The order Lepidoptera is the second largest order in the class Insecta and includes the butterflies, skippers, and moths.

This order has more than 180,000 species in 127 families and 46 superfamilies.

It is second only to the Coleoptera (the beetles) in number of described species.

Lepidopterans undergo complete metamorphosis going through a four-stage life cycle of egg - larva / caterpillar - pupa/chrysalis - imago/adult.

The larvae have a toughened head capsule, chewing mouthparts, and a soft body, that may have hair-like or other projections, 3 pairs of true legs, and additional prolegs (up to 5 pairs).

Most caterpillars are herbivores, but a few are carnivores (some eat ants or other caterpillars) and detritivores..

For more information about the topic Butterflies, skippers and moths, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Difference between a butterfly and a moth — Although the separation of Lepidopterans into "butterfly" and "moth" categories is a well-known distinction, the difference between a butterfly and a ...  > read more

Moth — A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. Moths, and more particularly their caterpillars, are a major agricultural pest in many parts of ...  > read more

Butterfly — A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera, and belongs to one of the superfamilies Hesperioidea (the skippers) or Papilionoidea (all other ...  > read more

Bombyx mori — The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a moth that is very important economically as the producer of silk. A silkworm's diet consists solely of ...  > read more

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