in the Southwest.
Metalmark Butterfly Species found in the Southwest include:
1. Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo), who is variably patterned with reddish-brown and black, and has bright white spots.
2. Palmer's Metalmark (Apodemia palmeri), who is dark brown and gray with copper highlights, and has small white spots.
3. Wright's Metalmark (Calephelis wrighti), who is red-brown, and found in washes, canyons and desert oases.
4. Sonoran Metalmark (Apodemia mejicanus) who is orange-brown to black checkered, with black and white spots, and a yellow-orange to brick-red patch.
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Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae) - Brush-foots are quite a big family of medium sized butterflies, with many species such as longwings and fritillaries, checkerspots and crescents, admirals, satyrs, and milkwood butterflies like the famous Monarchs. This family is known to usually have orange in their wings and a small pair of forelegs that have lots of tiny hairs (hence the name brush-foot), which the females use to 'taste' food plants where they want to lay their eggs. Many of the species are strong in flight and are migratory. The adult butterflies feed on nectar and other food sources such as carrion, and tree sap.
Brush-foot Butterfly Species found in the Southwest include:
1. Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) who is glowing orange-red with black spots and lines.
2. Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) who is pale orange with lots of black lines and spots.
3. Field Crescent (Phyciodes campestris) who is a blackish brown with orange and yellow spots.
4. Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta) who is orange with black wavy lines and dark borders.
5. Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) who is black and orange with splashes of cream, and has red-orange spots on the margins.
6. Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) who is mostly dark brown but has a distinctive row of bright blue spots and creamy yellow on the edges.
7. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) who is the migratory from Mexico, is orange and black with a variety of colored markings.
8. West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) who is similar to the Painted Lady but has an orange bar (not cream) on its forewing tip.
9. Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) who is mostly brownish black but has a prominent orange-red semicircle, and white spots on the forewing tips.
10. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) who is brown with prominently eyespots, and is territorial. 
11. Weidmeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii) who is boldly blackish with broad white bands and small white spots. 
12. California Sister (Adelpha bredowii) who is black with a white band across its wings, and has a large orange spot near the front tip.
13. Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) who is tawny with blackish tints, and white and black spots.
14. Canyona Satyr (Cyllopsis pertepida) who is a light reddish-brown with lots of brown lines, silvery edges, and small dark spots.
15. Riding's Satyr (Neominois ridingsii) who is a patterned dark brown with unique light gray-brown oval patches, and has two prominent eyespots on the forewings. 
16. Queen (Danaus gilippus) is a beautiful rich brown-orange with a dark border, and has white spots on the forewings.
17. Monarch (Danaus plexippus) who is migratory, and is orange with black veins, and has orange and white spotted black margins.
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Skippers (Family Hesperiidae) - Skippers often get confused with moths because they have fatter bodies, and are not as colorful as most butterflies. They do however have clubbed antennae like butterflies. Darker than most butterflies, they usually have similar patterns of brown and orange. Many skipper caterpillars pupate in the leaves of their food plant which they sew together with 'silk. 
Skipper Butterfly Species found in the Southwest include:
1. Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) who is chocolate brown with golden patches on the forewings, and has a large silver patch on the hindwings.
2. Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) who is a dark gray-brown with dark mottling, has small clear spots and a trailing white edge.
3. Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis) who is dark brown with a white checkered pattern, and is territorial.
4. Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) who is orange, and often found in towns, lawns, and agricultural areas.
5. Common Branded Skipper (Hesperia comma) who is a light-tawny color with a variable white pattern.
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For a list of Butterfly species including photos and descriptions,
click on these links:
Arizona Butterfly Species:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/az/toc.htm
California Butterfly Species:
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resourse/distr/lepid/bflyusa/ca/toc.htm
Colorado Butterfly Species:
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/co/toc.htm
Nevada Butterfly Species:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/nv/toc.htm
New Mexico Butterfly Species:
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/nm/toc.htm
Utah Butterfly Species:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa