Subphylum Hexapoda Lifespan Vanessa cardui: 12 months | Suborder Glossata | |
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Wingspan Papilio machaon: 6.5 – 8.6 cm Representative species Silkworm, Monarch butterfly, Hummingbird hawk‑moth, Pine processionary, Luna Moth | ||
Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect order Lepidoptera. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths as opposed to the "microlepidoptera", this group is unnatural. However, it seems that by moving some taxa about, a monophyletic macrolepidoptera can be easily achieved. The two superfamilies Geometroidea and Noctuoidea account for roughly one-quarter of all known Lepidoptera.
Taxonomy
In the reformed macrolepidoptera, the following superfamilies are included:
The last three make up the Rhopalocera, or butterflies.
References
Macrolepidoptera Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA