Plantains (Plantago spp.) are used as food plants by the caterpillars of a number of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). These include:
Arctiidae
Hypercompe cermellii
Hypercompe scribonia (giant leopard moth)
Spilosoma luteum (buff ermine)
Crambidae
Diasemia reticularis
Dolicharthria punctalis
Geometridae
Idaea biselata (small fan-footed wave)
Lycaenidae
Candalides heathi (rayed blue)
Lymantriidae
Euproctis chrysorrhoea (brown-tail)
Noctuidae
Agrotis exclamationis (heart and dart)
Amphipyra tragopoginis (mouse moth)
Mamestra brassicae (cabbage moth)
Naenia typica (the Gothic)
Noctua comes (lesser yellow underwing)
Noctua pronuba (large yellow underwing)
Ochropleura plecta (flame shoulder)
Xestia c-nigrum (setaceous Hebrew character)
Xestia sexstrigata (six-striped rustic)
Nymphalidae
Junonia coenia (common buckeye)
Junonia villida (meadow argus)
Melitaea athalia (heath fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata), greater plantain (P. major), alpine plantain (P. alpina) and possibly others
Melitaea aurelia (Nickerl's fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata)
Melitaea cinxia (Glanville fritillary)
Melitaea didyma (spotted fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata)
Melitaea parthenoides (European meadow fritillary) – recorded on ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata) and others
