Butterflies and Moths
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( LEP-ih-DOP-tər-ə) or lepidopterans are an order of winged insects which include butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 8.6% of the total described species of living organisms, making it the second largest insect order (behind Coleoptera) with 133 families and 43 superfamilies, and one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world.
Lepidopterans have several distinctive features, especially colored scales that cover their bodies, large triangular wings, and a proboscis for drinking nectar. Almost all species have membranous wings. Mating and egg-laying are normally near or on host plants for the larvae. Butterflies and moths undergo complete metamorphosis. The larva is called a caterpillar; it has a cylindrical body with a well-developed head, chewing mouthparts, three pairs of legs and up to five pairs of prolegs. As it grows, it changes in appearance, going through a series of stages called instars. Once mature, it develops into a pupa. A few butterflies and many moth species spin a silk casing or cocoon for protection prior to pupating, while others just go underground. A butterfly pupa, called a chrysalis, has a hard skin, usually with no cocoon. In the pupa, metamorphosis occurs, and a sexually mature adult emerges.
52 branches of this order, most-observed first
Butterflies
superfamilyPapilionoidea
Owlet Moths and Allies
superfamilyNoctuoidea
Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths
superfamilyGeometroidea
Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths
superfamilyPyraloidea
Hawk, Sphinx, Silk, Emperor, and Allied Moths
superfamilyBombycoidea
Tortricid Leafroller Moths and Allies
superfamilyTortricoidea
Curved-horn Moths
superfamilyGelechioidea
Flannel, Slug Caterpillar, Leaf Skeletonizer, and Allied Moths
superfamilyZygaenoidea
Lasiocampoidea
superfamilyLasiocampoidea
Bagworms, Clothes Moths, and Allies
superfamilyTineoidea
Ermine Moths and Allies
superfamilyYponomeutoidea
Plume Moths and Allies
superfamilyPterophoroidea
Gracillarioidea
superfamilyGracillarioidea
Hooktip Moths and Allies
superfamilyDrepanoidea
Carpenter, Leopard, Goat, and Allied Moths
superfamilyCossoidea
Ghost Moths and Swift Moths
superfamilyHepialoidea
Fairy Moths and Allies
superfamilyAdeloidea
Pygmy Leafminer Moths
superfamilyNepticuloidea
Clearwing moths
superfamilySesioidea
Choreutoidea
superfamilyChoreutoidea
Picture-winged Leaf Moths
superfamilyThyridoidea
Many-plumed and False Plume moths
superfamilyAlucitoidea
Trumpet Leafminer Moths
superfamilyTischerioidea
Fruitworm Moths
superfamilyCarposinoidea
Sack-bearer Moths
superfamilyMimallonoidea
Mandibulate Archaic Moths
superfamilyMicropterigoidea
Calliduloidea
superfamilyCalliduloidea
Teak Moths
superfamilyHyblaeoidea
Eriocranioidea
superfamilyEriocranioidea
Immoidea
superfamilyImmoidea
Fringe-tufted Moths
superfamilyEpermenioidea
Schreckensteinioidea
superfamilySchreckensteinioidea
False Burnet Moths
superfamilyUrodoidea
Galacticoid Moths
superfamilyGalacticoidea
Heliocosmoidea
superfamilyHeliocosmoidea
Douglasioidea
superfamilyDouglasioidea
Palaephatoidea
superfamilyPalaephatoidea
Mnesarchaeoidea
superfamilyMnesarchaeoidea
Cycloplasis
genusCycloplasis
Neopseustoidea
superfamilyNeopseustoidea
Millieriidae
familyMillieriidae
Acanthopteroctetoidea
superfamilyAcanthopteroctetoidea
Andesianoidea
superfamilyAndesianoidea
Aenigmatineidae
familyAenigmatineidae
Podiasa
genusPodiasa
Heterobathmioidea
superfamilyHeterobathmioidea
Pliniaca
genusPliniaca
Lophocoronoidea
superfamilyLophocoronoidea
Eulyonetia
genusEulyonetia
Agathiphagoidea
superfamilyAgathiphagoidea
Simaethistoidea
superfamilySimaethistoidea
Whalleyanoidea
superfamilyWhalleyanoidea
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the old herbals & bestiaries
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Lepidoptera in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 47157.