Papilionoidea

Taxobox
name = Papilionoidea

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image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Kamehameha"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
subordo = Ditrysia
unranked_familia = Rhopalocera
superfamilia = Papilionoidea
superfamilia_authority = Latreille, 1802
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision =
* Papilionidae
* Pieridae
* Nymphalidae
* Lycaenidae
* RiodinidaeThe superfamily Papilionoidea (from the word "papilion", meaning "butterfly") contains all the butterflies except for the skippers, which are classified in superfamily Hesperioidea, and the moth-like Hedyloidea.

A proposed phylogenetic position of the Papilionoidea is as follows: [ [http://tolweb.org/Ditrysia/11868 Tree of Life] Accessed January 2007] clade|style=font-size:75%;line-height:75%
label1=Rhopalocera
1= clade
1=Papilionoidea (true butterflies)
2=Hesperiidae (skippers)
3=Hedylidae (American butterfly moths)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.

Families of Papilionoidea

The five well-supported 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 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.

Of the subfamilies of Nymphalidae, only the Morphinae and Satyrinae are possibly paraphyletic, but these two subfamilies form a strongly-supported clade with the Charaxinae as sister-group. [Gerardo Lamas (2008) Systematics of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea) in the world: current state abd future prespectives (in Spanish). In: Jorge Llorente-Bousquets and Analía Lanteri (eds.) "Contribuiciones taxonómicas en ordens de insectos hiperdiversos". Mexico City: UNAM. Pp. 57-70.]

References