Which order in the class Insecta includes the butterflies, skippers, and moths?
Comparison of butterflies and moths Comparison of butterflies and moths A common classification of the Lepidoptera involves their differentiation into butterflies and moths. Butterflies are a natural monophyletic group, often given the suborder Rhopalocera, which includes Papilionoidea (true butterflies), Hesperiidae (skippers), and Hedylidae (butterfly moths). In this taxonomic scheme, moths belong to the suborder Heterocera. Other taxonomic schemes have been proposed; the most common putting the butterflies into the suborder Ditrysia and then the "superfamily" Papilionoidea, and ignoring a classification for moths. While the butterflies form a monophyletic group, the moths, which comprise the rest of the Lepidoptera, do not. Many attempts have been made
Comparison of butterflies and moths their sides. Butterflies frequently fold their wings above their backs when they are perched although they will occasionally "bask" with their wings spread for short periods. However, some butterflies, like the skippers, may hold their wings either flat, or folded, or even in-between (the so-called "jet plane" position) when perched. Most moths also occasionally fold their wings above their backs when they are in a certain spot (like when there is no room to fully spread their wings). A sometimes confusing family can be the Geometridae (such as the winter moth) because the adults often rest with their wings folded