Bombycoidea

{{Automatic taxobox }}
 * image            = Acherontia atropos MHNT.jpg
 * image_caption    = Death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos}
 * display_parents  = 5
 * taxon            = Bombycoidea
 * authority        = Gravenhorst, 1843
 * diversity        = >3,500 species
 * subdivision_ranks = Families
 * subdivision      = See text
 * synonyms         =
 * Bombyciformia Schrank, 1802
 * Sphingoidea Gravenhorst, 1843

Bombycoidea is a superfamily of moths, including the silk moths, giant silk moths, sphinx moths, saturniids, and relatives. The superfamily Lasiocampoidea is a close relative and was historically sometimes merged in this group. After many years of debate and shifting taxonomies, the most recent classifications treat the superfamily as containing 10 constituent families.

Characteristics
Bombycoid larvae often exhibit horns. In the adult stage they are typically large, and include the largest moths in the world.

Families
Bombycoidea includes the following families:


 * Anthelidae
 * Apatelodidae
 * Bombycidae
 * Brahmaeidae (syn. Lemoniidae)
 * Carthaeidae
 * Endromidae (syn. Mirinidae)
 * Eupterotidae
 * Phiditiidae
 * Saturniidae
 * Sphingidae