Bombycoidea is a
superfamily of
moths, including the
silk moths,
giant silk moths,
sphinx moths,
saturniids, and relatives. The superfamily
Lasiocampoidea is a close relative and was historically sometimes merged in this group. After many years of debate and shifting taxonomies, the most recent classifications treat the superfamily as containing 10 constituent families.
Characteristics
Bombycoid larvae often exhibit horns.
[''Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders'', edited by Christopher O'Toole, , 2002] In the adult stage they are typically large, and include the largest moths in the world.
Families
Bombycoidea includes the following families:
*
Anthelidae
*
Apatelodidae
*
Bombycidae
*
Brahmaeidae (syn.
Lemoniidae)
*
Carthaeidae
*
Endromidae (syn.
Mirinidae)
*
Eupterotidae
*
Phiditiidae
*
Saturniidae
*
Sphingidae
The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species ar ...
References
Lepidoptera superfamilies
Macroheterocera
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