New Hampshire is home to various stunning butterflies with over 130 documented butterfly species, from the common Clouded Sulphur to the majestic Monarch butterfly.

Since we cannot cover all the species of New Hampshire Butterflies, I have made a list of the 16 most Common Butterflies in New Hampshire and also provide some identifying features to help you tell them apart.

I will also include pictures of each butterfly so you can better look at their unique identification.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced butterfly enthusiast, this article is an excellent resource for learning about the butterflies of New Hampshire.

Also see: 16 Most Common Butterflies In Connecticut: Pictures And Identifying Features

16 Common Butterflies You Will See in New Hampshire

#1. Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Danaus	D. plexippus

In New Hampshire, monarch butterflies are among the most common species. From the highest mountains to the most southern beaches, you can spot them all over the state.

Identifying Features: 

Monarchs are large butterflies with a wingspan of 3.5 to 4 inches.

A Monarch butterfly’s orange and black wings, spotted in white, make it easy to identify a monarch butterfly. A fully grown Monarch butterfly can have a wing span of up to 4 inches.

Behavior of Monarch Butterfly

• The monarch butterfly is a migratory species that travels great distances to reach its wintering grounds. The eastern United States and Canada’s Monarch butterfly population spends the winter in Mexico. They travel back to New Hampshire and other northern states in the United States in the spring.
• To this day, milkweed remains the sole food source for the monarch butterfly, a herbivore. The milkweed plant is toxic, but the monarch butterfly resists its effects. The milkweed’s toxins make the butterflies unpleasant to the taste of any potential predators, ensuring the Monarch butterfly population’s continued existence.

The southern part of New Hampshire is where you’re most likely to see a monarch butterfly, but you can find them all over the State. As caterpillars, they can only eat milkweed, so look for Monarch in open areas with plenty of milkweed.

#2. Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Vanessa	V. atalanta

Another striking butterfly found in New Hampshire is the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). The Red Admiral butterfly is a popular attraction for local nature lovers due to its eye-catching coloration and intricate wing pattern.

Identifying Features

The black wings of a Red Admiral butterfly are easily distinguished by the orange and white markings that are scattered across them.

A fully grown Red Admiral butterfly can have a wing span of up to 7.5 centimeters (3 inches).

Behavior of Red Admiral butterfly

• The Red Admiral butterfly’s migratory habits are one of its most fascinating features.

The Red Admiral butterfly migrates seasonally, just like the Monarch butterfly. When spring arrives, they head north for warmer temperatures and flowering plants. Then, as the temperatures drop in the fall, they head south to warmer climates searching for breeding sites.

The New Hampshire Red Admiral feeds on nectar from flowers and overripe fruits. Common garden flowers like asters, milkweed, and butterfly bush all attract these insects.

#3. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Vane Baltimore Checkerspot ssa	V. cardui

New Hampshire is home to the Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa Cardui), a widely known and popular butterfly species. It is easy to recognize its intricate and distinctive wing patterns in gardens, meadows, and other natural habitats across the state.

Identifying Features 

The Painted Lady butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 2 to 2.8 inches.

It is characterized by its unique appearance. Its wings are brownish-orange with black and white markings.

The intricate pattern of eyespots on the forewings is captivating, while the delicate color bands are found on the hindwings.

These colors and patterns attract mates and serve as a defensive mechanism against predators.

Behavior of Painted Lady butterfly

In New Hampshire, it is known that Painted Ladies migrate to and from breeding grounds.

Temperature changes, food availability, and other environmental factors influence these migrations.

The Painted Lady butterfly is a pollinator that feeds on nectar-rich plants.

The Painted Lady butterfly is particularly fond of zinnias and sunflowers.

#4. Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Limenitis Baltimore Checkerspot ssa	L. archippus

The Viceroy butterfly can be found in New Hampshire from the mountains to the coast.

The Viceroy butterfly is found in meadows, gardens, and other open areas. Viceroy butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers such as milkweeds, thistles, and asters.

Identifying Features

The Viceroy butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan ranging from 2.75 to 3.25 inches (7 to 8.3 cm).

This butterfly has orange wings with black veins and borders.

It resembles the Monarch butterfly but can be distinguished by a black line across its hindwings.

The Viceroy also has a more rounded shape compared to the Monarch.

The Viceroy’s wings are covered in scales that give them a velvety appearance. The undersides of its wings are lighter in color, with a pale orange hue.

The Viceroy has a distinctive black line across the hindwings, which helps differentiate it from similar species.

Behaviors of Viceroy Butterfly

• The Viceroy butterfly is known for its slow and leisurely flight. It can often be found near wetland areas and meadows.
• This butterfly relies on mimicry, imitating the appearance of the toxic Monarch butterfly to deter potential predators.

The leaves of willow and poplar trees are preferred foods for the viceroy caterpillar.

#5. Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Limenitis	L. arthemis

The Red-spotted Purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) is a beautiful and unusual butterfly species found in New Hampshire.

While it may sound like a close relative of the Red Admiral or the Monarch, this butterfly belongs to the genus Limenitis,

Identifying Features

The Red-spotted Purple is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 inches (6.4 to 8.9 cm).

This butterfly has dark blue-black wings with iridescent blue scales. The upper side of its wings features red spots near the base and along the outer edges.

When the wings are open, the blue coloration and red spots create a striking contrast.

The Red-spotted Purple butterfly resembles the Pipevine Swallowtail, a poisonous butterfly.

This mimicry protects from predators. Under of its wings is a mottled brown color with a metallic silver-blue band. It also has a row of orange spots near the outer edges.

Behaviors of Red-spotted Purple

• The Red-spotted Purple is known for its swift and agile flight. It is often seen gliding and swooping through forested areas.

This butterfly strongly prefers wooded habitats and is rarely found in open spaces.

#6. White Admiral

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Limenitis	L. camilla

Although the White Admiral butterfly can be found all over New Hampshire, it is most common in the state’s southern regions.

Identifying Features:

The wingspan of an adult, White Admiral butterfly is between 3 and 3.5 inches. It’s primarily black, with a white band down the middle of its upper wings.

The undersides of the wings are black with a white band and a pattern of red spots and blue dashes running from the white band to the wingtips.

Their caterpillars have brown, cream, and yellow patterns and are characterized by angular, lumpy body segments and horns that resemble twigs.

Behaviors of Admiral Butterfly

• The White Admiral butterfly mimics the Red-Spotted Purple. That’s right; it’s evolved to mimic the Red-Spotted Purple butterfly, which is not remotely related. The White Admiral butterfly is thought to avoid being eaten by predators because it can pass for a Red-Spotted Purple butterfly.

The diet of the White Admiral butterfly varies greatly. Adults rely heavily on nectar from flowers, particularly a wide variety of wildflowers such as milkweed, joe-pye weed, and thistles.

Caterpillars only eat birch, aspen, and cherry trees, among other species.

To increase your chances of seeing White Admiral butterflies in New Hampshire, it is best to look in wooded areas that receive a good deal of sunlight, as this creates the best conditions for these insects to fly and feed.

You can find them in the clearings of forests, along the edges of forests, and near water sources.

#7. Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis Pegala)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Cercyonis	C. pegala

As its name suggests, the Common Wood Nymph butterfly is most at home in sunny woodlands, forest edges, and open areas.

They can be spotted flitting about stately among the trees and bushes along the paths and trails where sunlight filters through the canopy.

Identifying Features

The Common Wood Nymph butterfly is visually striking despite its understated appearance. Females are typically larger than males, with an average wing span of 2.75 inches (7 cm).

The tops of the wings are colored in natural tones like brown and orange, making them look right at home in the forest.

As a defense mechanism against predators, the wings have tiny spots that resemble eyes along the edges.

Behaviors of Common Wood Nymph butterfly:

• The Common Wood Nymph butterfly is highly camouflaged because of its underside with shades of brown that blend into their surroundings making it difficult to be seen by predators.
• When they rest on the ground with their wings closed, they blend into their surroundings and evade detection by predators by appearing to be dead leaves or dried foliage.

#8. Pearl Crescent Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Phyciodes	P. tharos

Identifying Features: 

The Pearl Crescent is a small to medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan from 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm).

The Pearl Crescent has rounded wings and a compact body. Its wings have a textured surface, and the pearl crescents on the undersides are a key identifying feature.

The overall coloration is orange-brown with black markings.

This butterfly has orange-brown wings with black markings. The upper side of its wings has a mottled appearance, while the undersides are lighter in color.

The wings also feature a row of small pearl-like crescent-shaped spots near the outer edges.

Behaviors of Pearl Crescent

• It has a quick and darting flight close to the ground.
• These butterflies display a slight sexual dimorphism, with females having wings that are typically slightly larger and more rounded than males. 
• The Pearl Crescent butterfly is known for its fascinating habit of sunbathing. They rest with their wings spread out to the sun to maintain a healthy temperature and increase their energy levels.

The Pearl Crescent is often found in open habitats such as meadows, fields, and roadsides.

This butterfly is known to visit various flowers, especially those from the aster family.

#9. Question Mark Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Polygoniaa	P. interrogationis

These butterflies fly distinctively, with their wings flapping up and down and then gliding. They fly pretty fast, making it hard for people to get a good look at them.

Identifying Features:

The Question Mark is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 2.25 to 2.75 inches (5.7 to 7 cm).

The Question Mark has relatively rounded wings and a compact body.

Its wings have a textured surface with intricate brown, cream, and gray patterns. The silver question mark on the forewings is a key identifying feature.

This butterfly has brown wings with intricate patterns and markings. The upper side of its wings has a mottled appearance, while the undersides are lighter in color.

The forewings feature a silver question mark-shaped marking near the apex.

Behaviors of Question Mark

• It has a slow and fluttery flight, often seen perching on tree trunks or the ground. This butterfly is known to feed on rotting fruits and tree sap.
• The underside of a Question Mark butterfly is strikingly mottled, looking like a dead leaf. The butterfly’s ability to blend in with its forest environment makes it less obvious to potential predators.

The Question Mark butterfly prefers the shade of trees, so it is most often spotted in deciduous forests, along forest edges, and clearings among trees. Streams and rivers are frequent locations because they provide water and food.

#10. Spring Azure Butterfly (Celastrina ladon)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Lycaenidae	Celastrina	C. ladon

The Spring Azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon) is a beautiful and graceful insect throughout North America, including New Hampshire.

Identifying Features:

The Spring Azure is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 0.75 to 1.25 inches (1.9 to 3.2 cm).

The Spring Azure has rounded wings and a slender body. Its wings are relatively smooth, lacking prominent markings or patterns.

The pale blue coloration gives it an ethereal and delicate appearance.

This delicate butterfly has pale blue wings. The males have a bluish hue, while the females’ wings display a more silvery appearance. Both the upper and undersides of its wings have the same coloration.

Unique Behaviors:

• It has a delicate and fluttery flight pattern, gliding from flower to flower in search of nectar. This butterfly is often seen in the company of other small butterfly species.
• The Spring Azure butterfly is one of the first to come out in the spring. This happens between March and early May in New Hampshire, hence their name.
• They don’t live very long, but nature lovers look forward to seeing them because they show that the seasons are changing.

The Spring Azure frequents open habitats, including meadows, gardens, and woodland edges.

#11. Eastern Tailed-Blue Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Lycaenidae	Cupido	C. comyntas

You can spot the charming and diminutive Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly in New Hampshire. The unique tail-like extensions on its hindwings and the delicate beauty of this butterfly make it stand out, despite its small size.

Identifying Features: 

The Eastern Tailed Blue is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 0.75 to 1 inch (1.9 to 2.5 cm).

The Eastern Tailed-Blue has relatively rounded wings and a compact body.

The black border and tail-like projection are distinctive features for identification.

Its wings have a smooth texture and lack prominent markings.

This butterfly has light blue wings with a black border and a thin tail-like projection on its hindwings.

The blue coloration is more vibrant in males, while females’ wings display a slightly paler shade.

Unique Behaviors:

• It has a quick and fluttery flight, often flying close to the ground.
• The Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly flies from late spring to early summer.

The best places in New Hampshire you will see Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies are open areas with many wildflowers, especially those with legumes and clovers, which the butterflies’ caterpillars eat.

They are familiar sights in and around gardens and other locations with abundant flowers that provide a nectar source.

#12. Common Buckeye Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Nymphalidae	Junonia	J. coenia

Identifying Features:

The Common Buckeye is a butterfly of medium-sized with a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.6 inches (4.4 to 6.6 cm).

The Common Buckeye has a unique and recognizable wing pattern, with the prominent eyespots being its most distinctive feature.

The wings are textured, and the intricate markings provide excellent camouflage.

This butterfly has brown wings with prominent orange eyespots on the upper side. The forewings feature two large eyespots, while the hindwings have a row of smaller eyespots.

The undersides of its wings are marbled with intricate patterns of brown, cream, and black.

Unique Behaviors: 

• It has a fast and erratic flight, often perching on low vegetation.
• This butterfly is known for its territorial behavior, defending its favorite perching spots.
• The Common Buckeye has some fascinating habits, including seasonal migration. In some areas, the birds migrate great distances during the breeding and feeding seasons.

The Common Buckeye can be found in various open habitats, including meadows, fields, and roadsides.

#13. Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Pieridae	Colias	C. philodice

The Clouded Sulphur butterfly is widespread across New Hampshire, from its interior to its coastal plains. It prefers open spaces like meadows, fields, and gardens in the wild.

Flower nectar from plants like clover, alfalfa, and milkweed sustains the Clouded Sulphur butterfly.

Identifying Features: 

The Clouded Sulphur is a small butterfly with a wingspan ranging from 1.25 to 2.5 inches (3.2 to 6.4 cm).

The Clouded Sulphur has rounded wings and a relatively small body. Its wings have a smooth texture and lack distinct patterns or markings.

The pale yellow coloration helps it blend in with flowers and foliage.

This butterfly has pale yellow wings with a subtle greenish hue. The wings are slightly translucent, allowing light to pass through.

The males have more vibrant yellow coloration compared to the females.

Unique Behaviors:

• The Clouded Sulphur is an active butterfly with swift and erratic flight.
• Clouded Sulphur butterflies have an underside that is a pale greenish-yellow with subtle darker markings, making them nearly undetectable when perched on flowers or foliage.

 It can often fly low to the ground, visiting a wide range of open habitats such as fields, meadows, and gardens. This butterfly has a strong affinity for nectar-rich flowers.

#14. Orange Sulphur Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Pieridae	Colias	C. eurytheme

Orange Sulphur butterflies are found all over New Hampshire, including the mountains and the coast.

The most common places to find them are fields, gardens, and meadows.

Orange Sulphur Butterflies feed on flowers like clover, milkweed, and alfalfa.

Identifying Features:

The Orange Sulphur is a small to medium-sized butterfly having a wingspan ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 inches (3.8 to 6.4 cm).

The Orange Sulphur has relatively rounded wings and a compact body.

Its wings have a slightly textured appearance, and the black borders and spots create a striking contrast against the orange background.

This butterfly features bright orange wings with black borders and spots. The upper side of its wings has a vibrant orange coloration, while the undersides are a paler shade of orange.

Unique Behaviors of Orange Sulphur Butterflies

• It has a rapid and erratic flight pattern, rushing from one flower to another in search of nectar.
• Orange Sulphur Butterflies have a unique “hilltopping” behavior. It is when they fly up to the tops of mountains or hills to bask in sunlight. Hilltopping helps butterflies warm up and find mates.

The Orange Sulphur is a common butterfly found in many open habitats, including gardens, fields, and roadsides.

#15. American Copper Butterfly

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Lycaenidae	Lycaena	L. phlaeas

The charming American Copper butterfly can be found in its natural habitat in several places across New Hampshire, where visitors can get up close and personal with this beautiful creature.

Identifying Features:

The American Copper is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 0.75 to 1.25 inches (1.9 to 3.2 cm).

This butterfly has copper-colored wings with black spots and borders. The upper side of its wings is predominantly orange-brown, while the undersides have a coppery sheen.

American Copper has a delicate and petite appearance. Its wings are rounded and slightly scalloped along the edges.

The copper coloration is distinctive and sets it apart from other butterfly species.

Unique Behaviors:

• It has a quick and darting flight close to the ground, resembling a skipping motion. This butterfly basks in the sun, perching on low vegetation.
• The territorial tendencies of the American Copper butterfly are well-known as an intriguing trait of this species. Males often perch on relatively high areas, such as tall grasses or low shrubs, to mark their territory.
• When disturbed, American Copper butterflies display a rapid and erratic flight pattern, making them difficult to observe closely. Their ability to fly helps them avoid predators and ensures their survival in the wild.

American Copper can often be found in grassy areas, meadows, and open woodlands.

#16. Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Lepidoptera	Papilionidae	Papilio	P. polyxenes

Papilio polyxenes, commonly known as the Black Swallowtail butterfly, is a beautiful and widely distributed species in New Hampshire and the rest of North America.

Its black wings are marked with bright yellow markings and rows of blue spots near the edges of its hind wings, making it stand out among other species.

Identifying Features Black Swallowtail Butterfly

The Black Swallowtail Butterfly is a butterfly of medium size with a wing span that ranges between 2.5 and 3.5 inches.

It has yellow and white markings on its wings in addition to its black body.

The Black Swallowtail butterfly resembles the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, but the Black Swallowtail butterfly is somewhat smaller and has wings that are shaped in a more pointed manner.

Behaviors of Black Swallowtail butterfly

• Black Swallowtail Butterflies are well-known for the peculiar behavior of osmeterium that they exhibit. This gland has several branches and can be found at the bottom of the abdomen. When the butterfly senses that it is in danger, it will extend its osmeterium, which causes a putrid odor to be released. It is believed that the smell will discourage potential predators.
• The Black Swallowtail butterfly is notable for its unusual “false head” or “false eye” defense mechanism. The butterfly’s significant, eye-like markings on its hindwings are revealed when it folds its wings together in defense. This strategy gives the impression of a larger and scarier creature, which may deter predators.

In New Hampshire, Black Swallowtail butterflies can be seen in several habitats. You can frequently spot them in open areas like meadows, gardens, fields, and woods. As adults, they seek out fields abundant with flowers that provide a nectar food source.

CONCLUSION: 16 Most Common New Hampshire butterflies (Identifying features with pictures)

There are many species of stunning butterflies in New Hampshire, and we have examined 16 of New Hampshire’s most common butterflies and listed characteristics that help tell them apart.

For a closer look at each butterfly’s distinctive patterns, we’ve included photos of them.

This guide is a fantastic resource for learning about the butterflies of New Hampshire, whether you’re a complete novice or a seasoned expert.

We’re glad you found this blog post interesting and hope you’ll take a moment to admire these incredible creatures. You’ll soon recognize these butterflies just by looking at them.