Macrolepidoptera

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Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect order Lepidoptera. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths as opposed to the "microlepidoptera", this group is artificial. However, it seems that by moving some taxa about, a monophyletic macrolepidoptera can be easily achieved. The two superfamilies Geometroidea and Noctuoidea account for roughly one-quarter of all known Lepidoptera. Template:Citation needed

Taxonomy

In the reformed macrolepidoptera, the following superfamilies are included:<ref name=Minet1991>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name= Kristensen2007 >Template:Cite book</ref>

Mimallonoidea – sack bearers
Lasiocampoidea – lappet moths
Bombycoidea – bombycoid moths
Noctuoidea – owlet moths
Drepanoidea – drepanids
Geometroidea – inchworms
Calliduloidea – Old World butterfly-moths
Papilionoidea – butterflies

The last two<ref name=Minet1991/> or three<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> superfamilies comprised the Rhopalocera, or butterflies. More recent taxonomic treatments usually include all butterflies in an expanded Papilionoidea.<ref name=vN2011/><ref name="MitterDavis2017"/>

Subsequent molecular studies have failed to recover the macrolepidoptera as a monophyletic group, but have found a well supported clade of moths that excludes the butterflies and some other moth superfamilies. This macro-moth clade, named Macroheterocera, contains the following five or six superfamilies:<ref name=vN2011>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="MitterDavis2017">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Mimallonoidea – sack bearers (sometimes included in basal position)<ref name="MitterDavis2017"/>
Drepanoidea – drepanids
Noctuoidea – owlet moths
Geometroidea – inchworms
Lasiocampoidea – lappet moths
Bombycoidea – bombycoid moths