The Macroheterocera are a well supported clade of moths that are closely related to butterflies and macro-moths.

Taxonomy

The Macroheterocera includes the following superfamilies: * Mimallonoidea – sack bearers (variously included in basal position or excluded) * Drepanoidea – drepanids *

Noctuoidea Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable stat ...

– owlet moths *

Geometroidea The Geometroidea are the superfamily of geometrid moths in the order Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, Epicopeiidae, Sematuridae Sematuridae is a Family (biology), family of moths in the lepidopteran Order (bio ...

– inchworms * Lasiocampoidea – lappet moths * Bombycoidea – bombycoid moths The macroheteroceran superfamilies were previously place in the Macrolepidoptera, but recent molecular studies have failed to recover the Macrolepidoptera as a monophyletic group. The latter grouping also included butterflies ( Papilionoidea) and Old World butterfly-moths ( Calliduloidea).

References

Moth taxonomy Obtectomera {{moth-stub