Purple crow butterfly : Classification of Butterfly

The sign “Watch out the Purple Butterfly, slow down, please!” is the most beautiful sign in the world. It show we really pay attention to butterfly ecology and environment protection.

A、 PAPILIONIDAE (鳳蝶科)
 

The swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, consists of at least 550 species, many of which are large and colorful and recognizable even to non-specialists. While the majority of swallowtail species are found in tropical latitudes, representatives from the family can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and can be common in both tropical and temperate habitats. Swallowtail butterfly diversity is greatest in East and Southeast Asia, a region where many natural butterfly habitats are under extreme threat of destruction due to human activity. Some swallowtails, particularly representatives from the genus Parnassius, may fly at very high elevations. The birdwing butterflies (Troidini: Troides) of Australasia are the largest butterflies in the world. Collins and Morris (1985) provide an overview of the patterns of swallowtail diversity around the world.
The name "swallowtail" refers to a tail-like extension on the edge of the hindwing that is found in many, though not all, papilionids. The function of this tail is not known, but genetic studies in some species of Papilio suggest the tail is a labile character whose expression is controlled by a single gene (Clarke and Sheppard 1960, Clarke et al. 1968).

B、PIERIDAE (粉蝶科)
 

Pieridae are the sulphurs and whites, medium-sized mostly pale-colored butterflies with a world-wide distribution. There are some 1100 species.

C、LYCAENIDAE (小灰蝶科)
 

The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 40% of the known butterfly species.
The family is traditionally divided into the subfamilies of the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae) and the harvesters (Miletinae); others include also the Lipteninae, Liphyrinae and Poritiinae. A few authorities still include the family Riodinidae within the Lycaenidae. The sole member of the subfamily Styginae is represented by Styx infernalis from the Peruvian Andes. Recent molecular evidence places Styginae within the family Riodinidae.

D、 NYMPHALINAE (蛺蝶科)
 

Nymphalinae is a subfamily of nymphalid butterflies. Sometimes, the Limenitidinae (and Biblidinae) are included here as a tribe, while the Melitaeini are occasionally considered a distinct subfamily.

NYMPHALINAE includes NYMPHALINAE , LIBYTHEIDAE, AMATHUSIINUE, and SATYRINAE.

E、HESPERIIDAE or skipper (弄蝶科)
 

A skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae (superfamily Hesperioidea), named after their quick, darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide,but with the greatest diversity occurring in the tropical regions of Central and South America.
Skippers differ in several important ways from the remaining butterflies, which are classified in the superfamily Papilionoidea and the neotropical superfamily Hedyloidea. Collectively, these three groups of butterflies share several characteristics especially in the egg, larval and pupal stage (Ackery et al. 1999). However, skippers have the antennae clubs hooked backward like a crochet hook, whilst butterflies have club-like tips to their antennae and hedylids have feathered or pectinate antennae giving them an even more moth-like appearance than skippers. Skippers also have generally stockier bodies than the other two groups, with stronger wing muscles. Hesperioidea is very likely the sister group of Papilionoidea, and together with Hedyloidea constitute a natural group or clade. There are about 3500 species of Skippers.

Reference:

http://www.tesri.gov.tw/content/wild/wild_insect_01.asp