Lepidoptera

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.