Exploring the Rarest Butterflies in the World
Butterflies are among the most beautiful creatures on this planet. They enthrall people with their delicacy, innocence, and jewel-like colors. They’re not only beautiful, but also necessary as pollinators. Some butterflies have always been rare, but due to habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change, too many of them are now endangered. Continue reading to learn about 10 of the rarest butterflies in the world.
10. Blue Morpho
The blue morph ( Morpho peleides ) has a 5.5-inch wingspan and is native to the rainforests of Central and South America. Both males and females have iridescent blue wings, although the females’ wings are edged in brown and have white spots.
The undersides of the wings are brown with orange eyespots outlined in bronze, and the wings of the females have a broken bronze band. Males like to chase each other through the rainforest, and one way collectors catch them is to wave a blue piece of cloth to deceive them. The blue morpho feeds on the juices of rotting fruit.
Their red and green caterpillar is nocturnal and fond of the leaves of Erythroxylum and members of the pea family. While habitat loss and collection can threaten local populations, the Blue Morpho is not currently classified as endangered.
9. Island Marble Butterfly
The island marble butterfly ( Euchloe ausonides insulanus ) is endemic to Washington state’s San Juan Islands. Once believed to be extinct, it was found again in 1998 and has been listed as endangered since 2020. It’s a subspecies of the large marble butterfly.
The island marble’s wings have a fascinating color scheme of marbled green and white, and it feeds on the flowers of the wild mustard. It has a wingspan of between 1.5 and 2 inches, and the caterpillar is about 3/4 of an inch long. It’s green or blue-gray, dotted in black with white and yellow stripes down its back and sides.
This butterfly’s ideal habitat is prairie, but prairies, like the butterfly itself, are becoming scarcer. Scientists estimate there are only about 300 of these butterflies in the wild.
8. Schaus’ Swallowtail
Schaus’ swallowtail ( Papilio aristodemus ) is native to southern Florida and the Caribbean, and has a 3.25 to 3.75 inch wingspan, with blackish-brown wings marked with yellow. The underside of the hindwings has a rust-colored patch decorated with powdery blue blotches.
Females and males can be distinguished due to the females’ all-black antennae, while the males’ wings are black and tipped with yellow. This butterfly is famous for being able to fly great distances, which means it can hop from one of the Florida Keys to the other.
In the past, there were only a few hundred butterflies in Florida, but thanks to a captive breeding program, there are now about 800 to 1500 butterflies in the wild. Still, the Schaus’ swallowtail’s conservation status is vulnerable, and it’s now only found in southern Florida.
7. Kaiser-i-Hind
The Kaiser-i-Hind ( Teinopalpus imperialis ), also known as the Emperor of India, is a butterfly found in the Eastern Himalayan mountains and is unmistakable due to its lush green color. Scientists are still trying to discern how the scales on the wings produce such a vivid color.
Males can be distinguished from females because they are smaller and have a yellow patch on their hindwings. The female has more tails on her hindwings and is a bit darker. Their caterpillar eats the leaves of Daphne shrubs. Because the butterfly has such a spectacular look, it is sought after by collectors despite being protected in both India and Nepal. Its status is near threatened .
6. Zebra Longwing
The zebra longwing ( Heliconius charithonia ) has black and white stripes reminiscent of a zebra and a wingspan of 2.8 to 3.9 inches. It is native to South and Central America and can be found in some parts of the southern United States, making its range unusually large for a butterfly.
The zebra longwing roosts in large groups to protect against predators. They also eat pollen, which their bodies transform into toxins that make them inedible and therefore unlikely to be prey. As of 2025, the butterfly’s conservation status is secure, but pesticides have begun to devastate its Florida population.
5. Chimaera Birdwing
The chimaera birdwing ( Ornithoptera chimaera ) is a large and colorful butterfly found in the mountains of New Guinea. The male is brilliant green and yellow, with splashes of black. Females are larger than males, and are dark brown with white spots on the forewings.
The wingspan of the chimaera birdwing is 2.76 to 5.9 inches in males and 3.15 to 7.09 inches in females. The adults sip nectar from spathodea and hibiscus plants while the caterpillars eat the leaves of the pipevine. Collectors are eager for this butterfly, but a permit is required for collection. As of 2021, its conservation status is near threatened.
4. Bhutan Glory
The Bhutan glory ( Bhutanitis lidderdalii ) is a swallowtail butterfly, but its unusual forewings are oval-shaped. The edge of the wing farthest from the body is convex, and the hindwings have many tails. The overall color of this butterfly is black, adorned with wavy white or cream vertical lines.
The hindwings have a large orange patch, blue-black and white eyespots, and spots of yellow right above the tails. It’s found in the Himalayan mountains at elevations of between 5,000 and 9,000 feet and has a flight that’s described as drifting. The caterpillar eats species of the pipevine, which probably makes it taste bad to predators.
Though its conservation status is least concern , the Bhutan Glory’s population is declining due to habitat loss.
3. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is named after Alexandra of Denmark, who became Queen of England through her marriage to King Edward VII. The females of this butterfly can have a wingspan of 10 to 11 inches and weigh as much as 0.42 ounces. Their wings are brown and white, but the smaller males are sparkling blue-green and banded in black, with a blue-green underside. This butterfly is only found in Papua New Guinea’s Oro Province.
Because this butterfly is so rare and endangered, trade is illegal. Adults feed on hibiscus and other plants strong enough to support their weight, typically early in the morning and evening. Males are territorial and will even chase away small birds. Humans aren’t the only reason that the butterfly is endangered; it still hasn’t recovered from a volcanic eruption that wiped out much of its habitat in 1951.
2. Miami Blue
The Miami Blue ( Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri ) is one of several endangered butterflies belonging to the Lycaenidae family. The population of the Miami Blue in Southern Florida has declined over the years. Once common, it was decimated by urban development beginning in the 1980s.
Then, in 1992, Hurricane Andrew almost wiped the species out altogether. Despite a handful discovered in Bahia Honda State Park in 1999, the Miami blue is still endangered. Efforts to save them include a captive breeding program run by Florida’s Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.
The Miami blue has a wingspan of 0.87 inches to slightly over an inch. As their name suggests, the wings are bright blue in males, while females have gray wings with a bit of blue near the base. The hind wings are edged in white and have four spots. The butterfly chooses several types of plants as hosts for its caterpillars, including blackbeads, nickerbeads, peacock flowers, and balloon vines.
1. Palos Verdes Blue
The little Palos Verdes blue butterfly ( Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis ), with its cerulean blue wings and body, competes with the Miami blue for the title of rarest butterfly in the world.
A subspecies of the silvery blue, it is found in California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula. One reason for its endangered status is that it only uses the common deerweed as a host plant, and this plant has become scarce as its habitat is converted into housing. Because of this, homeowners in the area are encouraged to grow deerweed.
The wingspan of the Palos Verdes blue butterfly is only 0.98 to 1.18 inches, and the male’s wings are more silvery blue than those of its distant cousin. Their breeding season lasts from January to early May and coincides with the butterflies’ emergence from their pupae. This is important because the Palos Verdes blue only lives five days as an adult.
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