The World's 9 Most Endangered Butterflies

Found in Central and South America's rainforests, both males and females display iridescent blue, with females also showing brown edges and white spots.

Blue Morpho

Endemic to Washington's San Juan Islands, this butterfly was rediscovered in 1998 after being thought extinct. Endangered since 2020, it's a subspecies of the Large Marble butterfly.

Island Marble Butterfly

Native to southern Florida and the Caribbean, this butterfly has a wingspan of 3.25 to 3.75 inches. Its blackish-brown wings with yellow markings and rust-colored hindwings adorned with blue blotches make it distinctive.

Schaus Swallowtail

Resembling a zebra with its black and white stripes, this butterfly features red spots at the wing bases. 

Zebra Longwing

This colorful butterfly from New Guinea's mountains has males displaying brilliant green and yellow, while larger females are dark brown with white spots and predominantly white hindwings.

Chimaera Birdwing

This unique swallowtail butterfly has oval-shaped forewings and multiple tails on the hindwings. Its black wings are adorned with wavy white or cream vertical lines, making it stand out.

Bhutan Glory

Named after an English queen, females of this butterfly species have a wingspan of 9.8 to 11 inches and weigh up to 0.42 ounces. Found only in Papua New Guinea's Oro Province, females have brown and white wings, while smaller males are sparkling blue-green with black bands.

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Part of the Lycaenidae family, this small butterfly from southern Florida has faced severe population declines since the 1980s. 

Miami Blue

Competing with the Miami Blue as one of the rarest butterflies, this species is native to California's Palos Verdes Peninsula. 

Palos Verdes Blue