Lepidoptera

Moths and butterflies
The Clipper, Parthenos sylvia (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Subclass:	Pterygota
Infraclass:	Neoptera
Superorder:	Endopterygota
Order:	Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758
Suborders
Aglossata Glossata Heterobathmiina Zeugloptera

The order Lepidoptera is the second biggest order in the class Insecta. It includes the butterflies, moths and skippers. Members of the order are called lepidopterans. A person who collects or studies this order is called a Lepidopterist. This order has more than 180,000 species in 128 families and 47 superfamilies. The order Coleoptera (the beetles) is the only order that has more species. The name, Lepidoptera, comes from the Ancient Greek words λεπίδος (scale) and πτερόν (wing).

Characteristics of Lepidoptera

Lepidopterans go through complete metamorphosis. This means that they have a four parts of their life. The first part is the egg. The second part is the caterpillar or larva. The third part is the pupa. The last part is the adult or imago.

Larva

The larvae have a tough head and a soft body. They have mouths that are made to chew. Some larvae are covered with hairs, or other body extensions. The larvae have three pairs of small legs on the thorax. These legs are called true legs. There are up to five pairs of bigger legs on the abdomen. These legs are called prolegs. Lepidopteran larvae can be confused with the larvae of sawflies. The difference between Lepidopteran larvae and sawfly larvae is that Lepidopteran larvae have tiny hooks on their prolegs. These hooks are called crochets. Most larvae are herbivores, but a few are carnivores and detritivores.

Adult

Adults have two pairs of wings. They are covered by small scales. In some species, the adults have very small wings or no wings at all. This is more common in females. Adults have antennae. Some moths have antennae that look like feathers. These feather-like antennae are larger in males than females. Adults have a mouth part called a proboscis. It is made for sucking nectar from flowers. Some adults do not have mouths and cannot feed. Others have different mouths that are made to pierce and suck blood or fruit juices.

Images

• 
  A butterfly
• 
  A moth
• 
  A Skipper (Small skipper)

Other pages

• Differences between butterflies and moths

Other websites

• Forum Lepidoptera
• European Butterflies and Moths
• Lepidopterology.com
• Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
• British Butterflies and Moths
• Photography of European Butterflies and Moths
• Butterflies and Moths in the Netherlands
• Lepidoptera of North America
• Lepidoptera in online insect museum
• Butterflies of Asturias - Spain
• Lepidoptera of French Antilles
• Butterflies of Asian Russia
• Butterflies from Indo_China
• Moths of Jamaica
• Historic Moth illustrations
• "Lepidoptera". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.