Moth families are the families of the order Lepidoptera that are moths rather than butterflies. By the number of descendant taxa GBIF counts under them, the largest are Geometridae, Erebidae and Noctuidae, followed by Crambidae, Tortricidae, Pyralidae, Gelechiidae, Notodontidae, Saturniidae, Oecophoridae and Sphingidae. The geometer moths of the Geometridae are one of the three most speciose families in Lepidoptera, with nearly 24,000 species in nine subfamilies, and their larvae, called loopers or inchworms, typically have only two pairs of prolegs at the rear instead of the five pairs common in most moth families.
Moth Families
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GBIF Secretariat: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, children of Lepidoptera
GBIF SecretariatChildren of Lepidoptera
"canonicalName":"Geometridae","vernacularName":"geometer moth","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Stephens J. F., 1829a, The nomenclature of British Insects; being a compendious list of such species as are contained in the systematic catalogue of British insects, and forming a guide to their classification. vol issue pages 1-84","numDescendants":45105
Children of Lepidoptera: Erebidae
"canonicalName":"Erebidae","vernacularName":"erebid moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","numDescendants":41738
Children of Lepidoptera: Noctuidae
"canonicalName":"Noctuidae","vernacularName":"noctuid moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Latreille P. A., 1809, Genera crustaceorum et insectorum secundum ordinem naturalem in familias disposita, iconibus exemplisque pluribus explicata. vol 4 issue pages 1-399, 16 pls","numDescendants":29360
Children of Lepidoptera: Crambidae
"canonicalName":"Crambidae","vernacularName":"Crambid Snout Moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Latreille P. A., 1810, Considérations générales sur l'ordre naturel des animaux composant les classes des Crustacées, des Arachnides, et des Insectes. vol issue pages 1-444","numDescendants":17832
Children of Lepidoptera: Tortricidae
"canonicalName":"Tortricidae","vernacularName":"tortrix moth","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Latreille. (1803). In: [1802] Buffon De Sonnini, Hist.nat.gnerale Crustacs Insectes 3: 415. I.C.Z.N., 1957, Opin. Decl. Int. Commn Zool. Nom. 15 (Opinion 450), 259.","numDescendants":17215
Children of Lepidoptera: Pyralidae
"canonicalName":"Pyralidae","vernacularName":"pyralid moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Latreille P. A., 1809, Genera crustaceorum et insectorum secundum ordinem naturalem in familias disposita, iconibus exemplisque pluribus explicata. vol 4 issue pages 1-399, 16 pls","numDescendants":11665
Children of Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae
"canonicalName":"Gelechiidae","vernacularName":"Gelechiid Moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Stainton H. T., 1854, Insecta Britannica. Lepidoptera: Tineina. vol 3 issue pages i-viii, 1-313, pls 1-10","numDescendants":11213
Children of Lepidoptera: Notodontidae
"canonicalName":"Notodontidae","vernacularName":"prominents","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Stephens (1829) The nomenclature of British insects : being a compendious list of such species as are contained in the systematic catalogue of British insects, and forming a guide to their classification, &c. &c.","numDescendants":8089
Children of Lepidoptera: Saturniidae
"canonicalName":"Saturniidae","vernacularName":"Giant Silkworm Moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":" Icones historiques des Lépidoptères nouveaux ou peu connus. Paris, Roret, 2 : 170","numDescendants":7780
Children of Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae
"canonicalName":"Oecophoridae","vernacularName":"Oecophorid Moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":"Bruand Th., 1851, Catalogue du Doubs. (Suite.) Tinéides. vol (Sér. 1) 3 issue 5-6 pages 23-68","numDescendants":6982
Children of Lepidoptera: Sphingidae
"canonicalName":"Sphingidae","vernacularName":"hawk-moths","authorship":"","nameType":"SCIENTIFIC","rank":"FAMILY","origin":"SOURCE","taxonomicStatus":"ACCEPTED","nomenclaturalStatus":[],"remarks":"","publishedIn":" in Sonnini’s Buffon, Hist. nat. gén. partic. Crust. Ins. , 3 : 400","numDescendants":4716
View the Source Animal Diversity Web: Geometridae
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Members of the family Geometridae are commonly called geometer moths
Wikipedia: Bombycidae
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The Bombycidae are a family of moths known as silkworm moths.
Sphingidae (Wikipedia)
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The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths; many of their caterpillars are known as hornworms.
Noctuidae (Wikipedia)
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The Noctuidae, commonly known as noctuid moths or owlet moths, and their caterpillars as cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths.
Geometer moth (Wikipedia)
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The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies.
Erebidae (Wikipedia)
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The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea.
Tortricidae (Wikipedia)
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The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera.
Crambidae (Wikipedia)
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Crambidae comprises the grass moth family of lepidopterans.
Pyralidae (Wikipedia)
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The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea.
Saturniidae (Wikipedia)
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Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species.
Lasiocampidae (Wikipedia)
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The Lasiocampidae are a family of moths also known as eggars, tent caterpillars, snout moths (although this also refers to the Pyralidae), or lappet moths.
Notodontidae (Wikipedia)
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Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species.
Pterophoridae (Wikipedia)
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The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings, giving them the shape of a narrow winged airplane.
Gelechiidae (Wikipedia)
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The Gelechiidae are a family of moths commonly referred to as twirler moths or gelechiid moths.
Zygaenidae (Wikipedia)
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The Zygaenidae moths are a family of Lepidoptera.
Cossidae (Wikipedia)
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The Cossidae, the cossid millers or carpenter millers, make up a family of mostly large miller moths.
Hepialidae (Wikipedia)
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The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order.
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