Hedylidae

family of moth-like butterflies

Hedylidae is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order, They are also called the "American moth-butterflies". Butterflies evolved from moths, and this group is rather moth-like.

Hedylidae
Macrosoma bahiata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Clade: Obtectomera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Scoble, 1986
Family: Hedylidae
Guenée, 1857, nec. Bergh, 1895
Genus: Macrosoma
Hübner, 1818
Type species
Macrosoma tipulata Hübner, 1818
Species

see List of species

Diversity
35 currently recognised species
Synonyms
  • Epirrita Hübner, 1808 [unavailable name]
  • Hedyle Guenée, 1857, type species Hedyle heliconiaria Guenée, 1857
  • Phellinodes Guenée, 1857, type species Phellinodes satellitiata Guenée, 1857
  • Venodes Guenée, 1857, type species Phellinodes satellitiata Guenée, 1857
  • Macrophila Walker, 1862, type species Macrosoma tipulata Hübner, 1818
  • Hyphedyle Warren, 1894, type species Hedyle rubedinaria Walker, 1862
  • Lasiopates Warren, 1905, type species Lasiopates hyacinthina Warren, 1905

They are living sister group to the butterfly superfamily Papilionoidea. In 1986, Scoble combined all 35 species into a single genus Macrosoma. They are all entirely neotropical species from central and southern America and the Caribbean.[1]

DNA sequence analysis of this group continues.

References

change
  1. Scoble MJ (1986). "The structure and affinities of the Hedyloidea: a new concept of the butterflies". Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) (Ent.). 53: 251–286.