Checklist of Butterflies of the UAE
© Gary Feulner and Binish Roobas
Scientific Name Vernacular Name
Papilionidae (Swallowtails)
Sub-family Papilioninae Swallowtails
1. Papilio demoleus demoleus Linnaeus, 1764 Citrus Swallowtail (Lime Swallowtail)
2. Papilio machaon muetingi Seyer 1976 Common Swallowtail
Pieridae (Whites & Yellows)
Sub-family Pierinae Whites
3. Belenois aurota (Fabricius, 1793) Caper White
4. Colotis amata calais (Cramer, 1775) Small Salmon Arab
5. Colotis danae eupompe (Klug, 1829) Scarlet Tip
6. Colitis fausta fausta (Olivier, 1804) Salmon Arab
7. Colitis liagore (Klug, 1829) Desert Orange Tip
8. Colitis phisadia phisadia (Godart, 1819) Blue Spotted Arab
9. Euchloe amseli (Gross & Ebert 1975) White Desert Black Tip
10. Euchloe belemia belemia (Esper, 1800) Green Striped White
11. Pieris krueperi devta (de Nicéville, 1883) Krueper's Small White
12. Pieris rapae iranica Le Cerf, 1913 Small Cabbage White
13. Pontia daplidice (Linnaeus, 1758) Bath White
14. Pontia glauconome (Klug, 1829) Desert White
Sub-family Coliadinae Yellows & Sulphurs
15. Catopsilia florella (Fabricius, 1775) African Emigrant
16. Catopsilia pyranthe (Linnaeus, 1758) Mottled Emigrant
17. Colias croceus (Geoffroy, 1785) Clouded Yellow
18. Eurema hecabe solifera (Butler, 1875) Common Grass Yellow
Lycaenidae (Coppers, Hairstreaks & Little Blues)
Sub-family Theclinae Hairstreaks
19a.Apharitis acamas cf. acamas (Klug, 1834) Tawny Silverline (pale 'desert' form)
19b.Apharitis acamas hypargyros (Butler, 1886) Tawny Silverline (dark oasis form)
20. Apharitis myrmecophila (Dumont, 1922) Desert Silverline
21. Deudorix livia barnetti Libert, 2005 Pomegranate Playboy
22. Myrina silenus nzoiae Stoneham, 1937 Fig Blue
Sub-family Polyommatinae Little Blues
23. Agrodiaetus loewii uranicola (Walker, 1870) Loew's Blue
24. Anthene amarah amarah (Guerin, 1847) Leaden Ciliate Blue
25. Azanus jesous (Guerin, 1847) African Babul Blue
26. Azanus ubaldus (Stoll, [1782]) Desert Babul Blue
27. Brephidium exilis exilis (Boisduval, 1852) Western Pygmy Blue
28. Chilades galba (Lederer, 1855) Lederer's Cupid
29. Chilades pandava (Horsfield, 1829) Cycad Cupid or Plains Cupid
30. Chilades parrhasius (Fabricius, 1793) Small Cupid
31. Chilades trochylus trochylus (Freyer, 1845) Grass Jewel
32. Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1793) Gram Blue
33. Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) Pea Blue
34. Pseudophilotes vicrama clara (Christoph, 1887) Eastern Baton Blue
35. Tarucus balkanicus (Freyer, 1844) Balkan Pierrot
36. Tarucus rosaceus (Austat, 1885) Mediterranean Pierrot
37. Zizeeria karsandra karsandra (Moore, 1865) Asian Grass Blue
38. Zizula hylax (Fabricius, 1775) Tiny Grass Blue
Nymphalidae (Brush-footed butterflies)
Sub-family Danainae Danaids, Milkweed Butterflies
39. Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (Linnaeus, 1758) Plain Tiger
Sub-family Nymphalinae Nymphalids
40. Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus, 1764) Diadem or Danaid Eggfly
41. Junonia hierta cebrene Trimen, 1870 Yellow Pansy
42. Junonia orithya here Lang, 1884 Blue Pansy
43. Vanessa cardui cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) Painted Lady
Sub-family Satyrinae Satyrs
44. Hipparchia parisatis (Kollar, 1849) White-Edged Rock Brown
45. Ypthima asterope asterope (Klug, 1832) Common Three-Ring
46. Ypthima bolanica Marshall, 1882 Baluchi Ringlet
Sub-family Heliconiinae Heliconians, Longwings & Fritillaries
47. Argynnis hyperbius (Linnaeus, 1763) Indian Fritillary
Hesperiidae (Skippers)
Sub-family Coeliadinae Policemen
48. Pyrrhiades anchises jucunda (Butler, 1861) Giant Skipper
49. Hasora chromus (Cramer, 1782) Common Banded Awl
Sub-family Pyriginae Grizzled Skippers
50. Gomalia elma elma (Trimen, 1862) African Mallow Skipper
51. Spialia colotes semiconfluens de Jong, 1978 Transvaal Grizzled Skipper
52. Spialia doris doris (Walker, 1870) Desert Grizzled Skipper
53. Spialia mafa (Trimen, 1870) Mafa Grizzled Skipper
54. Spialia mangana (Rebel, 1899) Arabian Grizzled Skipper
55. Spialia zebra bifida (Higgins, 1924) Zebra Grizzled Skipper
Sub-family Hesperiinae Grass Skippers
56. Gegenes nostrodamus (Fabricius, 1793) Mediterranean Skipper
57. Gegenes pumilio (Hoffmannsegg, 1804) Pygmy Skipper
58. Pelopidas mathias mathias (Fabricius, 1798) Black-Branded Swift
59. Pelopidas thrax thrax (Hübner, 1821) White-Branded Swift
Special thanks to Victor Hitchings, Herbert H.H. Otto, Oscar Campbell, Huw G.B. Roberts, Richard J. Hornby and Brigitte Howarth, Angela Manthorpe for their valuable contributions and support.