Macrolepidoptera
| Macrolepidoptera | |
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| Grey dagger, Acronicta psi | |
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| (unranked): | Macrolepidoptera
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| Superfamilies | |
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See text | |
Macrolepidoptera is a group in the insect order Lepidoptera. Originally, it was a catch-all informal term like 'micromoth'. However, it is now reformed to make a good monophyletic group.
In the reformed Macrolepidoptera, the following superfamilies are included:
- Mimallonoidea – sack bearers
- Lasiocampoidea – lappet moths
- Bombycoidea – bombycoid moths
- Noctuoidea – owlet moths
- Drepanoidea – drepanids
- Geometroidea – inchworms
- Axioidea – European gold moths
- Calliduloidea – Old World butterfly-moths
- Hedyloidea – New World butterfly-moths (or moth-butterflies)
- Hesperioidea – skippers
- Papilionoidea – true butterflies
The last three make up the Rhopalocera, or butterflies.