Order Lepidoptera
(butterflies, butterflies and moths, and moths)

Confused by a class within a class or an order within an order? Please see our brief essay.

Scientific names for Aves taxonomy (family and below) are from The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World, Princeton University Press, copyright 2003. Used by permission.

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  Kingdom Animalia (animals)
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  Eumetazoa (metazoans)
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  Bilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
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  Protostomia (protostomes)
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  Ecdysozoa
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  Phylum Arthropoda (crustaceans, insects, spiders, and relatives)
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  Uniramia
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  Subphylum Hexapoda
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  Class Insecta (insects)
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  Subclass Pterygota (winged insects)
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  Superorder Neoptera
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  Holometabola
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  Order Lepidoptera (butterflies, butterflies and moths, and moths)
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  Suborder Frenatae (frenates)
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  Suborder Glossata
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  Family Gracillariidae
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  Suborder Jugatae
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  Family Eriocraniidae (eriocraniid moths)
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  Family Hepialidae (ghost moths and swifts)
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  Family Micropterygidae (mandibulate moths)
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  Suborder Macrolepidoptera
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  Superfamily Bombycoidea
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  Family Apatelodidae (apatelodod moths)
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  Family Bombycidae (lappet moths and silkworm moths)
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  Family Lasiocampidae (tent caterpillar moths and tent caterpillars)
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  Family Saturniidae (giant silkworm moths and royal moths)
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  Superfamily Drepanoidea
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  Family Drepanidae (drepanids and hook-tip moths)
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  Family Thyatiridae (thyatirid moths)
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  Superfamily Geometroidea
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  Family Geometridae (cankerworms, geometers, and measuringworms)
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  Superfamily Hesperioidea
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  Family Hesperiidae (skippers)
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  Family Megathymidae (giant skippers)
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  Superfamily Mimallonoidea
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  Family Mimallonidae (sack-bearers)
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  Superfamily Noctuoidea
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  Family Agaristidae (forester moths)
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  Family Arctiidae (footman moths and tiger moths)
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  Family Ctenuchidae (ctenuchas, scape moths, and wasp moths)
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  Family Dioptidae (oakworms)
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  Family Liparidae (tussock moths)
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  Family Lymantriidae
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  Family Manidiidae (manidiid moths)
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  Family Noctuidae (cutworms, dagger moths, noctuid moths, owlet moths, and underwings)
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  Family Nolidae (nolid moths)
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  Family Notodontidae (prominent moths)
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  Family Pericopidae (pericopid moths)
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  Superfamily Papilionoidea (butterflies)
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  Family Danaidae (milkweed butterflies)
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  Family Heliconiidae (heliconians)
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  Family Libytheidae (snout butterflies)
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  Family Lycaenidae (blues, coppers, coppers, hairstreaks, and blues (butterflies), gossamer-winged butterflies, hairstreaks, and harvesters)
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  Family Nymphalidae (admirals, anglewings, brush-footed butterflies, checker-spots, crescent-spots, fritillaries, mourningclocks, and purples)
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  Family Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies)
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  Family Parnassiidae (parnissians)
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  Family Pieridae (orange-tips, sulphurs, whites, and whites and sulphurs)
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  Family Riodinidae (metalmarks)
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  Family Satyridae (satyrs, wood nymphs, and wood nymphs and satyrs (butterflies))
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  Superfamily Sphingoidea
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  Family Sphingidae (hawk moths, hornworms, and sphinx moths)
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  Superfamily Uranioidea
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  Family Epiplemidae (epiplemid moths)
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  Suborder Microlepidoptera
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  Superfamily Carposinoidea
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  Family Carposinidae (carposinid moths)
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  Superfamily Cycnodioidea
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  Family Douglasiidae (leaf miners)
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  Family Elachistidae (grass leafminer moths and grass miners)
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  Family Heliozelidae (leaf miners and shield bearers)
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  Superfamily Gelechioidea
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  Family Blastobasidae (blastobasid moths)
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  Family Cosmopterygidae (cosmopterigid moths and leafminer moths)
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  Family Epermeniidae (epermeniid moths)
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  Family Ethmiidae (ethmiid moths)
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  Family Gelechiidae (gelechiid moths)
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  Family Momphidae (momphid moths)
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  Family Oecophoridae (oecophorid moths)
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  Family Stenomidae (stenomid moths)
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  Family Walshiidae (walshiid moths)
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  Superfamily Incurvarioidea
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  Family Incurvariidae (fairy moths, incurvarid moths, and yucca moths)
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  Superfamily Nepticuloidea
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  Family Nepticulidae (leaf miners and nepticulid moths)
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  Superfamily Pyraloidea
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  Family Alucitidae (many-plume moths)
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  Family Pterophoridae (plume moths)
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  Family Pyralidae (grass moths and snout moths)
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  Family Thyrididae (window-winged moths)
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  Superfamily Tineoidea
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  Family Acrolophidae (burrowing webworms)
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  Family Coleophoridae (casebearer moths and casebearers)
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  Family Gracilariidae (leaf blotch miners)
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  Family Oinophilidae (oinophilid moths)
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  Family Opostegidae (opostegid moths)
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  Family Psychidae (bagworms)
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  Family Tineidae (clothes moths)
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  Family Tischeriidae (lyonetiid moths)
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  Superfamily Tortricoidea
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  Family Cossidae (carpenter moths, carpenter worm moths, and leopard moths)
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  Family Olethreutidae (codling moths and oriental fruit moths)
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  Family Phaloniidae (webworms)
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  Family Tortricidae (leaf rollers and leaf tyers)
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  Superfamily Yponomeutoidea
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  Family Glyphipterygidae (glyphipterygid moths)
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  Family Heliodinidae (heliodinid moths)
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  Family Plutellidae (diamondback moths)
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  Family Scythridae (scythrid moths)
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  Family Sesiidae (clear-winged moths)
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  Family Yponomeutidae (ermine moths)
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  Superfamily Zygaenoidea
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  Family Dalceridae (dalcerid moths)
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  Family Epipyropidae (planthopper parasites)
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  Family Limacodidae (saddleback caterpillars, slug caterpillar moths, and slug caterpillars)
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  Family Megalopygidae (flannel moths)
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  Family Pyromorphidae (smoky moths)