Papilionoidea

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iPapilionoidea

Kamehameha

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Division:	Rhopalocera
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Suborder:	Ditrysia
Superfamily:	Papilionoidea

Families

Papilionidae
Pieridae
Nymphalidae
Lycaenidae
Riodinidae

The superfamily Papilionoidea (from the word "papilion", meaning "butterfly") contains all the butterflies except for the skippers, which are classified in superfamily Hesperioidea.

Some authors treat this group as a series Papilioniformes within a single superfamily that also includes the skippers. However not all authors agree that all the butterflies constitute a single clade. The skippers are significantly different from the other butterflies. The members of the Papilionoidea may be distinguished by the following combination of characters :-

the body is smaller and less moth-like.
the wings are larger.
the antennae are straight and clubbed (rather than hooked as in the skippers).
the caterpillars do not spin cocoons to pupate in.
the pupae are angular rather than rounded.

For more information on butterflies, that is, the organisms proper, please see the article 'Butterfly'.

[edit] Families of Papilionoidea

The families of Papilionoidea are :-

Swallowtails and Birdwings, Papilionidae
Whites or Yellow-Whites, Pieridae
Blues and Coppers or Gossamer-Winged Butterflies, Lycaenidae
Metalmark butterflies, Riodinidae
Brush-footed butterflies, Nymphalidae which now contain the following :-
- the Browns (formerly the family Satyridae).
- the Danaids (formerly the family Danaidae).
- the Heliconids (formerly the family Heliconidae).
- the Amathusiids (formerly the family Amathusiidae).
- the Snout butterflies (formerly the family Libytheidae).
- the Limenitidids (formerly the family Limenitididae)
- other subfamilies traditionally part of family Nymphalidae.