Taxonomy of the Lepidoptera

The insect order Lepidoptera consists of moths (43 superfamilies), most of which are night-flying, and a derived group, mainly day-flying, called butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea). Within Lepidoptera as a whole, the groups listed below before Glossata contain a few basal families accounting for less than 200 species; the bulk of Lepidoptera are in the Glossata. Similarly, within the Glossata, there are a few basal groups listed first, with the bulk of species in the Heteroneura. Basal groups within Heteroneura cannot be defined with as much confidence, as there are still some disputes concerning the proper relations among these groups. 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

Infraorder Dacnonypha

 * Superfamily Eriocranioidea
 * Family Eriocraniidae

Infraorder Acanthoctesia

 * Superfamily Acanthopteroctetoidea
 * Family Acanthopteroctetidae

Infraorder Lophocoronina

 * Superfamily Lophocoronoidea
 * Family Lophocoronidae

Infraorder Neopseustina

 * Superfamily Neopseustoidea
 * Family Neopseustidae
 * Family Aenigmatineidae

Infraorder Exoporia

 * Superfamily Mnesarchaeoidea
 * Family Mnesarchaeidae
 * Superfamily Hepialoidea
 * Family Palaeosetidae
 * Family Prototheoridae
 * Family Neotheoridae
 * Family Anomosetidae
 * Family Hepialidae

Clade Nepticulina

 * Superfamily Nepticuloidea
 * Family Nepticulidae
 * Family Opostegidae

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 Arrhenophanidae
 * Family Eriocottidae
 * Family Psychidae
 * 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 Prodidactidae
 * 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 Brachodidae
 * Family Cossidae
 * Family Dudgeoneidae
 * Family Metarbelidae
 * Family Ratardidae
 * 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
 * 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
 * Superfamily Mimallonoidea
 * Family Mimallonidae

Clade Macroheterocera (Macrolepidoptera sensu sticto), encompassing all remaining groups

 * 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