• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

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Order Lepidoptera is one of the largest and most diverse orders of insects, comprising all butterflies and moths. With more than 180,000 described species worldwide, Lepidoptera occur in nearly every terrestrial habitat, from tropical rainforests and deserts to grasslands, wetlands, and mountain ecosystems. Members of this order are characterized by wings covered with microscopic scales, a feature reflected in the name Lepidoptera, which means "scale-winged." Most species undergo complete metamorphosis, passing through egg, larval (caterpillar), pupal, and adult stages.