Butterfly

:For other uses of the term "butterfly", see butterfly (disambiguation).

Classification

Although the butterflies are classified in two superfamilies, Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea, these are sister taxa, so the butterflies collectively are thought to constitute a true clade. Some modern taxonomists place them all in superfamily Papilionoidea, distinguishing the skippers from the other butterflies at the series level only. There is only one family in the Hesperioidea (or series Hesperiiformes), the skipper family Hesperiidae. The families usually recognised

Related Topics:
Hesperioidea - Papilionoidea - Sister taxa - Clade - Hesperiidae

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in the Papilionoidea (or Papilioniformes) are:

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• Swallowtails and Birdwings, Papilionidae
• Whites or Yellow-Whites, Pieridae
• Blues and Coppers or Gossamer-Winged Butterflies, Lycaenidae
• Metalmark butterflies, Riodinidae
• Brush-footed butterflies, Nymphalidae

A major new study (Wahlberg et al., 2005) combining morphological and molecular data concluded that Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae could all be strongly supported as monophyletic clades, but the status of Nymphalidae is equivocal. Lycaenidae and Riodinidae were confirmed as sister taxa, and Papilionidae as the outgroup to the rest of the true butterflies, but the location of Pieridae within the pattern of descent was unclear, with different lines of evidence suggesting different conclusions. The data suggested that the Hedyloidea are indeed more closely related to the butterflies than to other moths.

Related Topics:
Monophyletic - Nymphalidae

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Some older taxonomies recognize additional families, for example Danaidae, Heliconiidae, Libytheidae and Satyridae, but modern classifications treat these as subfamilies within the Nymphalidae.

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There are between 15,000 and 20,000 species of butterflies worldwide. Some well known species include:

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• Small Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis urticae
• Small White, Artogeia rapae
• Green-veined White, Artogeia napi
• Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus
• Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
• Painted Lady or Cosmopolite, Vanessa cardui
• Peacock, Inachis io
• Xerces Blue, Glaucopsyche xerces
• Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae
• Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes
• Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus
• Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis (endangered)
• Morpho genus
• Troides genus (birdwings; the largest butterflies)
• Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria