Obtectomera

The Obtectomera is a clade of macro-moths and butterflies, comprising over 100,000 species in at least 12 superfamilies.^[1][2]

Taxonomy

The Obtectomera includes the following 12 superfamilies:^[1]

• Whalleyanoidea Minet, 1991
• Thyridoidea Herrich-Schäffer, 1846 – picture-winged leaf moths
• Hyblaeoidea Hampson, 1903 – teak moths
• Calliduloidea Moore, 1877 – Old World butterfly-moths
• Papilionoidea Latreille, 1802 – true butterflies
• Pyraloidea Latreille, 1809 – pyraloid moths
• Mimallonoidea Burmeister, 1878 – sack bearers (sometimes included Macroheterocera^[2])
• Macroheterocera Chapman, 1893
  • Drepanoidea Boisduval, 1828 – drepanids
  • Noctuoidea Latreille, 1809 – owlet moths
  • Geometroidea Leach, 1815 – inchworms
  • Lasiocampoidea Harris, 1841 – lappet moths
  • Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802 – bombycoid moths

Some other superfamilies are sometimes included:^[2]

• Pterophoroidea Latreille, 1802 – plume moths
• Alucitoidea Leach, 1815 – many-plume moths
• Copromorphoidea [=Carposinoidea^[1]] Walsingham, 1897 – fruitworm moths
• Epermenioidea Spuler, 1910 – fringe-tufted moths
• Gelechioidea Stainton, 1854 – case-bearers, twirler moths, curved-horn moths, etc.

The macroheteroceran superfamilies were previously place in the Macrolepidoptera, but recent molecular studies have failed to recover the Macrolepidoptera as a monophyletic group.^[1][2] The latter grouping also included true butterflies (Papilionoidea), New World butterfly-moths (Hedylidae), Old World butterfly-moths (Calliduloidea), and European gold moths (Axioidea).

References