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Lepidoptera

The Lepidoptera consist of moths and butterflies. The name “Lepidoptera” means “scaly wings,” referring to the tiny, overlapping, and often colourful scales that cover the wings and entire bodies of adults. This is the second largest order of insects after the beetles. There is no clear technical distinction between moths and butterflies, both have larvae, most are plant-feeding, and most are referred to as caterpillars. Moth adults tend to be duller in colour than butterflies and active at dusk or at night, whereas butterflies are most active during the day.

Morphological characteristics of these insects:

General biology and ecology

Lepidoptera undergo complete metamorphosis, known as holometabolous development. The caterpillars or larvae of these insects go through a variable number of stages, and their colour and shape differ greatly (e.g., the small aspen serpentine leafminer versus the very large and spectacular caterpillar of cecropia moth). Caterpillars may be quite mobile, moving around their habitat daily (e.g., forest tent caterpillar and spongy moth). Some species form feeding structures (e.g., fall webworm and spruce budworm). The caterpillar transforms into a non-feeding, stationary pupal stage, later emerging as an adult.

Lepidopteran caterpillars are mainly plant feeders, but a few species are predators (zoophagous), or feed on dead and decaying organic matter (saprophagous or detritivorous). They can be found in many different habitats, depending on their diet and developmental stage.

Important families in the order Lepidoptera that contain tree pests

Listed below are families from this order found in this database. Species listed within the families are linked to the site’s pest fact sheets.

Coleophoridae (casebearers)

Cossidae (carpenter moths and leopard moths)

Erebidae (tiger moths and tussock moths)

Gelechiidae

Geometridae (measuring worms, loopers, and geometers)

Gracillariidae (leaf blotch miners)

Incurvariidae

Lycaenidae (hairstreaks)

Noctuidae (noctuids)

Notodontidae (prominents)

Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)

Pieridae (whites)

Pyralidae (pryralids, snout moths, and grass moths)

Saturniidae (giant silkworm moths)

Sesiidae (clearwing moths)

Sphingidae (sphinx or hawk moths)

Tortricidae (tortricids)

Yponomeutidae (ermine moths)