There are over 4000 known moth species in Iran. Moths (mostly nocturnal) and butterflies (mostly diurnal) together make up the taxonomic order Lepidoptera.
In 2023 the results of a 13-year megaproject about the Lepidoptera of Iran were produced as Lepidoptera Iranica. It was published as a special issue of Integrative Systematics: Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History and provides a comprehensive overview of the Lepidoptera of Iran. It involved an international collaboration between 73 researchers, who reviewed published and unpublished data. The project was led and edited by Hossein Rajaei of the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart in Germany) and Ole Karsholt of the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
The authors also added hundreds of new records from institutional and private collections. In total, 4,812 butterfly and moth species were documented as part of the project, including the first records of three families and 182 species for Iran. Four species new to science were discovered and several taxonomic changes were proposed. The special issue also provides a historical overview of lepidopterology in Iran, as well as an analysis of Iranian Lepidoptera and an estimate of the number of Lepidoptera species still to be discovered. Finally, a gazetteer of sampling localities is supplied.
The following list provides a subset of known moth species, which have been recorded in Iran. A complete list of Lepidoptera of Iran is included in the External links below.
Brahmaeidae Brahmaea christophi Brahmaea wallichii
Bombycidae Bombyx mori Trilocha varians Penicillifera apicalis Gunda ochracea Gunda javanica Epia capsivora
Lasiocampidae Malacosoma castrensis Malacosoma neustria Malacosoma parallela Eriogaster lanestris Eriogaster amygdali Eriogaster philipsi Eriogaster acanthophylli Eriogaster neogena Lasiocampa eversmanni Lasiocampa bufo Lasiocampa trifolii Lasiocampa quercus Lasiocampa terreni Lasiocampa grandis Lasiocampa piontkovskii Chondrostega aurivillii Chondrostega hyrcana Chilena cuneata Chilena sordida Chilena laristana Chilena prixina Sena proxima Epicnaptera albofasciata Pachypasa otus Taragama repanda Taragama siva Taragama amygdali Phyllodesma tremulifolia Phyllodesma glasunovi Phyllodesma farahae Trichiura mirzayani Trichiura pistaciae
Saturnidae Neoris huttoni Saturnia pyri Aglia tau Eudia pavonia Actias selene Actias maenas Attacus atlas Archaeoattacus edwardsii Samia cynthia Antheraea helferi Caligula anna Loepa katinka
Lemoniidae Lemonia peilei Lemonia pia
Sphingidae Theretra alecto Theretra boisduvalii Acherontia atropos Acherontia styx Hyles hippophaes Hyles centralasiae Hyles euphorbiae Hyles livornica Hyles nicaea Hyles zygophylli Rethera brandti Rethera komarovi Hippotion celerio Agrius convolvuli Hemaris croatica Hemaris tityus Hemaris fuciformis Akbesia davidi Kentrochrysalis elegans Deilephila elpenor Deilephila porcellus Smerinthus kindermanni Smerinthus ocellatus Clarina kotschyi Daphnis nerii Laothoe populi populeti Proserpinus proserpina Marumba quercus Macroglossum stellatarum Mimas tiliae Sphinx pinastri Sphingonaepiopsis gorgoniades Acosmeryx anceus Acosmeryx naga Acosmeryx sericeus Ampelophaga rubiginosa Apocalypsis velox Theretra castanea Theretra clotho
Arctiidae Eilema pseudocomplanum Eilema pygmaeolum Utetheisa pulchella Utetheisa lotrix Arctia villica Arctia caja Arctia festiva Volgarctia spectabilis Chelis maculosa Chelis reticulata Lithosia quadra Manulea palliatella hyrcana Lithosia pseudocomplana Argina cribraria Ocnogyna loewii loewii Ocnogyna loewii armena Euprepia rivularis Diacrisia urticae Axiopoena maura Lacydes semiramis Rhyparia purpurata Phragmatobia fuliginosa Phragmatobia placida Callimorpha dominula Callimorpha quadripunctaria Euplagia splendidior Meganola venusta Meganola strigula Nola chlamitulalis Nola squalida Nola haronni Nola turanica Paidia conjuncta Creatonotos gangis Parasemia plantaginis Pelosia muscerda Pelosia obtusa Amata hyrcana Amata nigricornis Amata phegea Arctia flavia Argina astraea Axiopoena fluviatilis Chelis reticulata Creataloum arabicum Creatonotos arabica Creatonotos gracilis Creatonotos omanirana Cymbalophora rivularis Diacrisia sannio Dysauxes famula Dysauxes parvigutta Dysauxes punctata Ebertarctia nordstroemi Eilema arideola Eilema arundineola Eilema aurantia Eilema aureola Eilema banghaasi Eilema beckeri Eilema flaveola Eilema gilveola Eilema grisea Eilema hyrcana Eilema iberica Eilema marcida Eilema obscura Eilema orientalis Eilema palleola Eilema palliatella Eilema peluri Eilema petreola Eilema saerdabensis Eilema sericeoalba Eilema sericeola Eilema sordidula Eilema sororculum Eilema unita Eilema vitellina Euplagia quadripunctaria Manulea pseudocomplana Manulea pygmaeola Manulea unita Nebrarctia semiramis Neeressa palawanensis Paidia elegantia Syntomis persica Utetheisa callima Watsonarctia casta Wittia sororcula
Lymantriidae Orgyia dubia Orgyia gonostigma Orgyia recens Dicallomera fascelina Euproctis similis Euproctis phaeorrhaea Euproctis cervina Euproctis chrysorrhoea Euproctis karghalica Porthesia melania Arctornis chrysorrhaea Lymantria dispar Lymantria amabilis Lymantria destitute Lymantria lapidicola Lymantria komarovi Laelia richteri Leucoma salicis Leucoma wiltshirei Ocneria signatoria Ocneria insolita Ocneria iranica Ocneria audeoudi Ocnerogyia amanda Casama vilis Casama innotata Ocnerogyia terebynthina Ocnerogyia signatoria Subacronicta centralis
Noctuidae
Condicinae Hadjina lutosa subflava Hacker and Ebert, 2002 Cryphia eucta Hampson, 1908 Cryphia argentacea Bytinski-Salz & Brandt, 1937 Cryphia eucharista Boursin, 1960 Cryphia salomonis Boursin, 1954 Cryphia klapperichi Boursin, 1960 Victrix sassanica Wiltshire, 1961 Victrix macrosema Boursin, 1957 Dysmilichia mira Brandt, 1938 Dysmilichia phaulopsis Brandt, 1938 Dysmilichia erastrioides Brandt, 1938 Dysmilichia gigantea Brandt, 1941 Stenodrina agramma Brandt, 1938 Caradrina panurgia Boursin, 1939
Herminiinae Polypogon lunalis Herminia proxima
Raphiinae Raphia cheituna
Rivulinae Colobochyla salicalis Raparna amseli Raparna erubescens Raparna conicephala
Hypeninae Rhynchodontodes revolutalis Rhynchodontodes orientis Rhynchodontodes ravalis Rhynchodontodes ravulalis Hypena munitalis Hypena indicatalis Hypena abyssinalis Hypena extensalis Hypena obsitalis Hyrcanypena schwingenschussi Mekrania punctalis
Scoliopteryginae Scolipteryx libatrix
Catocalinae Mormonia mesopotamica Catocala lesbia Catocala abacta Catocala neonympha Catocala fraxini Catocala electa Catocala puerpera Catocala elocata Catocala nymphagoga Catocala promissa Catocala optima Catocala deducta Catocala lupina Catocala fredi Ephesia luscinia Ephesia nymphae Minucia bimaculata Minucia lunaris Pericyma squalens Pericyma albidentaria Pericyma signata Pericyma glaucinans Lygephila craccae Heteropalpia vetusta Drasteria sinuosa Drasteria flexuosa Drasteria picta Drasteria cailino Drasteria yerburyi Prodotis stolida Aleucanitis caucasica Plecoptera reflexa Anumeta arenosa Anumeta atrosignata Tarachephia hueberti Ophiusa pancerorum Ophiusa tirhaca Aedia funesta Acantholipes regularis Acantholipes circumdata Acantholipes affinis Grammodes bifasciana Grammodes geometrica Grammodes paerambar Dysgonia algira Dysgonia torrida Dysgonia latifascia Clytie syriaca Clytie delunaris Clytie benenotata Clytie devia Clytie terrulenta Clytie iranica Clytie distincta Gonospileia munita Chalciope hyppasia Pandesma anysa Apopestes spectrum Autophila asiatica Autophila cerealis Autophila luxuriosa Autophila osthelderi Autophila ligaminosa Autophila limbata Autophila bang-haasi Autophila depressa Autophila libanotica perornata Autophila subfusca Autophila gracilis Autophila hirstua Catephia alchymista Marsipiophora christophi Tyta luctuosa Cortyta dispar Cortyta impar Gnamptonyx vilis Epharmottomena tenera Epharmottomena leucodonta Iranada turcorum Acrobyla kneuckeri Acrobyla ariefera Armada maritima Armada leprosa Armada leuconephra Armada tarachoides Armada ornata Armada mira Armada panaceorum Armada roseifemur Armada hueberi Armada draudti Armada venusta Armada funesta Armada gelida Armada dentata Thira robusta Tathorhynchus exsiccata Anydrophila bang-hassi Anydrophila distincta Anydrophila horhammeri Anydrophila sirdar Toxocampa lubrica Zethes narghisa Zethes nemea Cerocala sana Leucanitis kabylaria Anophia cana Calpe nubifera Calpe dubiosa Africalpe vagabunda Syndea pica Syndea saisani Metopistis picturata Procus koutchilou Spintherops cerealis
Nolinae Nola aerugula
Sarrothripinae Nycteola asiatica Characoma nilotica Sarrothripus revayana Bryophilopsis roederi Selepa docilis
Chloephorinae Earias chlorana Earias insulana Bena bicolorana Paradoxia graellsi Hylophilina bichlorana Earias chlorophyllana
Acronictinae Acronicta psi Acronicta eleagni Subacronicta centralis Acronicta saadi Acronicta taurica Acronycta rumicis Simyra albovenusa Simyra dentinosa Simyra nervosa Apatele aceris Craniophora pontica
Cyrphiinae Bryophila maeonis Bryophila iranica Bryophila divisa Bryophila receptricula Bryophila tabora Bryophila centralis Bryophila taftana Bryophila forsteri Bryophila muralis Bryophila argentacea
Euteliinae Eutelia adulatrix Eutelia adoratrix
Plusiinae Abrostola tripartia Abrostola asclepiadis clarissa Plusia chrysitis Plusia gutta Plusia festucae Autographa gamma Cornutiplusia circumflexa Trichoplusia ni Chrysodeixis chalcites Chrysodeixis eriosoma Phytometra confuse Phytometra bella Phytometra consona Panchrysia deaurata Archanara algae
Acontiinae Eulocastra diaphora Eulocastra schah Eulocastra bryophiliodes Eulocastra mediana Eulocastra tamsi Naranga aenescens Eublemma pallidula Eublemma pussila Eublemma amoena Eublemma albida Eublemma ostrina Eublemma parva Eublemma leucota Eublemma parvoides Eublemma apicipuncta Phyllophila obliterata Prottodeltote pyrarga Emmelia trabealis Prodenia litura Acontia urania Acontia lucida Porphyrinia conistrota Porphyrinia suppuncta Porphyrinia chlorotica Porphyrinia skafiota Porphyrinia wagneri Porphyrinia candidana Porphyrinia pannonica Porphyrinia caelestis Porphyrinia rosea sinuata Porphyrinia drauti Porphyrinia nives Porphyrinia cochylioides Porphyrinia polygramma Porphyrinia pseudepistrota Porphyrinia aftob Porphyrinia compuncta Porphyrinia munda Porphyrinia jocularis Porphyrinia agnella Porphyrinia illota Porphyrinia uniformis Porphyrinia taftana Porphyrinia pseudoviridis Porphyrinia bifasciata Porphyrinia microptera Porphyrinia murati Porphyrinia angella Porphyrinia parvoides Porphyrinia apicipunctalis Porphyrinia boursini Odice arcuinna Ozabra sancta Pseudoozarba mesozona Thalerastrina tansina Amyna punctum Leptosia velox rubescens Leptosia sefidi Glaphyra lacernaria Glaphyra communimacula Tephrochares inquinata Chionoxantha margarita Tarache luctuosa Tarache audeoudi Tarache umbrifera Tarache opalinoides Tarache biskrensis Hoplotarache sordescens Hoplotarache costalis Fredina esmeralda
Cuculliinae Cucullia maracandica Cucullia boryphora Cucullia argentina Cucullia santonici Cucullia hemidiaphana Cucullia tecca Cucullia anceps Cucullia tanaceti Cucullia khorassana Shargacucullia scrophularia Shragacucullia barthae Shragacucullia verbasci Shragacucullia lychnitis Pseudocopicucullia syrtana Metopoceras omar Metopoceras beata Metalopha liturata Cleophana charbordis Cleophana baetica Omphalophana anatolica Calophasia casta Oncocnemis mongolica iranica Oncocnemis erythropsis Oncocnemis indioglypha Oncocnemis strioligera Callierges ramosa
Psaphidinae Brachionycha atossa
Stiriinae Athetmia pallida Synthymia solituda Synthymia dubiosa Paraegle ochracea Aegle iranica Aegle mimetes
Heliothinae Heliothis maritima Graslin, 1855 Heliothis nubigera Herrich-Schäffer, 1851 Heliothis peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Heliothis incarnata Freyer, 1838 Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, ) Schinia scutosa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Periphanes delphinii (Linnaeus, 1758) Periphanes treitschkei (Frivaldsky, 1835)