Lepidoptera | 農藥合法資訊網

Lepidoptera(/ˌlɛpɪˈdɒptərə/LEP-i-DOP-tər-ə,fromAncientGreeklepís“scale”+pterón“wing”)isanorderofinsectsthatincludesbutterfliesandmoths(both ...

Order of insects including moths and butterflies

Lepidoptera ( LEP-ih-DOP-tər-ə) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing ten percent of the total described species of living organisms,[1][2] and placed in 126 families[3] and 46 superfamilies.[1] It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world.[4] The Lepidoptera show many variations of the basic body structure that have evolved to gain advantages in lifestyle and distribution. Recent estimates suggest the order may have more species than earlier thought,[5] and is among the four most species-rich orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera.[4]

Lepidopteran species are characterized by more than three derived features. The most apparent is the presence of sc...