This is a list of butterflies of Japan. About 327 species are known from Japan.The Current Checklist of Japanese Butterflies; Inomata T., Uémura Y., Yago M., Jinbo U. and Ueda K.; The Entomological Society of Japan; 2010-2012
Japan is home to a nine forest ecoregions, which reflect its climate and geography. The islands that constitute Japan generally have a humid climate, which ranges from warm subtropical in the southern islands to cool temperate on the northern island of Hokkaidō.
Japan lies at the convergence of three terrestrial realms, the Palearctic, Indomalaya, and Oceania, and its flora and fauna combine elements from all three. The ecoregions that cover the main islands of Japan, Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, and Shikoku, along with the nearby islands, are considered part of the Palearctic realm. The island arcs of southern Japan, the Ryukyu Islands to the southwest and the Ogasawara Islands to the southeast, are home to subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregions; the Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests ecoregion is part of the Indomalayan realm, while the Ogasawara subtropical moist forests of the Ogasawaras is part of the Oceanian realm.
The terrestrial ecoregions are: Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests: Hokkaidō deciduous forests, Nihonkai evergreen forests, Nihonkai montane deciduous forests, Taiheiyo evergreen forests, Taiheiyo montane deciduous forests Temperate coniferous forests: Hokkaidō montane conifer forests, Honshū alpine conifer forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests: Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests, Ogasawara subtropical moist forests.
The most important and threatened butterfly habitat in Japan is Satoyama a Japanese term applied to the border zone or area between mountain foothills and arable flat land.
Hesperiidae Aeromachus inachus inachus (Ménétriès, 1858) Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius, 1775) Borbo cinnara (Wallace, 1866) Burara aquilina aquilina (Speyer, 1879) Caltoris cahira (Moore, 1877) Carterocephalus palaemon akaishianus Fujioka, 1970 Carterocephalus palaemon satakei (Matsumura, 1919) Carterocephalus silvicola (Meigen, 1830) Choaspes benjaminii japonicus (Murray, 1875) Daimio tethys tethys (Ménétriès, 1857) Erionota torus Evans, 1941 Erynnis montana montana (Bremer, 1861) Hasora badra badra (Moore, ) Hasora chromus inermis Elwes & Edwards, 1897 Hasora taminata vairacana Fruhstorfer, 1911 Hesperia florinda florinda (Butler, 1878) Isoteinon lamprospilus lamprospilus C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862 Leptalina unicolor (Bremer & Grey, 1852) Notocrypta curvifascia curvifascia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862) Ochlodes ochracea (Bremer, 1861) Ochlodes subhyalinus asahinai Shirôzu, 1964 Ochlodes venatus venatus (Bremer & Grey, 1852) Parnara bada bada (Moore, 1878) Parnara guttata guttata (Bremer & Grey, 1852) Parnara ogasawarensis Matsumura, 1906 Pelopidas agna agna (Moore, ) Pelopidas jansonis (Butler, 1878) Pelopidas mathias oberthuri Evans, 1937 Polytremis pellucida pellucida (Murray, 1875) Potanthus flavus flavus (Murray, 1875) Pyrgus maculatus maculatus (Bremer & Grey, 1852) Pyrgus malvae unomasahiroi Fujioka, 1994 Suastus gremius (Fabricius, 1798) Tagiades trebellius martinus Plötz, 1884 Telicota colon hayashikeii Tsukiyama, Chiba & Fujioka, 1997 Thoressa varia (Murray, 1875) Thymelicus leonina hamadakohi Fujioka, 1993 Thymelicus leonina leonina (Butler, 1878) Thymelicus lineola lineola (Ochsenheimer, 1808) Thymelicus sylvatica nishimurai Hamada & Fujioka, 1997 Thymelicus sylvatica sylvatica (Bremer, 1861) Udaspes folus (Cramer, )
Papilionidae Atrophaneura alcinous alcinous (Klug, 1836) Atrophaneura alcinous bradana (Fruhstorfer, 1908) Atrophaneura alcinous loochooana (Rothschild, 1896) Atrophaneura alcinous miyakoensis (Omoto, 1960) Atrophaneura alcinous yakushimana (Esaki & Umeno, 1929) Graphium agamemnon (Linnaeus, 1758) vagrant Graphium cloanthus kuge (Fruhstorfer, 1908) vagrant Graphium doson albidum (Wileman, 1903) Graphium doson perillus (Fruhstorfer, 1908) Graphium mullah (Alpheraky, 1897) vagrant Graphium sarpedon nipponum (Fruhstorfer, 1903) Luehdorfia japonica Leech, 1889 Luehdorfia puziloi inexpecta Sheljuzhko, 1913 Luehdorfia puziloi yessoensis Rothschild, 1918 Pachliopta aristolochiae interposita (Fruhstorfer, 1904) Papilio alphenor Cramer, vagrant Papilio bianor okinawensis Fruhstorfer, 1898 Papilio castor Westwood, 1842 vagrant Papilio dehaanii dehaanii C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864 Papilio dehaanii hachijonis Matsumura, 1919 Papilio dehaanii tokaraensis Fujioka, 1975 Papilio demoleus demoleus Linnaeus, 1758 vagrant Papilio helenus nicconicolens Butler, 1881 Papilio maackii Ménétriès, 1858 Papilio machaon hippocrates C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864 Papilio macilentus macilentus Janson, 1877 Papilio memnon thunbergii von Siebold, 1824 Papilio paris nakaharai Shirôzu, 1960 vagrant Papilio polytes polytes Linnaeus, 1758 Papilio protenor demetrius Stoll, Papilio protenor liukiuensis Fruhstorfer, Papilio rumanzovius Eschscholtz, 1821 vagrant Papilio ryukyuensis amamiensis (Fujioka, 1981) Papilio ryukyuensis ryukyuensis Fujioka, 1975 Papilio xuthus Linnaeus, 1767 Parnassius citrinarius citrinarius Motschulsky, 1866 Parnassius eversmanni daisetsuzanus Matsumura, 1926 Parnassius stubbendorfii hoenei Schweitzer, 1912 Parnassius stubbendorfii tateyamai Fujioka, 1997 Sericinus montela Gray, 1853 exotic Troides aeacus kaguya (Nakahara & Esaki, 1930) vagrant Troides helena helena (Linnaeus, 1758) vagrant
Pieridae Anthocharis cardamines hayashii Fujioka, 1970 Anthocharis cardamines isshikii Matsumura, 1925 Anthocharis scolymus scolymus Butler, 1866 Aporia crataegi adherbal Fruhstorfer, 1910 Aporia hippia japonica Matsumura, 1919 Appias albina semperi (Moore, ) vagrant Appias indra aristoxemus Fruhstorfer, 1908 vagrant Appias libythea (Fabricius, 1775) vagrant Appias lyncida formosana (Wallace, 1866) Appias maria kabiraensis Murayama, 1970 vagrant Appias nero domitia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862) vagrant Appias panda nathalia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862) vagrant Appias paulina minato (Fruhstorfer, ) Catopsilia pomona pomona (Fabricius, 1775) Catopsilia pyranthe pyranthe (Linnaeus, 1758) Catopsilia scylla (Linnaeus, 1763) vagrant Colias erate poliographa Motschulsky, Colias fieldii chinensis Verity, 1909 vagrant Colias palaeno aias Fruhstorfer, 1903 Colias palaeno sugitanii Esaki, 1929 Eurema blanda arsakia (Fruhstorfer, ) Eurema brigitta hainana (Moore, 1878) vagrant Eurema hecabe hecabe (Linnaeus, 1758) Eurema laeta betheseba (Janson, 1878) Eurema mandarina mandarina (de l'Orza, 1869) Gonepteryx amintha formosana (Fruhstorfer, 1908) vagrant Gonepteryx aspasia niphonica Verity, 1909 Gonepteryx maxima maxima Butler, 1885 Hebomoia glaucippe liukiuensis Fruhstorfer, 1898 Ixias pyrene insignis Butler, 1879 vagrant Leptidea amurensis amurensis (Ménétriès, 1858) Detail Leptidea amurensis vibilia (Janson, 1878) Leptidea morsei morsei (Fenton, ) Leptosia nina niobe (Wallace, 1866) Pieris brassicae brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) Pieris canidia canidia (Sparrman, 1768) Pieris canidia kaolicola Bryk, 1946 Pieris tomariana Matsumura, 1928 Pieris melete Ménétriès, 1857 Pieris nesis japonica Shirôzu, 1952 Pieris nesis nesis Fruhstorfer, 1909 Pieris rapae crucivora Boisduval, 1836 Pontia edusa davendra Hemming, 1934 vagrant Talbotia naganum karumii (Ikeda, 1937) vagrant
Lycaenidae Acytolepis puspa ishigakiana (Matsumura, 1929) Albulina optilete daisetsuzana (Matsumura, 1926) Antigius attilia attilia (Bremer, 1861) Antigius attilia yamanakashoji Fujioka, 1993 Antigius butleri butleri(Fenton, ) Antigius butleri kurinodakensis Fujioka, 1975 Araragi enthea enthea (Janson, 1877) Arhopala bazalus turbata (Butler, ) Arhopala ganesa loomisi (H. Pryer, 1886) Arhopala japonica (Murray, 1875) Arhopala rama (Kollar, ) vagrant Artipe eryx okinawana (Matsumura, 1919) Artopoetes pryeri pryeri (Murray, 1873) Callophrys ferrea ferrea (Butler, 1866) Catochrysops panormus exiguus (Distant, 1886) Catochrysops strabo luzonensis Tite, 1959 vagrant Celastrina argiolus ladonides (de l'Orza, 1869) Celastrina lavendularis himilcon (Fruhstorfer, 1909) vagrant Celastrina ogasawaraensis (H. Pryer, 1883) Celastrina sugitanii ainonica Murayama, 1952 Celastrina sugitanii kyushuensis Shirôzu, 1943 Celastrina sugitanii sugitanii (Matsumura, 1919) Chrysozephyrus brillantinus (Staudinger, 1887) Chrysozephyrus hisamatsusanus hisamatsusanus (Nagami & Ishiga, 1935) Chrysozephyrus smaragdinus smaragdinus (Bremer, 1861) Coreana raphaelis (Oberthür, 1880) Curetis acuta paracuta de Nicéville, 1902 Deudorix epijarbas epijarbas (Moore, ) vagrant Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) Everes argiades argiades (Pallas, 1771) Everes lacturnus kawaii Matsumura, 1926 Everes lacturnus lacturnus (Godart, ) Famegana alsulus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) vagrant Favonius cognatus latifasciatus Shirôzu & Hayashi, 1959 Favonius jezoensis (Matsumura, 1915) Favonius orientalis (Murray, 1875) Favonius saphirinus saphirinus (Staudinger, 1887) Favonius taxila taxila (Bremer, 1861) Favonius ultramarinus ultramarinus (Fixsen, 1887) Favonius yuasai Shirôzu, 1947 Fixsenia iyonis iyonis (Ota & Kusunoki, 1957) Fixsenia iyonis kibiensis (Shirôzu & M. Nanba, 1973) Fixsenia iyonis surugaensis (Fujioka, 1981) Fixsenia mera (Janson, 1877) Fixsenia pruni jezoensis (Matsumura, 1919) Fixsenia w-album fentoni (Butler, ) Freyeria putli (Kollar, ) Glaucopsyche lycormas lycormas (Butler, 1866) Glaucopsyche lycormas tomariana (Matsumura, 1928) Iratsume orsedice orsedice (Butler, ) Jamides alecto dromicus (Fruhstorfer, 1910) Jamides bochus formosanus Fruhstorfer, 1909 Japonica lutea lutea (Hewitson, ) Japonica onoi mizobei Saigusa, 1993 Japonica onoi onoi Murayama, 1953 Japonica saepestriata gotohi Saigusa, 1993 Japonica saepestriata saepestriata (Hewitson, ) Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) Leptotes plinius (Fabricius, 1793) vagrant Luthrodes mindora (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865) vagrant Luthrodes pandava (Horsfield, ) Lycaena phlaeas chinensis (C. Felder, 1862) Megisba malaya sikkima Moore, 1884 Nacaduba kurava septentrionalis Shirôzu, 1953 Neopithecops zalmora (Butler, ) Neozephyrus japonicus japonicus (Murray, 1875) Niphanda fusca fusca (Bremer & Grey, 1852) Nothodanis schaeffera schaeffera (Eschscholtz, 1821) vagrant Petrelaea tombugensis tombugensis (Röber, 1886) vagrant Phengaris arionides takamukui (Matsumura, 1919) Phengaris teleius daisensis (Matsumura, 1926) Phengaris teleius hosonoi (A. Takahashi, 1973) Phengaris teleius kazamoto (H. Druce, 1875) Phengaris teleius ogumae (Matsumura, 1910) Pithecops corvus ryukyuensis Shiôzu, 1964 Pithecops fulgens tsushimanus Shirôzu & Urata, 1957 Plebejus argus micrargus (Butler, 1878) Plebejus argus pseudaegon (Butler, ) Plebejus argyrognomon praeterinsularis Verity, 1921 Plebejus subsolanus iburiensis (Butler, ) Plebejus subsolanus yaginus (Strand, 1922) Plebejus subsolanus yarigadakeanus (Matsumura, 1929) Prosotas nora formosana (Fruhstorfer, 1916) Pseudozizeeria maha argia (Ménétriès, 1857) Pseudozizeeria maha okinawana (Matsumura, 1929) Rapala arata (Bremer, 1861) Scolitantides orion jezoensis (Matsumura, 1919) Shijimia moorei moorei (Leech, 1889) Shijimiaeoides divina asonis (Matsumura, 1929) Shijimiaeoides divina barine (Leech, 1893) Shirozua jonasi jonasi (Janson, 1877) Sibataniozephyrus fujisanus fujisanus (Matsumura, 1910) Spalgis epius dilama (Moore, 1878) vagrant Spindasis takanonis takanonis (Matsumura, 1906) Taraka hamada hamada (H. Druce, 1875) Thermozephyrus ataxus kirishimaensis (Okajima, 1922) Thermozephyrus ataxus yakushimaensis (Yazaki, ) Tongeia fischeri japonica Fujioka, 1975 Tongeia fischeri shirozui Hida, 2005 Tongeia fischeri shojii Satonaka, 2003 Udara albocaerulea albocaerulea (Moore, 1879) Udara dilecta dilecta (Moore, 1879) vagrant Ussuriana stygiana (Butler, 1881) Wagimo signatus (Butler, ) Zizeeria karsandra (Moore, 1865) Zizina emelina emelina (de l'Orza, 1869) Zizina otis riukuensis (Matsumura, 1929)