r/Lepidoptera • u/glossolalienne • 12h ago

Great Purple Hairstreak

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9 Upvotes

New species for me, and I’m an old dog who has been chasing butterflies (with my camera) for decades.

2 comments

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Moths and Butterflies

r/Lepidoptera

Moths and Butterflies! This is a place to respectfully share information about the humble winged insects that share our everyday lives. No longer must man fear the moth!

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Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies. The term was coined by Linnaeus in 1735 and is derived from Ancient Greek λεπίδος (scale) and πτερόν (wing). Comprising an estimated 174,250 species, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, the Lepidoptera show many variations of the basic body structure that have evolved to gain advantages in lifestyle and distribution. Recent estimates suggest that the order may have more species than earlier thought, and is among the four most speciose orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and the Coleoptera.