Among the classes of insects, the Lepidoptera are one such order. The application of Lepidopterans as trump cards in hands is a recent challenge that has major, crucial work.The recent trend in studying lepidopterans lies in the social enchantment of this existing life.Lepidoptera are 'typical' insects in that they have 4 wings, 6 legs, 2 antennae, and a body divided into 3 sections: a head, thorax, and abdomen. The legs and wings are attached to the thorax. In a few species of moths, the females have evolved to become wingless. With three pairs of legs on the thorax and "prolegs" on the abdomen, the cylindrical body of a caterpillar is made up of thirteen segments.

1. LEPIDOPTERA
LEPIDOPTERA
(TNAU)
V.J.MINNU- 2022505202
Msc(Agri) Entomology - V.O.C AC&RI Killikulam

2. ORDER : LEPIDOPTERA
 Subclass : Pterygota
 Division : Endopterygota
 Sub-Group : Neopteran orders
 Group : Panorpoid orders
 Common names : Butterflies , Moths & Skippers
 Major character : complete metamorphosis seen
“Lepido” – Scale , “Ptera”- Wings

3. ADULT CHARACTERS
 BODY : Color diversity
Wings covered withh scales
 HEAD : Compound eyes , Dorsal ocelli – 0 or 2
Antenna – Variable in form
Mouth - Siphoning type , Mandibles – Vestigial
 THORAX : wings – 2 pairs , crossveins seen
Forewings larger than hindwings
Wing coupling – Frenate or Amplexiform
Tarsi – 5 segmented
 ABDOMEN : Cerci absent , Auditory organs are absent

4. PUPALCHARACTERS
 Obtect / chrysalis
 Spun cocoon
LARVAL CHARACTERS
 Eruciform – caterpillar / looper/ semilooper
 Compound eyes absent
 Lateral ocelli – clusters
 Antenna – 3 segmented
 Thoracic legs – 5 segmented & 3 pairs
 Abdominal legs – 5 pairs
Caterpillar – 3,4,5,6 & 10
Semilooper – 4,5,6& 10
Looper – 6& 10
 Cerci absent , crochets present

5. BUTTERFLY MOTHS SKIPPERS
Brightly colored
Wings large to
body
Dorsal ocelli – 0
Frenulum absent
Active by day
Antenna capitate
Larva – hairy
At rest, wings
held vertical
Body slender
Body cylindrical
no
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Pale or dark
Small
2
Present
Active by night
Feathery
Often hairy
Horizontally
Body intermediate
Stout & tapering
Pale or dark
Nearly equal
0
Absent
Crepuscular
Antenna – clubbed
Not hairy
Vertically held
Body stout
Cylindrical

6. BUTTERFLYFAMILIES
NYMPHALIDAE(BRUSHFOOTEDBUTTERFLIES/ FOURFOOTED)
 Forelegs – short , functionless , hairy
 Foretibia – short , hairy
 Larva – has spines on body
 Eg : Castor butterfly – Ergolis merione

7. LYCAENIDAE( BLUES, COPPERS, HAIRSTREAKS)
 Small to medium size
 Eyes & Antenna – rimmed white
 Upper wing – coppery
 Hind wings – hair like projections
 2-3 black spots seen – hindwings
 Larva – Retractile head , secretes honeydew
 Eg : Pulse pod borer, Blue butterfly – Lampides boeticus

8. PIERIDAE( WHITES& SULPHURS)
 Wings – white with black marks
 Larva – green with hairs
 Body segments divided into annules
 Eg : Cabbage butterfly – Pieris brassicae
Eurema hecabe - green mnures

9.  ADULT – Brightly coloured
 Hindwings – tail like projections
 Wing coupling – Amplexiform
 Prothoracic legs – Tibial epiphysis
 Larval body – Smooth/ with tubercles
Retractile osmeteria
 Eg : Citrus butterfly , Papilio demoleus

10. SATYRIDAE( BROWNS/ MEADO– BROWN)
 ADULT – dull brown / blackish
 Wings – eye like spots
 Larva – Spines on body
 Eg : Rice horned caterpillar – Melanitis leda ismene

11. SKIPPER FAMILY - HESPERIIDAE
 ADULT – Pale or dark , nocturnal
 Wings – short to size of body
 Antenna – clubbed & hooked
 Wings – held vertically at rest
 Caterpillars – round heads , thin necks
 Eg : Rice skipper , Pelopidas mathias

12. MOTH FAMILIES
PSYCHIDAE( BAGWORMMOTHS)
 Male – winged , Female – lack wings , no antenna ,leg &wings too
 Mouth parts – vestigial
 Larva – Constructs bag of leaf & twig bits
 Female – inside bags after eclosion , mate &oviposit
 Eg : Casuarina bag worm, Eumeta crameri

13. GELECHIDAE( LEAFMINER, PALPMOTH)
 Largest families of micro-lepidoptera
 Labial palp – long & upcurved
 Forewings – trapezoidal , Hindwings – fringed
 Caterpillars – bores seed , tubers & leaf
 Eg : Cotton bollworm – Pectinophora gossypella
Angumois grain moth – Sitotroga cerealella

14. METARBELIDAE ( CARPENTER OR GOATMOTHS)
 ADULT – small to medium size
 Antenna – short & bipectinate
 Legs – short , Wings – elongated
 Maculation – brown or gray , hindwings – darker
 Wings – whitw with dark spots
 Adults – Crepuscular
 Larva – nocturnal
 Eg: Bark eating caterpillar , Indarbella sp.

15. COCHILIDIDAE(SLUGCATERPILLAR)
 ADULT – medium sized , stout
 Larva – Resembles slug , head – retractile
 Thoracic legs – minute , prolegs – absent
 Poisonous urticating hairs present
 Pupal cocoon – hemisperical with urtricating hairs
 Eg : Castor slug caterpillar , Latoia lepida

16. PYRALIDAE(PYRAUSTIDAE)
(SNOUTMOTHS, WEBWORMS)
 ADULTS – vestigial mouthparts
 Labial palpi – snout like
 Larva – aquatic , gill used
 Eg : Rice stem borer , Scirpophaga incertulas

17. CRAMBIDAE( GRASS MOTHS)
1. Nocturnal Adult
2. Forewings wrapped at rest
3. Labial palps extended
4. Eg : Sorghum stem borer, Chilo partellus

18. PTEROPHORIDAE( PLUMEMOTH)
• ADULTS – small
• Forewings – elongate , 2-4 clefts
• Hindwings – 3 divisions
• Legs – long , slender & tibial spurs
• Eg : Redgram plume moth , Exelastis atomosa

19. GEOMETRIDAE( LOOPERS, INCHWORM, MEASURINGWORM)
 Third largest family of lepidoptera
 Body – small
 Wings – both pairs are angular & thin with wavy lines
 Larva – elongate , two pairs of prolegs seen on 6th & 10th segment
 Body forms loop - inch worm
 Eg : Brown looper , Hyposidra successaria
Tea looper , Biston suppressaria

20. BOMBYCIDAE( SILKWORMMOTHS)
 ADULT – soft body , hairy
 Antenna – bipectinate
 Larva – tuft of hairs , medio-dorsal horn on 8th segment
 Pupation – dense silken cocoon
 Eg : Mulberry silk worm , Bombyx mori – source of natural silk

21. SATURNIIDAE( MOONMOTHS, GIANTSILKWORMMOTHS)
 ADULT – large size , colorful moth
 Antenna – bipectinate
 Circular Eyespots – centre of wing
 Larva – stout & has scoli
 Cocoon – dense & firm
 Eg : Tussor silk worm – Antherea paphia
Lunar moth – Actias luna

22. SPHINGIDAE
 ADULT – large , stout moths
 Proboscis – long
 Antenna – hooked at tip
 Forewings – elongate , Hindwings – reduced
 Abdomen – spindle shaped
 Larva – anal horn on 8th abdominal dorsum
 On alarm , they raise front part of body
 Eg : Death’s head moth – Acherontia styx

23. ARCTIIDAE( TIGERMOTHS& WOOLYBEAR)
 ADULT – nocturnal & phototropic
 Antenna – filiform
 Wings – spots & bands
 Larva – dense hairs
 Cocoons – made from body hairs of larva
 Eg : Red hairy caterpillar , Amsacta albistriga

24. NOCTUIDAE( ARMYWORM, SEMILOOPERS& CUTWORMS)
 ADULT – stout , nocturnal , phototropic
 Labial palp – well developed
 Larva – semiloopers , Crochets on prolegs
 Eg : Tobacco cut worm , Spodoptera litura
Gram pod borer , Helicoverpa armigera

25. LYMANTRIDAE( TUSSOCKMOTHS)
o Antenna – bipectinate
o Female – tuft of anal hairs
o Legs – wooly hairs
o Female moths – wingless & has scale like wings
o Female – incapable of flight
o Male moths – well developed frenulum
o Eg : Hairy caterpillar , Eproctis fraterna
Porthesia scintilensis

26. THANK YOU...