Lepidoptera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Families
Acanthopteroctetidae
Acrolophidae
Adelidae
Agonoxenidae
Agaristidae
Alucitidae
Apatelodidae
Arctiidae
Bedelliidae
Blastobasidae
Bombycidae
Bucculatrigidae
Carposinidae
Choreutidae
Coleophoridae
Copromorphidae
Cosmopterigidae
Cossidae
Ctenuchidae
Cycnodiidae
Dalceridae
Danaidae
Dioptidae
Doidae
Douglasiidae
Drepanidae
Elachistidae
Epermeniidae
Epiplemidae
Epipyropidae
Eriocraniidae
Ethmiidae
Galacticidae
Gelechiidae
Geometridae
Glyphipterigidae
Gracillariidae
Heliconiidae
Heliodinidae
Heliozelidae
Hepialidae
Hesperiidae
Hyblaeidae
Incurvariidae
Lacturidae
Lasiocampidae
Lecithoceridae
Libytheidae
Limacodidae
Liparidae
Lycaenidae
Lymantriidae
Lyonetiidae
Manidiidae
Megalopygidae
Megathymidae
Micropterigidae
Mimallonidae
Momphidae
Nepticulidae
Noctuidae
Nolidae
Notodontidae
Nymphalidae
Oecophoridae
Oinophilidae


Olethreutidae
Opostegidae
Papilionidae
Parnassiidae
Pericopidae
Phaloniidae
Pieridae
Plutellidae
Prodoxidae
Psychidae
Pterophoridae
Pyralidae
Pyromorphidae
Riodinidae
Saturniidae
Satyridae
Schreckensteiniidae
Scythrididae
Sematuridae
Sesiidae
Sphingidae
Stenomidae
Symmocidae
Thyatiridae
Thyrididae
Tineidae
Tischeriidae
Tortricidae
Uraniidae
Urodidae
Walshiidae
Yponomeutidae
Ypsolophidae
Zygaenidae
Ref: Nearctica
as of 2002-06-26
ITIS 117232
as of 2002-08-12

The Lepidoptera is a large order of insects comprising butterflies, skipperss, and moths. Lepidoptera go through a four-stage lifecycle of egg - larva / caterpillar - pupa / chrysalis - imago / (adult). Adults have two pairs of membranous wings covered with scales, and mouth parts adapted for sucking.

The order, second only to the Coleoptera (the beetles), comprises more than 160,000 species.

See also metamorphosis (biology) and difference between a butterfly and a moth.