Lepidoptera

**Lepidoptera** ( ) is a laorge order o insects that includes mochs an butterflees (baith cried **lepidopterans**). It is ane o the maist widespread an widely recognizable insect orders in the warld, encompassin mochs an the three superfaimilies o butterflees, skipper butterflees, an moch-butterflees. The term wis coined bi Linnaeus in 1735 an is derived frae Auncient Greek  (scale) an  (wing). Comprisin an estimatit 174,250 species, in 126 faimilies an 46 superfaimilies, the Lepidoptera shaw mony variations o the basic body structur that hae evolved tae gain advantages in lifestyle an distribution. Recent estimates suggest that the order mey hae mair species than earlier thoucht, an is amang the fower maist  orders, alang wi the Hymenoptera, Diptera, an the Coleoptera.

Lepidopteran species are characterized bi mair nor three derived features, some o the maist apparent bein the scales coverin thair bodies an wings, an a proboscis. The scales are modified, flattened "hairs", an gie butterflees an mochs thair extraordinary variety o colors an patterns. Almaist aw species hae some fairm o membranous wings, except for a few that hae reduced wings or are wingless. Lik maist ither insects, butterflees an maiths are holometabolous, meanin thay unnergo complete metamorphosis. Matin an the layin o eggs are carried oot bi adults, normally near or on host plants for the larvae. The larvae are commonly cried caterpillars, an are completely different frae thair adult moch or butterflee form, havin a cylindrical body wi a well-developed heid, mandible mooth pairts, an frae 0 tae 11 (uisually 8) pairs o prolegs. As thay grow, thir larvae will chynge in appearance, goin throu a series o stages cried instars. Ance fully matured, the larva develops intae a pupa, referred tae as a chrysalis in the case o butterflies an a cocoon in the case o mochs. A few butterflees an mony moch species spin a silk case or cocoon prior tae pupating, while ithers dae nae, instead gangin unnergrund.

Butterflees an moths play an important role in the naitural ecoseestem as pollinators an as fuid in the fuid chain; conversely, thair larva are considered very problematic tae vegetation in agricultur, as thair main soorce o fuid is eften live plant matter. In mony species, the female mey produce onywhaur frae 200 tae 600 eggs, while in ithers the nummer mey gang as heich as 30,000 eggs in ane day. The caterpillars hatchin frae thir eggs can cause damage tae lairge quantities o crops. Mony moch an butterflee species are o economic interest bi virtue o thair role as pollinators, the silk thay produce or as pest species.

## References

## Freemit airtins
* 
* European Butterflees an Mochs bi Christopher Jonko
* Polish Butterflees an Mochs bi motylpodlaski.pl
* Photos Butterflees o the Iberian Peninsula. Butterflees o Spain 
* Norwegian Butterflees an Mochs (Huge picture archive)
* Mochs an Butterflees o Europe an North Africae
* Photos Butterflees o Andalusia an Canary islands (Spain) 
* uk/ Breetish Butterflees an Mochs
* Lepidoptera  Lepidoptera.pro
* Butterflees o Bulgarie 
* Photography o European Butterflees an Mochs
* Butterflies and Mochs in the Netherlands
* Swadish Mochs an Butterflees Lepidoptera.se
* Photos o Larvae an Pupae butterflees an mochs. Spain 
* Butterflees o Asturias – Spain
* Lepidoptera o French Antilles
* Butterflees o Asian Roushie 
* Butterflees frae Indo China
* Butterflees o Turkey 
* uk/jamaicamoths/jamaicahome.htm Mochs o Jamaica
* Historic Moch illustrations
* 
* Caucht Atween the Pages: Treasurs frae the Franclemont Collection Online virtual exhibit featurin a selection o historic entomological writins an images frae the Comstock Library o Entomology at Cornell Varsity
* Japmoth Japanese mochs. Access images via the nummers on the left.
* Literaturatenbank  Free dounloads
*Gerardo Lamas, 1990 An Annotatit Leet o Lepidopterological Journals *Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera* 29(1-2):92-104 pdf