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Charles Darwin Foundation Galapagos Species Checklist


Butterflies and Moths

The Lepidoptera include two large groups of insects: moths and butterflies. They are undoubtedly one of the most popular insect orders, especially the large and colorful butterflies.
Many species are of economic interest, a famous example is the silk moth. Its larvae feed on mulberry leaves and build cocoons of some of the finest fibre known to man.
Lepidoptera are important pollinators, with many night blooming flowers requiring pollination by moths

All Lepidoptera have a body and wings covered with microscopic scales, a characteristic unique to this insect group.

In Galapagos the large, conspicious Macro-Lepidoptera are best known.
Although Charles Darwin was the first collector of insects in the Islands, he curiously never mentioned any butterflies.
Today the Lepidoptera belong to the best studied group of Galapagos insects and new species continue to be discovered.

Authors: Lázaro Roque-Álbelo, Bernard Landry.

Other Contributors: Sandra Abedrabbo, Fabián Bersosa, Ruth Boada, Omar Cartillo, Germania Estévez, Lilian Guzmán, Henri W. Herrera, María T. Lasso, Maria Piedad Lincango, E. G. Linsley, Edison Lomas, Yale Lubin, Alejandro Mieles, Renato Oquendo, Christine E. Parent, Stewart B. Peck, Patrick Schmitz, Leslie Usinger.

Names of taxa included: 331 total (294 accepted, 34 unidentified taxon, 3 doubtful).

Origin of the taxa included: 67 accidental, 1 questionable native, 165 endemic, 93 indigenous, 2 questionable endemic.

Lepidoptera Species Checklist

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Domain Eukaryota

Kingdom Animalia

Division Arthropoda

Class Insecta

Order Lepidoptera

Superfamily Bombycoidea

Family Arctiidae

Family Sphingidae

Superfamily Choreutoidea

Family Choreutidae

Superfamily Gelechioidea

Family Autostichidae

Family Coleophoridae

Family Cosmopterigidae

Family Elachistidae

Family Gelechiidae

Family Schistonoeidae

Family Xylorictidae

Superfamily Geometroidea

Family Geometridae

Family Uraniidae

Superfamily Gracillarioidea

Family Bucculatricidae

Family Gracillariidae

Superfamily Hesperioidea

Family Hesperiidae

Superfamily Nepticuloidea

Family Opostegidae

Superfamily Noctuoidea

Family Noctuidae

Family Nolidae

Superfamily Papilionoidea

Family Lycaenidae

Family Nymphalidae

Family Pieridae

Superfamily Pterophoroidea

Family Pterophoridae

Superfamily Pyraloidea

Family Pyralidae

Superfamily Tineoidea

Family Tineidae

Superfamily Tischerioidea

Family Tischeriidae

Superfamily Tortricoidea

Family Tortricidae

Superfamily Yponomeutoidea

Family Acrolepiidae

Family Heliodinidae

Family Plutellidae

Family Yponomeutidae

Suborder Pleocyemata

Superfamily Choreutoidea

Family Choreutidae

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You are welcome to download and use this information acknowledging the origin of the data.
This list should be cited as follows:

Roque-Álbelo, L., Landry, B. (2011). CDF Checklist of Galapagos Butterflies and Moths - FCD Lista de especies de Mariposas y polillas de Galápagos. In: Bungartz, F., Herrera, H., Jaramillo, P., Tirado, N., Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Ruiz, D., Guézou, A. & Ziemmeck, F. (eds.). Charles Darwin Foundation Galapagos Species Checklist - Lista de Especies de Galápagos de la Fundación Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin Foundation / Fundación Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos: http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/terrestrial-invertebrates/lepidoptera/ Last updated 07 Jul 2011.