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Lepidoptera

(Order)

Overview

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Lepidoptera is an of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies. Members of the order are referred to as lepidopterans. A person who collects or studies this order is referred to as a lepidopterist. This order has more than 180,000 species1] in 128 families and 47 superfamilies. The name is derived from Ancient Greek ?ep?d?? (scale) and pte??? (wing). Estimates of species suggest that the order may have more species and is among the four largest, successful orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and the Coleoptera.[2]

General Characteristics

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A labeled Papilio machaon: A- Forewing B - Antenna C - Compound eye D - Proboscis E - Thorax F - Leg G- Abdomen H - Hindwing I - «tail»
A Painted Arachnis (Arachnis picta), showing scales and hair

Lepidopterans like all holometabola, undergo complete metamorphosis, going through a four-stage life cycle: egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, and imago/adult.[2] Their lifecycle can include a inactive periods or diapauses in any of the pre-adult stages that help them overcome unsuitable environmental conditions.[2] A species of Lymantrid moth, Gynaephora groenlandica, found in the Arctic has an exceptional life cycle that was thought to take 14 years[3] but now estimated to take 7 years.[4]

The larvae, caterpillars, have a toughened (sclerotized) head capsule, chewing mouthparts, and a soft body, that may have hair-like or other projections, 3 pairs of true legs, and additional prolegs (up to 5 pairs). They can be confused with the larvae of sawflies. Lepidopteran larvae can be differentiated by the presence of crochets on the prolegs which are absent in the Symphyta (sawflies). Most caterpillars are herbivores, but a few are carnivores (some eat ants or other caterpillars) and detritivores.[5]

Adults have two pairs of membranous wings covered, usually completely, by minute scales. In some species, wings are reduced or absent (often in the female but not the male). Antennae are prominent. In moths, males frequently have more feathery antennae than females, for detecting the female pheromones at a distance. The Trichoptera (caddisflies) which are a sister group of the Lepidoptera have scales, but also possess caudal cerci on the abdomen, a feature absent in the Lepidoptera.[2]

Adult mouth parts prominently include the proboscis formed from maxillary galeae and are adapted for sucking nectar. Some species have reduced mouth parts (some species do not feed as adults), and others have them modified to pierce and suck blood or fruit juices (some Noctuids).[6] Mandibles are absent in all except the Zeugaloptera which have chewing mouthparts.[7] The maxillary palpi are reduced and consist of up to five segments. They are conspicuous in some of the more primitive families and are often folded. The labial palpi are more prominent and upward pointed.[2](See also: difference between a butterfly and a moth)

The three thoracic segments are fused and consist of non-movable sclerites. The wings arise from the meso- and meta-thoracic segments and are similar in size in the primitive groups. In the more recent groups, the meso-thoracic wings are larger with more powerful musculature at their bases and more rigid vein structures on the costal edge. In the Noctuoidea, the metathorax is modified with a pair of tympanal organs. There are a variety of wing coupling mechanisms that connect the forewings and the hindwings. The more primitive groups have an enlarged lobe, jugum, at the base of the forewing that folds under the hindwing in flight. Other groups have a frenulum on the hindwing that hooks under a retinaculum on the forewing. In some groups such as the Psychidae, Lymantriidae, the females are flightless and have reduced wings.[2]

The abdominal segments 7-10 or 8-10 are modified to form the external genitalia. The abdomen is connected to the thorax in the more recent families by muscles connectd to projections from the abdominal sternite 2. Paired hearing organs at the base of the abdomen occur in the Pyraloidea and Geometroidea. Males have glandular organs such as expandable hair brushes or tufts, or as thin-walled, eversible sacs (coremata), from the intersegmental membranes. The genitalia are complex and provide the basis for species discrimination in most families and also in family identification.[2]

Primitive groups have a single genital aperture near the end of the abdomen through which both copulation and egg laying occur. This character is used to designate the Monotrysia. Hepialidae and related families have an external groove that carries sperm from the copulatory opening (gonopore) to the (ovipore) and are termed exoporian. The remaining groups have an internal duct that carry sperm and form the Ditrysia, with two distinct openings each for copulation and egg-laying.[2]It also has antennaes.

Families

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Forester Moth (Zygaenidae)

There are about 69 families in this order with variations depending on the taxonomic treatment (see the family te mplate box at the bottom of this section).

The Lepidoptera are divided into several suborders, the largest being Glossata, the vast majority of which are Ditrysia.

Several other classifications of lepidopteran families are used in older literature. These include the Rhopalocera (club-horned) consisting of what are commonly called butterflies and the Heterocera (varied-horned) consisting of the moths. However, Rhophalocera is a natural (monophyletic) group, while Heterocera is a paraphyletic assemblage.

Another non-standard classification separates the Lepidoptera into Microlepidoptera for the smaller species (mostly moths) and Macrolepidoptera for the larger species.

History of Study

Linnaeus in Systema Naturae (1758) recognized three divisions of the Lepidoptera: Papilio, Sphinx, and Phalaena with seven subgroups in Phalaena.[6] These persist today as 9 of the superfamilies of Lepidoptera. Other works on classification followed including those by Denis & Ignaz Schiffermüller (1775), Fabricius (1775) and Pierre André Latreille (1796). Jacob Hübner described many genera, and the Lepidopteran genera were catalogued by Ochsenheimer and Treitschke in a series of volumes on the Lepidopteran fauna of Europe published between 1807 and 1835.[6] G.A.W. Herrich-Schaffer (several volumes, 1843-1856), and Edward Meyrick (1895) based their classifications primarily on wing venation. Sir George Francis Hampson worked on the 'microlepidoptera' during this period and Philipp Christoph Zeller published The Natural History of the Tineinae13 volumes also on 'microlepidoptera'(1855).

Among the first entomologists to study fossil insects and their evolution was Samuel Hubbard Scudder (1837-1911), who worked on butterflies.[8] He published a study of the Florissant deposits of Colorado. Andreas V. Martynov (1879-1938) recognized the close relationship between Lepidoptera and Trichoptera in his studies on phylogeny.[8] Lepidoptera tend not to be as common as some other insects in the habitats that are most conducive to fossilization, such as lakes and ponds, and their juvenile stage has only the head capsule as a hard part that might be preserved. Yet there are fossils, some preserved in amber and some in very fine sediments. Leaf mines are also seen in fossil leaves, although the interpretation of them is tricky.[8] The earliest fossil is Archaeolepis mane from the Jurassic, about 190 million years ago in Dorset, UK.[8] It consists of wings and shows scales with parallel grooves under a scanning electron microscope and the characteristic wing venation pattern shared with Trichoptera.[8] Only 2 more sets of Jurassic Lepidopteran fossils have been found, and 13 sets in the Cretaceous.[8] From there, many more fossils are found from the Tertiary, and particularly the Eocene Baltic amber.

Major contributions in the 20th century included the creation of the monotrysia and ditrysia (based on female genital structure) by Borner in 1925 and 1939.[6] Willi Hennig (1913-1976) developed the cladistic methodology and applied it to insect phylogeny. Niels P. Kristensen, E. S. Nielsen and D. R. Davis studied the relationships among monotrysian families and Kristensen worked more generally on insect phylogeny and higher Lepidoptera too.[6][8]. While it is often found that DNA-based phylogenies differ from those based on morphology, this has not been the case for the Lepidoptera; DNA phylogenies correspond to a large extent to morphology-based phylogenies.[8]

Many attempts have been made to group the superfamilies of the Lepidoptera into natural groups, most of which fail because one of the two groups is not monophyletic: Microlepidotera and Macrolepidoptera, Heterocera and Rhopalocera, Jugatae and Frenatae, Monotrysia and Ditrysia.[6]

Phylogeny

It has long been noted that the Lepidoptera and the Trichoptera (caddisflies) share many similarities that are lacking in other insect orders. Among these are:

Thus the two sister orders are grouped into the Amphiesmenoptera. The group probably evolved in the Jurassic, diverging from the extinct Necrotaulidae.[8] Lepidoptera differ from the Trichoptera in several features, including wing venation, form of the scales on the wings, loss of the cerci, loss of an ocellus, and changes to the legs.[8]

The oldest, most basal lineages of Lepidoptera have as adults, not the curled tongue or proboscis characteristic of most members of the order, but chewing mandibles (Micropterigidae, Agathiphagidae and Heterobathmiidae). Micropterigidae larvae feed on decaying leaves (much like the Trichoptera), fungi, liverworts or live leaves.[6] The adults chew pollen or spores of ferns. In the Agathiphagidae, larvae feed inside seeds of kauri pines, and in Heterobathmiidae the larvae mine leaves of Nothofagus, the southern beech. These families also have mandibles in the pupal stage, which help the pupa emerge from the seed or cocoon just before adult emergence.[6]

The Eriocraniidae have a short coiled proboscis in the adult stage, and retain mandibles for the purpose of escaping the cocoon, but they are non-functional thereafter.[6] They, and most of the other non-ditrysian families, are primarily leaf miners in the larval stage. In addition to the proboscis, there is a change in the scales among these basal lineages, with later lineages showing more complex perforated scales.[8]

With the evolution of the Ditrysia in the mid-Cretaceous, there was a major reproductive change. The Ditrysia, which comprise 98% of the Lepidoptera, have two separate openings for reproduction in the females (as well as a third opening for excretion), one for mating, and one for laying eggs. The two are linked internally by a seminal duct. (In more basal lineages there is one cloaca, or later, two openings and an external sperm canal.) Of the early lineages of Ditrysia, Gracillarioidea and Gelechioidea are mostly leaf miners, but more recent lineages feed externally. In the Tineoidea, most species feed on plant and animal detritus and fungi, and build shelters in the larval stage.[8]

The Yponomeutoidea is the first group to have significant numbers of species whose larvae feed on herbaceous plants, as opposed to woody plants.[8] They evolved about the time that flowering plants underwent an expansive adaptive radiation in the mid-Cretaceous, and the Gelechioidea that evolved at this time also have great diversity. Whether the processes involved co-evolution or sequential evolution, the diversity of the Lepidoptera and the angiosperms increased together.

In the so-called "macrolepidoptera", which constitutes about 60% of Lepidopteran species, there was a general increase in size, better flying ability (via changes in wing shape and linkage of the forewings and hindwings), reduction in the adult mandibles, and a change in the arrangement of the crochets (hooks) on the larval prolegs, perhaps to improve the grip on the host plant.[8] Many also have tympanal organs, that allow them to hear. These organs evolved eight times, at least, because they occur on different body parts and have structural differences.[8] The main lineages in the macrolepidoptera are the Noctuoidea, Bombycoidea, Lasiocampidae, Mimallonoidea, Geometroidea and Rhopalocera. Bombycoidea plus Lasiocampidae plus Mimallonoidea may be a monophyletic group.[8] The Rhopalocera, comprising the Papilionoidea (Butterflies), Hesperioidea (skippers), and the Hedyloidea (moth-butterflies), are the most recently evolved.[6] There is quite a good fossil record for this group, with the oldest skipper about 56 million years old.[8]

Cited References

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  1. ^ "The Lepidoptera Taxome Project Draft Proposals and Information". Centre for Ecology and Evolution, University College London. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/taxome/. Retrieved on 2007-03-05. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Powell, Jerry A. Lepidoptera (pp. 631-664) in Resh, V. H. & R. T. Cardé (Editors) 2003. Encyclopedia of Insects. Academic Press.
  3. ^ Kevan, P. G., and O. Kukal. 1993. Corrigendum: A balanced life table for Gynaephora groenlandica (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), a long-lived high arctic insect, and implications for the stability of its populations. Can. J. Zool. 71:1699-1701 PDF
  4. ^ W. Dean Morewood and Richard A. Ring (1998) Revision of the life history of the High Arctic moth Gynaephora groenlandica (Wocke) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Can. J. Zool. 76(7):1371–1381 doi:10.1139/cjz-76-7-1371
  5. ^ Dugdale, JS, 1996. Natural history and identification of litter-feeding Lepidoptera larvae (Insecta) in beech forests, Orongorongo Valley, New Zealand, with especial reference to the diet of mice (Mus musculus). Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 26, Number 2, pp 251-274
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Scoble, MJ 1995. The Lepidoptera: form, function and diversity. Oxford, UK: The Oxford University Press; 404 p.
  7. ^ Borror, D.J., Triplehorn, C.A. Johnson. ( 1989) Introduction to the Study of Insects. 6th ed. Brooks Cole.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Grimaldi, D, and M S Engel, 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press.
  9. ^ Tree of Life Accessed January 2007

Other References

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Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Order Lepidoptera is further organized into finer groupings including:

Families

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Acrolepiidae

The Acrolepiidae family of are also known as False Diamondback moths. [more]

Acrolophidae

[more]

Adelidae

The Adelidae or "fairy long horn moths" are a family of primitive moths in the order Lepidoptera. Most species of Adelidae are day-flying, sometimes swarming around the tips of branches with an undulating flight, with metallic patterns. Fairy moths have a wingspan of 4-28 millimeters and males often have especially long antennae 1-3 times as long as the forewing. They are widespread across the World and can be found over much of North America and Eurasia from April to June. 50 species occur in Europe[1] of which the most often noticed is the "Green Oak Longhorn" Adela reaumurella which can sometimes reach great abundance, and this peak is receding due to climate change (Kuchlein and Ellis, 2004). [more]

Agathiphagidae

[more]

Agonoxenidae

The Agonoxenidae family of only contains four named species in the whole world (if, following Nielsen et al. (1996) the Blastodacnidae are considered to be a separate family) : [more]

Alucitidae

The Alucitidae or many-plumed moths are a of moths with unusually modified wings. This is a small family, with about 130 worldwide species having been described to date mostly from temperate and warm regions (not tropical); sometimes the roughly 20 Tineodidae species are merged herein, making the Alucitoidea superfamily monotypic. [more]

Amphisbatidae

[more]

Anomoeotidae

[more]

Anthelidae

Anthelidae is a family of Australian lappet moths in the order. [more]

Arctiidae

Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths (or tigers), which usually have bright colors, footmen (which are usually much drabber), lichen moths and wasp moths. Many species have 'hairy' caterpillars which are popularly known as woolly bears or woolly worms. The scientific name refers to this (Gk. a??t?? = a bear). Caterpillars may also go by the name 'tussock moths' (more usually this refers to Lymantriidae, however). [more]

Argyresthiidae

Argyresthia is a genus of in the Argyresthiidae family. [more]

Batrachedridae

Batrachedridae is a small family of . These are small, slender moths which rest with the wings wrapped tightly around the body. The taxonomy of this and related groups is often disputed but currently the family is thought to contain two genera, Batrachedra (many species) and Houdinia (a single species, Houdinia flexissima from New Zealand). [more]

Bedelliidae

Bedelliidae is a small of small, narrow-winged moths; most authorities recognize just a single genus, Bedellia, previously included in the family Lyonetiidae. [more]

Blastobasidae

Blastobasidae is a family of with species found in all parts of the world. These are generally small, slender moths with muted colors (Edward Meyrick described the group as "obscure and dull colored moths, decidedly the least attractive family of Lepidoptera"). The larvae feed openly, usually on dead organic matter. Some species are pests of stored foodstuffs. [more]

Bombycidae

Bombycidae is a family of . The best-known species is Bombyx mori (Linnaeus) or silkworm, native to northern China and domesticated for millennia. Another well known species is Bombyx mandarina, also native to Asia. [more]

Brachodidae

[more]

Brahmaeidae

Brahmaeidae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order, commonly known as brahmin moths. [more]

Brassolidae

[more]

Bucculatricidae

Bucculatricidae or (Bucculatrigidae) is a family of . This small family has representatives in all parts of the world. Some authors place the group as a subfamily of the family Lyonetiidae. [more]

Callidulidae

[more]

Carposinidae

Carposinidae, the "fruitworm moths" is a of insects in the lepidopteran order. These moths are narrower winged than Copromorphidae, with less rounded forewing tips. Males often have conspicuous patches of scales on either surface (Dugdale et al., 1999). The mouthparts are quite diagnostic, usually with prominent, upcurved "labial palps", the third segment long (especially in females), and the second segment covered in large scales. Unlike Copromorphidae, the "M2" and sometimes "M1" vein on the hindwings is absent. The relationship of Carposinidae relative to Copromorphidae needs further investigation. It is considered possible that the family is artificial, being nested within Copromorphidae (Dugdale et al., 1999). The Palearctic species have been revised by Diakonoff (1989). [more]

Castniidae

Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of with less than 200 species: The majority are Neotropical with some in Australia and a few in south-east Asia. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically-marked forewings and brightly colored hindwings. They have clubbed antennae and are day-flying, and are often mistaken for butterflies. Indeed some previous classification systems placed this family within the butterflies or skippers. The Neotropical species are commonly known as giant butterfly-moths, the Australian and Asian species as sun moths. The larvae are internal feeders, often on roots of epiphytes or on monocotyledons (Edwards et al., 1999: 184-188). [more]

Choreutidae

Choreutidae, or "metalmark moths," are a of insects in the lepidopteran order whose relationships have been long disputed. It was placed previously in the superfamily Yponomeutoidea in family Glyphipterigidae and in superfamily Sesioidea. It is now considered to represent its own superfamily (Minet, 1986). The relationship of the family to the other lineages in the group "Apoditrysia" [1] need a new assessment, especially with new molecular data. [more]

Coleophoridae

Coleophoridae is a family of with about 1050 species, the vast majority (about 1000) belonging to the huge genus Coleophora (numerous splits have been proposed for this immense genus but have not been widely accepted - most of the genus names listed right refer to these proposed new genera). The family is represented on all continents but the majority are found in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. [more]

Copromorphidae

Copromorphidae, the "tropical fruitworm moths" is a of insects in the lepidopteran order. These moths have broad, rounded forewings, and well-camouflaged scale patterns. Unlike Carposinidae the mouthparts include "labial palps" with the second rather than third segment the longest. The position of the enigmatic New Zealand genus Isonomeutis in this family in uncertain, as it lacks the flimsy cuticle of the pupa characteristic of other Copromorphoidea. With other unusual structural characteristics of the caterpillar and adult, it could represent the sister lineage of all other extant members of this superfamily (Dugdale et al., 1999). The genus Sisyroxena from Madagascar is also notable for its unusual venation and wing scale sockets (Dugdale et al., 1999). [more]

Cosmopterigidae

Cosmopterigidae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order. These are small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on the leaves, seeds, stems, etc of their host plants. [more]

Cosmopterygidae

[more]

Cossidae

Cossidae, the cossid moths or carpenter moths, make up a of mostly large moths. Ths family contains over 110 genera with almost 700 known species, and many more species await description. Carpenter moths are nocturnal Lepidoptera found worldwide, except the Southeast Asian subfamily Ratardinae which is mostly active during the day. [more]

Crambidae

The Crambidae are the grass moth family of (butterflies and moths). They are quite variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass-stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies include brightly colored and patterned insects which rest in wing-spread attitudes. [more]

Ctenuchidae

Noctuoidea is the of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has the largest number of species described for any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. See Kitching and Rawlins (1999) for a broad review, and this reference is the source of the classification used here. The most recent classifications include only four families in the superfamily; Noctuidae, Oenosandridae, Doidae, and Notodontidae. The remaining four families listed here are presently all considered subfamilies within Noctuidae. [more]

Dalceridae

Dalceridae is a small family of with 84 known species. They are mostly found in the Neotropical region with a few reaching the far south of the Nearctic region. [more]

Danaidae

Milkweed butterflies are a , Danainae, in the family Nymphalidae, or brush-footed butterflies. They lay their eggs on various milkweeds on which their larvae (caterpillars) feed. Historically, this group had been considered a separate family, Danaidae, and the tribes placed herein were sometimes considered distinct subfamilies in the Nymphalidae. [more]

Depressariidae

[more]

Dioptidae

[more]

Douglasiidae

The small family Douglasiidae includes several species of moths whose adults are collectively called Douglas moths and whose larvae are leaf miners. The largest genus in the family is Tinagma. [more]

Elachistidae

The Elachistidae are a family of (moths). [more]

Epermeniidae

[more]

Epicopeiidae

Epicopeiidae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order. They are known as Oriental Swallowtail Moths as they resemble Oriental Swallowtail butterflies so well. [more]

Epipyropidae

Epipyropidae is a small of insects in the Lepidoptera order. This family and the closely-related Cyclotornidae are unique among the Lepidoptera in that the larvae are ectoparasites, the hosts typically being fulgoroid planthoppers, thus the common name Planthopper Parasite Moths. [more]

Eriocottidae

[more]

Eriocraniidae

[more]

Ethmiidae

Ethmiidae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Eupterotidae

Eupterotidae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Family Unassigned

[more]

Gelechiidae

The Gelechiidae, Gelechiid moths, are a family of (moths). These are generally very small moths with narrow, fringed wings. The larvae of most species feed internally on various parts of their host plants, sometimes causing galls. Douglas-fir is a host plant common to many species of the family. [more]

Geometridae

The geometer moths or Geometridae are a of the order Lepidoptera. A very large family, it has around 26,000 species of moths described (over 300 of which occur in the British Isles, and over 1,200 species indigenous to North America). A well-known member is the Peppered Moth, Biston betularia, which has been subject of numerous studies in population genetics. Several other geometer moths are rather notorious pests. [more]

Glyphipterigidae

Glyphipterigidae is a family of small commonly known as sedge moths as the larvae of many species feed on sedges and rushes. [more]

Gracillariidae

[more]

Heliodinidae

Heliodinidae is a family of small with slender bodies and narrow wings. Members of this family are found in all parts of the world. [more]

Heliozelidae

A family of primitive moths in the order Lepidoptera. Heliozelidae are small, metallic day-flying moths with shiny smooth heads, In Europe the small adult moths (genera Antispila and Heliozela) are seldom noticed as they fly quite early in the Spring. The larvae are leaf miners[1] and the vacated leaf mines are distinctive because the larva leaves a large hole at the end. [more]

Hepialidae

The Hepialidae is a of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. [more]

Hesperiidae

A skipper is a of the family Hesperiidae, and superfamily Hesperioidea (there is only family in this superfamily). They are named after their quick, darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity occurring in the tropical regions of Central and South America. [more]

Heterobathmiidae

[more]

Himantopteridae

Himantopteridae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order. [more]

Immidae

Immoidea is a superfamily of moths containing only the family Immidae comprising ten genera with around 250 species, over half of them in the genus Imma. Many are brightly colored and diurnal. The position of this group is currently uncertain within the group Obtectomera[1]. The larvae feed on the leaves of dicotyledons and conifers including Podocarpus (Dugdale et al. 1999). [more]

Incurvariidae

Incurvariidae is a family of small primitive moths in the order Lepidoptera. There are twelve genera recognised (Davis, 1999). Many species are leaf miners and much is known of their hostplants. The most familiar species in Europe are perhaps Incurvaria masculella and Phylloporia bistrigella. The narrow wings are held tightly along the body at rest and some species have very long antennae. [more]

Lacturidae

Lacturidae is a of insects in the Lepidoptera order. Brighly colored tropical moths Lacturidae have been previously placed in Plutellidae, Yponomeutidae and Hyponomeutidae. [more]

Lasiocampidae

The Lasiocampidae family of are also known as eggars, snout moths or lappet moths. There are over 2000 species worldwide, and probably not all have been named or studied. [more]

Lecithoceridae

Lecithoceridae is a family of small . Although lecithocerids are found throughout the world, the great majority are found in the Indomalaya ecozone and the southern part of the Palaearctic ecozone. [more]

Lemoniidae

[more]

Libytheidae

[more]

Limacodidae

Limacodidae or Euclidae is a family of in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea (Scoble, 1992); the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distant resemblance to slugs. They are also called cup moths because of the shape of their cocoons. [more]

Lycaenidae

The Lycaenidae are the second-largest of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 40% of the known butterfly species. [more]

Lymantriidae

Lymantriidae or Liparidaeverification needed] is a family of moths with about 350 known genera and over 2,500 known species found all over the world, in every continent except Antarctica. They are particularly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Southeast Asia and South America; one estimate lists 258 species in Madagascar alone (Schaefer, 1989). Apart from oceanic islands, notable places that do not host Lymantriids include New Zealand, the Antilles, and New Caledonia (Schaefer , 1989). [more]

Lyonetiidae

Lyonetiidae is a family of . These are small, slender moths, the wingspan rarely exceeding 1 cm. The very narrow forewings, held folded backwards covering the hindwings and abdomen, often have pointed apices noticeably up- or down-turned. The larvae are leaf miners. [more]

Megalopygidae

Megalopygidae is the technical name of a group of insect species known generally as crinkled flannel moths, or simply Flannel Moths. They occur in North America (11 species) and the New World tropics. The larvae are called Puss , and with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls. They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms. Perhaps the most notorious for stinging is the caterpillar of Megalopyge opercularis. [more]

Metachandidae

Metachandidae is a small family of containing a single genus, Metachanda. [more]

Micheleidae

[more]

Micropterigidae

Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently 12 living genera. They are considered the most primitive lineage of Lepidoptera (Kristensen, 1999). [more]

Mimallonidae

[more]

Momphidae

Momphidae is a family of . These tend to be rather small moths with a wingspan of up to 21 mm. The wings are held folded over the body at rest. The larvae are concealed feeders, either as leaf miners or within seeds or stems. [more]

Nepticulidae

Nepticulidae is a of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes (see also Opostegidae, Bucculatricidae, Lyonetiidae). These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, include the smallest of all living moths, with a wingspan that can be as little as 3 mm. in the case of the European Pigmy Sorrel Moth[1], but more usually 3.5–10 mm. The wings of adult moths are narrow and lanceolate, sometimes with metallic markings, and with the venation very simplified compared to most other moths. [more]

Noctuidae

The Noctuidae or Owlet moths are a family of robustly-built that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera. [more]

Nolidae

Nolidae is a family of with about 1,400 described species worldwide. They are mostly small with dull coloration, the main distinguishing feature being tufts of raised scales on the forewings (the group is sometimes known as tuft moths). The larvae also tend to have muted colors and tufts of short hairs. [more]

Notodontidae

Notodontidae is a family of with approximately 3,500 known species. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, especially in the New World (Miller, 1992). The Thaumetopoeidae (processionary moths) are sometimes included here as a subfamily. [more]

Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae is a of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colorful wings flat when resting. They are also called brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies. Many species are brightly colored and include popular species such as the emperor, admirals, tortoiseshells and fritillaries. However, the underwings are in contrast often dull and in some species look remarkably like dead leaves, or are much paler, producing a cryptic effect that helps the butterfly disappear into its surroundings. [more]

Oecophoridae

The Oecophoridae are a family of (moths). [more]

Opostegidae

Opostegidae or "white eyecap moths" is a family of in the Lepidoptera order that is characterised by particularly large eyecaps over the compound eyes (see also Nepticulidae, Bucculatricidae, Lyonetiidae).Opostegidae are most divere in the New World tropics (83 described species, representing 42% of the world total). [more]

Pantheidae

Pantheidae is a of Lepidoptera. Mostly, it is classified as a subfamily of Noctuidae, under the name Pantheinae. [more]

Papilionidae

Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful which form the family Papilionidae. There are at least 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica. The family includes the largest butterflies in the world, the birdwing butterflies of Australia (genus Ornithoptera). [more]

Phaloniidae

[more]

Pieridae

The Pieridae are a large of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots. The pigments that give the distinct coloring to these butterflies are derived from waste products in the body and are a characteristic of this family. [more]

Plutellidae

Plutellidae is a family of . Some authors consider this family to be a subfamily of Yponomeutidae. [more]

Prodoxidae

Prodoxidae is a family of primitive Lepidoptera. Some of these small-to-medium sized moths are day flying, like Lampronia capitella, known to European gardeners as the "Currant Shoot Borer"[1]. Others occur in Africa and Asia.Tetragma gei feeds on Mountain Avens Geum triflorum in USA. Greya politella lay eggs in the flowers of Saxifragaceae there. The last five genera listed here are confined to dry areas of the United States. Prodoxoides asymmetra occurs in Chile and Argentina (Nielsen and Davis, 1985), but all other prodoxid moth genera have a northern distribution. [more]

Psychidae

The Psychidae or Bagworms are a of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The larvae of the Psychidae construct cases out of silk and environmental materials such as sand, soil, lichen, or plant materials. These cases are attached to rocks, trees or fences while resting or during their pupa stage, but are otherwise mobile. The larvae of some species eat lichen, while others prefer green leaves. In many species, the adult females lack wings and are therefore difficult to identify accurately. [more]

Pterophoridae

The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings. Though they belong to the Apoditrysia like the larger moths and the butterflies, unlike these they are tiny and were formerly included among the assemblage called "Microlepidoptera". [more]

Pyralidae

The Pyralidae or snout are a family of Lepidoptera. [more]

Riodinidae

The Riodinidae (or metalmarks) are a of butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world. Although mostly neotropical in distribution, the family is represented both in the New World and the Old World. [more]

Saturniidae

The Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the . They form a family of Lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 described species worldwide. The Saturniidae include such Lepidoptera as the giant silkmoths, royal moths and emperor moths. [more]

Satyridae

Satyrinae, the satyrines or satyrids, commonly known as the Browns, is a of the Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies). They were formerly considered a distinct family, Satyridae. This group contains nearly half of the known diversity of brush-footed butterflies. It is estimated that the true number of Satyrinae species may exceed 2,400. [more]

Schreckensteiniidae

Schreckensteinioidea is a in the insect order Lepidoptera containing a single family, Schreckensteiniidae, or "bristle-legged moths", because of the stout spines on the hindlegs. The relationships of this family within the group Apoditrysia[1] are currently uncertain. One of the species, the Blackberry Skeletonizer Schreckensteinia festaliella, is widespread and common across Europe and has been introduced as a biological control to Hawaii, whilst three species of Corsocasis occur in South East Asia (Dugdale et al., 1999). [more]

Scythrididae

Gelechioidea is the superfamily of moths that includes case bearers and relatives. Gelechioidea is a large and poorly understood superfamily belonging to the order Lepidoptera, (Moths and Butterflies). Gelechioidea is composed of approximately 1,425 genera and 16,250 species (Hodges, 1998). Hodges estimates that only 25% of the species diversity of Gelechioidea has been described. If this estimate is accurate, Gelechioidea will be one of the largest superfamilies of Lepidoptera. [more]

Sematuridae

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Sesiidae

The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are a family of the in which the wings have hardly any of the normal lepidopteran scales, leaving them transparent. The bodies are generally striped with yellow, sometimes very brightly, and they have simple antennae. The general appearance is sufficiently similar to a wasp or hornet to make it likely that the moths gain a reduction in predation by Batesian mimicry. This enables them to be active in daylight. They are commonly collected using pheromone lures.Worldwide there are 151 genera, 1370 species , and 50 subspecies.Most of these occur in the tropics, but there are many species in the Holarctic region. [more]

Somabrachyidae

Somabrachyidae is a of moth in the order Lepidoptera. [more]

Sphingidae

Sphingidae is a family of moths (), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species (Grimaldi & Engel, 2005). It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region (Scoble, 1995). They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability (Scoble, 1995). The narrow wings and streamlined abdomen are clearly[citation needed] adaptations for rapid flight. [more]

Symmocidae

Gelechioidea is the superfamily of moths that includes case bearers and relatives. Gelechioidea is a large and poorly understood superfamily belonging to the order Lepidoptera, (Moths and Butterflies). Gelechioidea is composed of approximately 1,425 genera and 16,250 species (Hodges, 1998). Hodges estimates that only 25% of the species diversity of Gelechioidea has been described. If this estimate is accurate, Gelechioidea will be one of the largest superfamilies of Lepidoptera. [more]

Thyatiridae

[more]

Thyrididae

Thyrididae is the picture-winged leaf moths of moths in the Lepidoptera order. They alone make up the Thyridoidea superfamily, which is sometimes included in the Pyraloidea (though this is not supported by cladistic analysis. [more]

Tineidae

Tineidae is a family of in the order Lepidoptera. The family contains approximately 3000 species. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest. [more]

Tischeriidae

Tischerioidea is the superfamily of "trumpet" moths. This is one candidate as the sister group (see also Palaephatoidea) of the bulk of Lepidoptera, the Ditrysia (Davis, 1999; Wiegmann et al., 2002), and they have a monotrysian type of female reproductive system. The superfamily contains just one family and traditionally one genus, Tischeria, but currently three genera are recognised, widespread across the World including South America (Davis, 1986), except for Australasia (Puplesis and Diskus, 2003). These small moths are leaf-miners[1] in the caterpillar stage, feeding mainly on Fagaceae (Tischeria and Coptotriche), Asteraceae and Malvaceae (Astrotischeria), and some also on Rhamnaceae, Tiliaceae and Rosaceae[2][3]. [more]

Tortricidae

Tortricidae is a family of moths in the order . They are commonly known as tortrix moths. It is a large family with over 6,300 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym. The typical resting posture is with the wings folded back producing a rather rounded profile. [more]

Uraniidae

The Uraniidae are a of moths containing four subfamilies, ninety genera, and roughly seven-hundred species. Some tropical species are known for their bright, butterfly-like colors and are called sunset moths (for example Chrysiridia rhipheus). Such moths are apparently toxic and the bright colors are a warning to predators. [more]

Urodidae

[more]

Xyloryctidae

[more]

Yponomeutidae

The family Yponomeutidae are known as the ermine , with several hundred species, most of them in the tropics. The larvae tend to form communal webs, and some are minor pests in agriculture, forestry, and horticulture. Some of the adults are very attractive. Adult moths are minor pollinators. [more]

Zygaenidae

The Zygaenidae are a family of Lepidoptera. The majority of zygaenids are tropical, but they are nevertheless quite well represented in temperate regions. There are about 1000 species. Various species are commonly known as Burnet or Forester moths, often qualified by the number of spots, although other families also have 'foresters'. They are also sometimes called Smoky moths. [more]

At least 70 species and subspecies belong to the Family Zygaenidae.

More info about the Family Zygaenidae may be found here.

Sources

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Last Revised: September 22, 2009
2009/09/22 08:00:23