The insect order Lepidoptera consists of moths and butterflies (43 superfamilies). Most moths are night-flying, while the butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea) are mainly day-flying. Within Lepidoptera as a whole, the groups listed below before Glossata contain a few small families accounting for fewer than 200 species; the bulk of Lepidoptera are in the Glossata. Similarly, within the Glossata, the bulk of species belong to the infraorder Heteroneura. Early patterns of divergence within Heteroneura cannot be defined with as much confidence, as there are still some disputes concerning patterns of evolutionary relatedness. At the family level, however, most groups are well defined, and the families are commonly used by hobbyists and scientists alike.
Unassigned fossil lepidopterans Family unassigned (12 genera, 16 species) Family Archaeolepidae Family Mesokristenseniidae Family Eolepidopterigidae Family Undopterigidae
Suborder Zeugloptera Superfamily Micropterigoidea Family Micropterigidae
Suborder Aglossata Superfamily Agathiphagoidea Family Agathiphagidae
Suborder Heterobathmiina Superfamily Heterobathmioidea Family Heterobathmiidae
Suborder Glossata
Infraorder Dacnonypha
Superfamily Eriocranioidea Family Eriocraniidae
Clade Coelolepida, encompassing all remaining groups
Infraorder Acanthoctesia Superfamily Acanthopteroctetoidea Family Acanthopteroctetidae
Infraorder Lophocoronina Superfamily Lophocoronoidea Family Lophocoronidae
Clade Myoglossata, encompassing all remaining groups
Infraorder Neopseustina Superfamily Neopseustoidea Family Neopseustidae Family Aenigmatineidae
Clade Neolepidoptera, encompassing all remaining groups
Infraorder Exoporia
Superfamily Mnesarchaeoidea Family Mnesarchaeidae Superfamily Hepialoidea Family Palaeosetidae Family Prototheoridae Family Neotheoridae Family Anomosetidae Family Hepialidae
Infraorder Heteroneura
Clade Nepticulina Superfamily Nepticuloidea Family Nepticulidae Family Opostegidae
Clade Eulepidoptera, encompassing all remaining groups
Clade Incurvariina Superfamily Andesianoidea Family Andesianidae Superfamily Adeloidea Family Heliozelidae Family Adelidae Family Incurvariidae Family Cecidosidae Family Prodoxidae
Clade Etimonotrysia
Superfamily Palaephatoidea Family Palaephatidae Superfamily Tischerioidea Family Tischeriidae
Clade Ditrysia, encompassing all remaining groups unassigned (25 genera, 100 species) Family Millieriidae Superfamily Tineoidea Family Acrolophidae Family Eriocottidae Family Psychidae (including former family Arrhenophanidae as a subfamily) Family Tineidae Superfamily Gracillarioidea Family Roeslerstammiidae Family Bucculatricidae Family Gracillariidae Superfamily Yponomeutoidea Family Yponomeutidae Family Argyresthiidae Family Plutellidae Family Glyphipterigidae Family Ypsolophidae Family Attevidae Family Praydidae Family Heliodinidae Family Bedelliidae Family Lyonetiidae
Clade Apoditrysia, encompassing all remaining groups unassigned superfamily Family Douglasiidae Superfamily Simaethistoidea Family Simaethistidae Superfamily Gelechioidea Family Autostichidae Family Lecithoceridae Family Xyloryctidae Family Blastobasidae Family Oecophoridae Family Schistonoeidae Family Lypusidae Family Chimabachidae Family Peleopodidae Family Elachistidae Family Syringopaidae Family Coelopoetidae Family Stathmopodidae Family Epimarptidae Family Batrachedridae Family Coleophoridae Family Momphidae Family Pterolonchidae Family Scythrididae Family Cosmopterigidae Family Gelechiidae Superfamily Alucitoidea Family Tineodidae Family Alucitidae Superfamily Pterophoroidea Family Pterophoridae Superfamily Carposinoidea Family Copromorphidae Family Carposinidae Superfamily Schreckensteinioidea Family Schreckensteiniidae Superfamily Epermenioidea Family Epermeniidae Superfamily Urodoidea Family Urodidae Family Ustyurtiidae Superfamily Immoidea Family Immidae Superfamily Choreutoidea Family Choreutidae Superfamily Galacticoidea Family Galacticidae Superfamily Tortricoidea Family Tortricidae Superfamily Cossoidea Family Cossidae Family Dudgeoneidae Superfamily Sesioidea Family Brachodidae Family Castniidae Family Sesiidae Superfamily Zygaenoidea Family Epipyropidae Family Cyclotornidae Family Heterogynidae Family Lacturidae Family Phaudidae Family Dalceridae Family Limacodidae Family Megalopygidae Family Aididae Family Somabrachyidae Family Himantopteridae Family Zygaenidae
Clade Obtectomera, encompassing all remaining groups Superfamily Whalleyanoidea Family Whalleyanidae Superfamily Thyridoidea Family Thyrididae Superfamily Hyblaeoidea Family Hyblaeidae Family Prodidactidae Superfamily Calliduloidea Family Callidulidae Superfamily Papilionoidea (butterflies) Family Papilionidae Family Hedylidae Family Hesperiidae Family Pieridae Family Riodinidae Family Lycaenidae Family Nymphalidae Superfamily Pyraloidea Family Pyralidae Family Crambidae
Clade Macroheterocera (Macrolepidoptera sensu sticto), encompassing all remaining groups
Superfamily Mimallonoidea Family Mimallonidae Superfamily Drepanoidea Family Cimeliidae Family Doidae Family Drepanidae Superfamily Lasiocampoidea Family Lasiocampidae Superfamily Bombycoidea Family Apatelodidae Family Eupterotidae Family Brahmaeidae Family Phiditiidae Family Anthelidae Family Carthaeidae Family Endromidae Family Bombycidae Family Saturniidae Family Sphingidae Superfamily Geometroidea Family Epicopeiidae Family Pseudobistonidae Family Sematuridae Family Uraniidae Family Geometridae Superfamily Noctuoidea Family Oenosandridae Family Notodontidae Family Erebidae Family Euteliidae Family Nolidae Family Noctuidae
References
(Editor). (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology, (2nd Ed). Springer Reference. , . Limited preview in Google Books. (1995) The Lepidoptera: form, function and diversity. The Oxford University Press, Oxford UK. . Ltd preview in Google Books.