Superfamily Papilionoidea - Butterflies and Skippers

BugGuide primarily follows the taxonomy and nomenclature in (1)

Papilionoidea Latreille 1802

The origin of the word butterfly is uncertain. There are several theories as to the connection to butter:

>700 spp. in North America, >14,000 total; 6‒7 families usually recognized:

wingspan 7—300 mm

Nearly all butterflies have thin knobbed antennae and are typically active during the day.

Skippers have often been separated into their own superfamily, Hesperioidea. Most have a narrow curved tip on the antennae, the 'apiculus,' absent in other butterflies.

"Moths" include all other Lepidoptera; moth antennae are filimentous or feather-like. Many fold their wings tent-like over their backs when at rest, while very few butterflies fold their wings this way.

worldwide except Antarctica

Habitats are varied, but adult butterflies are typical of open, sunny places, such as old fields. Some groups are typical of woodlands.

Adult butterflies use their coiled mouthparts to feed, primarily to suck nectar from flowers. In the process they may transfer pollen from one flower to another, and many plants depend on butterflies (and moths) for pollination.

Nearly all caterpillars feed on plants. See World Database of Lepidopteran Hostplants, though some feed on other organic materials, and some are carnivorous.

metamorphosis complete

Gender differences: "In some there are dramatic differences in pattern, scaling, structure, or shape, but in most it is more subtle. In some groups (i.e. Swallowtails) you can tell just by seeing the side or bottom of the tip of the abdomen, because the male claspers (=valvae) are very visible. In other groups (including the subfamily Nymphalinae) the claspers are harder to see, but are still there, and affect the shape of the abdomen. In males of many groups the pair of claspers, which even if hidden by a clump of hair-like scales, gives the tip of the abdomen a blunt look from the side, and usually a slightly squared or bilobed look from above or below (nearly pointed in females as veiwed from above or below). Also, the abdomen of females tends to be plump and rather symmetrical in shape, widest near the middle or sometimes the base, while the abdomen of the males is usually more slender and especially from the side less symmetrical in shape, with a tendency to be slightly widest near the end. Often males have proportionately longer abdomens, but this is more noticeable in some groups than others. In most of the family Nymphalidae, the males have the wings less full and less rounded, often somewhat more angular in shape. The hind wing of males is often distinctly more angular at the hind end (near the tip of the abdomen), while in females it is usually much more rounded. On average males tend to be smaller than females, and often more active and more inclined to chase after things or act aggressively." Comment by David J. Ferguson

Field Guides (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)

Life History/Caterpillars (10)(11)(12)(13)(2)(14)

Butterflies of America