 a common classification of the lepidoptera involves their differentiation into butterflies and moths. butterflies are a natural monophyletic group, often given the sub-order rhopalocera, which includes papilionoidea (true butterflies), hesperiidae (skippers), and hedylidae (butterfly moths). in this taxonomic scheme moths belong to the sub-order heterocera. other taxonomic schemes have been proposed; the most common putting the butterflies into the sub-order ditrysia and then the "super-family" papilionoidea, and ignoring a classification for moths. none of the taxonomic schemes are perfect, however, and taxonomists commonly argue over how to define the obvious differences between butterflies and moths. ==taxonomy== while the butterflies form a monophyletic group, the moths, which comprise the rest of the lepidoptera, do not. many attempts have been made to group the superfamilies of the lepidoptera into natural groups, most of which fail because one of the two groups is not monophyletic: microlepidotera and macrolepidoptera, heterocera and rhopalocera, jugatae and frenatae, monotrysia and ditrysia.scoble, mj 1995. the lepidoptera: form, function and diversity. oxford, uk: the oxford university press; 404 p. although the rules for distinguishing these groups are not completely hard and fast, one very good guiding principle is that butterflies have thin antennae and (with one exception) have small balls or clubs at the end of their antennae. moth antennae can be quite varied in appearance, but in particular lack the club end. the divisions are named by this principle: "club-antennae" (rhopalocera) or "varied-antennae" (heterocera). the following families of lepidoptera are usually considered as butterflies: *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 contain the following 13 subfamilies: ** the snout butterflies or libytheinae (formerly the family libytheidae). ** the danaids or danainae (formerly the family danaidae). ** the tellervinae. ** the glasswings or ithomiinae. ** the calinaginae. ** the morphos and owls or morphinae (including the owls as tribe brassolini). ** the browns or satyrinae (formerly the family satyridae). ** the charaxinae (preponas and leaf butterflies). ** the biblidinae. ** the apaturinae. ** the nymphs or nymphalinae. ** the limenitidinae (especially the adelphas) (formerly the family limenitididae). ** the tropical longwings or heliconiinae. the family hesperiidae, or the skippers, often considered as butterflies, have 
Butterflies Entomology Lepidoptera Moths