180,000 species of Lepidoptera are described, equivalent to 10% of the total described species of living organisms.[1] This is a list of the diversity of the Lepidoptera showing the estimated number of genera and species described for each superfamily and, where available, family. See Lepidoptera for a note of the schedule of families used.
| Superfamily | Family | Genera | Species |
| Micropterigiodea | Micropterigidae | 6 | 182 |
| Agathiphagoidea | Agathiphagidae | 1 | 2 |
| Heterobathmioidea | Heterobathmiidae | 1 | 9 |
| Eriocranioidea | Eriocraniidae | 6 | 24 |
| Acanthopteroctedoidea | Acanthopteroctetidae | 2 | 5 |
| Lophocoronoidea | Lophocoronidae | 1 | 6 |
| Neopseustoidea | Neopseustidae | 3 | 10 |
| Mnesarchaeoidea | Mnesarchaeidae | 1 | 14 |
| Hepialoidea | | 61 | 544 |
| | Anomosetidae | 1 | 1 |
| | Hepialidae | 50 | 500 |
| | Neotheoridae | 1 | 1 |
| | Palaeosetidae | 4 | 7 |
| | Prototheoridae | | |
| Nepticuloidea | | 17 | 902 |
| | Nepticulidae | | |
| | Opostegidae | | |
| Incurvarioidea | | 72 | 598 |
| | Adelidae | | |
| | Cecidosidae | | |
| | Crinopterygidae | | |
| | Heliozelidae | | |
| | Incurvariidae | | |
| | Prodoxidae | 12 | 80 |
| Palaephatoidea | Palaephatidae | 7 | 60 |
| Tischerioidea | Tischeriidae | 1 | 80 |
| Simaethistoidea | Simaethistidae | 2 | 4 |
| Tineoidea | | 406 | 4,352 |
| | Acrolophidae | | 300 |
| | Arrhenophanidae | | |
| | Eriocottidae | | |
| | Lypusidae | | |
| | Psychidae | | |
| | Tineidae | 320 | 3,000 |
| Gracillarioidea | | 90 | 2,315 |
| | Bucculatricidae | | |
| | Douglasiidae | | |
| | Gracillariidae | 75 | 2,000 |
| | Roeslerstammiidae | | |
| Yponomeutoidea | | 83 | 1,578 |
| | Acrolepiidae | | |
| | Bedelliidae | | |
| | Glyphipterigidae | | 384 |
| | Heliodinidae | | |
| | Lyonetiidae | | |
| | Plutellidae | | 100 |
| | Yponomeutidae | | 600 |
| | Ypsolophidae | | |
| Gelechioidea | | 1,390 | 15,966 |
| | Agonoxenidae | | |
| | Batrachedridae | | |
| | Blastobasidae | | |
| | Coleophoridae | 43 | 1,418 |
| | Cosmopterigidae | 106 | 1,628 |
| | Elachistidae | 165 | 3,270 |
| | Ethmiidae | | |
| | Gelechiidae | 507 | 4,530 |
| | Holcopogonidae | | |
| | Lecithoceridae | | |
| | Metachandidae | | |
| | Momphidae | | |
| | Oecophoridae | | |
| | Pterolonchidae | | |
| | Scythrididae | | |
| | Symmocidae | | |
| Galacticoidea | Galacticidae | 3 | 17 |
| Zygaenoidea | | 98 | 2,700 |
| | Aididae | | |
| | Anomoeotidae | | |
| | Cyclotornidae | 1 | 5 |
| | Dalceridae | | |
| | Epipyropidae | | |
| | Heterogynidae | | |
| | Himantopteridae | | |
| | Lacturidae | | |
| | Limacodidae | | 1,100 |
| | Megalopygidae | | |
| | Somabrachyidae | | |
| | Zygaenidae | | |
| Cossoidea | | 114 | 676 |
| | Cossidae | 113 | 670 |
| | Dudgeoneidae | 1 | |
| Sesioidea | | 149 | 1,360 |
| | Brachodidae | | 150 |
| | Castniidae | | |
| | Sesiidae | 149 | 1,362 |
| Choreutoidea | Choreutidae | 12 | 405 |
| Tortricoidea | Tortricidae | 755 | 6,338 |
| Urodoidea | Urodidae | 3 | 60 |
| Schreckensteinioidea | Schreckensteiniidae | 2 | 5 |
| Epermenioidea | Epermeniidae | 5 | 83 |
| Alucitoidea | | 15 | 158 |
| | Alucitidae | | 130 |
| | Tineodidae | | |
| Pterophoroidea | Pterophoridae | 73 | 986 |
| Whalleyanoidea | Whalleyanidae | 1 | 2 |
| Immoidea | Immidae | 6 | 246 |
| Copromorphoidea | | 29 | 318 |
| | Carposinidae | | |
| | Copromorphidae | | |
| Hyblaeoidea | Hyblaeidae | 2 | 18 |
| Pyraloidea | | 215 | 17,786 |
| | Crambidae | | 11,630 |
| | Pyralidae | | 6,150 |
| Thyridoidea | Thyrididae | 12 | 1,220 |
| Mimallonoidea | Mimallonidae | 30 | 200 |
| Lasiocampoidea | | 158 | 1,575 |
| | Anthelidae | | |
| | Lasiocampidae | 150 | 1,500 |
| Bombycoidea | | 466 | 3,425 |
| | Bombycidae | | |
| | Brahmaeidae | | |
| | Carthaeidae | | |
| | Endromidae | | |
| | Eupterotidae | | |
| | Lemoniidae | | |
| | Mirinidae | | |
| | Saturniidae | 165 | 1,480 |
| | Sphingidae | 200 | 1,200 |
| Cimelioidea | Cimeliidae | 2 | 6 |
| Calliduloidea | Callidulidae | 8 | 60 |
| Hedyloidea | Hedylidae | 1 | 40 |
| Hesperioidea | Hesperiidae | 550 | 3,500 |
| Papilionoidea | | 1,400 | 14,000 |
| | Lycaenidae | 566 | 4,698 |
| | Nymphalidae | 633 | 5,698 |
| | Papilionidae | 26 | 605 |
| | Pieridae | 74 | 1,051 |
| | Riodinidae | 140 | 1,250 |
| Drepanoidea | | 129 | 675 |
| | Drepanidae | 123 | 665 |
| | Epicopeiidae | | |
| Geometroidea | | 2,107 | 23,748[2] |
| | Epicopeiidae | 9 | 20 |
| | Geometridae | 2,002 | 23,002 |
| | Sematuridae | 6 | 40 |
| | Uraniidae | 90 | 686 |
| Noctuoidea | | 7,250 | 70,000 |
| | Arctiidae | | 11,000 |
| | Doidae | | |
| | Erebidae | 1,760 | 24,569[2] |
| | Euteliidae | 29 | 520[2] |
| | Lymantriidae | 360 | 2,500 |
| | Noctuidae | 1,089 | 11,772[2] |
| | Nolidae | 186 | 1,738[2] |
| | Notodontidae | 704 | 3,800[2] |
| | Oenosandridae | 4 | 8[2] |
| | Pantheidae | | |
References
- Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). 1999. Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichte der Stämme des Tierreiches / Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.
ISBN 3-11-017077-9