Pronouncing the Latin Names of Butterflies
This page is a personal confession of how I do, in fact, pronounce the Latin names of the British butterflies when I discuss lepidoptery with my dog. It is not at all consistent and I hope my Latin and Greek teachers never get to see it, because it's nothing like what they taught me. I just thought it might be interesting for people to compare with what they say, perhaps as part of a move towards consensus...

I hope the phonetic scheme is reasonably clear, but if not it probably doesn't really matter.


Hesperia hes-PEE-ri-uh
comma KOM-muh
Ochlodes o-KLOH-deez
venatus ve-NAH-tus
Thymelicus tigh-MELL-i-kus
acteon AK-ti-on
lineola lin-i-OH-luh
sylvestris sil-VES-tris
Carterocephalus kar-te-roh-SEF-uh-lus
palaemon PAL-ay-mon
Heteropterus he-te-ROP-te-rus
morpheus MOR-fi-us
Erynnis e-RIN-is
tages TAH-jeez
Pyrgus PEER-gus
malvae MAL-vigh
Callophrys ka-LOF-ris
rubi ROO-bi
Satyrium sa-TI-ri-um
pruni PROO-ni
w-album 'W' AL-bum
Lycaena ligh-SEE-na
dispar DIS-pah
phlaeas FLEE-us
Cacyreus ka-SIGH-ri-us
marshalli MAH-shuh-li
Celastrina sel-us-TREE-na
argiolus ah-ji-OH-lus
Cupido KYOO-pi-doh
minimus MI-ni-mus
Everes e-VEE-reez
argiades ah-ji-AY-deez
Maculinea ma-kyoo-LI-ni-uh
arion AIR-i-on
Lampides LAM-pi-deez
boeticus boh-E-ti-kus
Aricia a-RIS-i-uh
agestis a-JES-tis
artaxerxes ah-tuh-ZERK-seez
Plebejus/Plebeius pli-BAY-us
argus AH-gus
Lysandra ligh-SAHN-druh
bellargus be-LAH-gus
coridon KO-ri-don
Polyommatus po-li-OM-uh-tus
icarus I-kuh-rus
Cyaniris sigh-uh-NIGH-ris
semiargus se-mi-AH-gus
Quercusia kwer-KYOO-zi-uh
quercus KWER-kus
Thecla THE-kluh
betulae BET-yoo-ligh
Hamearis ha-me-AH-ris
lucina lu-SEE-na
Apatura a-pa-TOO-ra
iris IGH-ris
Danaus da-NOWS
plexippus PLEK-si-pus
Argynnis ah-GI-nis
paphia PA-fi-a
Fabriciana fa-bri-si-AH-na
adippe a-DIP-ay
Mesoacidalia MEE-zoh-a-si-DAY-li-a
aglaja a-GLAH-ya
Clossiana klo-si-YAH-na
euphrosyne yoo-fruh-SIGH-ni
selene se-LAY-ni
Issoria i-SAW-ri-uh
lathonia la-THOH-ni-uh
Liminitis li-mi-NEE-tis
camilla ka-MI-la
Euphydryas yoo-fi-DRIGH-us
aurinia aw-REE-ni-uh
Mellicta me-LIK-tuh
athalia uh-THAY-li-uh
Melitaea me-li-TAY-uh
cinxia SINK-si-uh
Aglais a-GLAH-is
urticae OOR-ti-kigh
Araschnia uh-RASH-ni-uh
levana le-VAH-na
Inachis i-NAH-kis
io EE-oh
Nymphalis nim-FA-lis
antiopa an-ti-OH-puh
polychloros po-li-KLAW-ros
Polygonia po-li-GOH-ni-uh
c-album SEE AL-bum
Vanessa va-NE-sa
atalanta a-ta-LAN-ta
cardui kah-DOO-i
Coenonympha see-nuh-NYM-fuh
pamphilus PAM-fi-lus
tullia TOO-li-a (short 'too')
Lasiommata la-si-O-ma-tuh
megera me-GEER-uh
Pararge pa-AH-jay
aegeria igh-JEE-ri-uh
Erebia e-RE-bi-uh
aethiops IGH-thi-ops
epiphron E-pi-fron
Aphantopus a-fan-TOH-pus
hyperantus high-puh-RAN-tus
Maniola ma-ni-OH-la
Pyronia pi-ROH-ni-uh
tithonus ti-THOH-nus
Melanargia me-luh-NAH-ji-uh
galathea ga-la-THEE-uh
Hipparchia hi-PAH-chi-uh
semele suh-ME-li
Papilio pa-PI-li-oh
machaon MA-ka-on
Colias KOH-li-us
alfacariensis AL-fa-ka-ri-EN-sis
croceus (or crocea, depending on how I feel) KROH-si-us (or kroh-SEE-uh)
hyale high-YAH-lay
Gonepteryx go-NEP-te-riks
rhamni RAM-ni
Leptidea lep-TID-i-uh
sinapis si-NAH-pis
Anthocharis an-thuh-KAH-ris
cardamines kar-DA-mi-neez
Aporia uh-PAW-ri-uh
crataegi kruh-TEE-ji
Pieris pi-AIR-is
brassicae BRA-si-kigh
Artogeia ah-TOH-ji-uh
rapae RA-pigh
napi NA-pi
Pontia PON-ti-uh
daplidice da-pli-DEE-si