Studies on the diversity of butterflies and moths using decomposing carcasses as feeding substrate are not common, even though these insects feed on plant exudates and decomposing animals. The objective of this study was to record the diversity and abundance of butterflies attracted to pig carcasses in two different environments: a pasture and a natural area of the Cerrado biome. In three years, 226 individuals belonging to 33 species and three families were collected. Twenty-seven of them were Nymphalidae, three Pieridae and three Hesperiidae, with Vanessa braziliensis (Moore) being the most common species. The period of greatest abundance was the dry and cool season (July to September); the forest habitat had higher species diversity, and species were more evenly represented than in the pasture habitat. Some species were uniquely associated with the habitat type, season and stage of decomposition of the bait. This study also adds eight species (Archaeoprepona amphimachus, Bungalotis astylos, Eryphanis reevesii, Fountainea ryphea, Morpho helenor, Prepona laertes, Prepona pseudomphale and Vanessa brazilienses) to the list of butterfly species for the area where the study was conducted.