Why is a specific species a micro butterfly and not a macro butterfly? It is more of a practice that has evolved over the years without being specifically outlined in any taxonomy rules. Families consisting mainly of small species are classified as micro butterflies. In most cases, these are species where the forewing length is less than 10 mm. Furthermore, micro butterflies are generally considered to be more primitive and are therefore placed at the beginning of the order of the Lepidoptera. Questionable families are the snout moths (Pyralidae) and the grass moths (Crambidae), whose species are often as large as many geometer moths (Geometridae).
For macro moths, the flight period is a crucial parameter for species identification. For micro-moths, this can also be useful for identifying species, though common species are found year-round. You will often find micro-moths in moth traps or on a white sheet, but you will find many species during the day in the garden, tree- and shrub-rich areas, and grasslands. During the day, they are disturbed and unable to settle down anywhere else after a short flight. Identification can be made easier by examining plants or leaves for the presence of the larvae.
| Family | Subfamily | Number species worldwide | Percentage worldwide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acanthopteroctetidae | 5 | 0.01 | |
| Adelidae (Fairy Moths) | 294 | 0.52 | |
| Agathiphagidae | 2 | 0.00 | |
| Alucitidae (Many-plume Moths) | 216 | 0.38 | |
| Andesianidae | 3 | 0.01 | |
| Argyresthiidae (Shiny-head Standing Moths) | 157 | 0.28 | |
| Attevidae (Tropical Ermine Moths) | 52 | 0.09 | |
| Autostichidae (Autostichid Moths) | 638 | 1.12 | |
| Autostichinae | |||
| Deocloninae | |||
| Glyphidocerinae | |||
| Holcopogoninae | |||
| Symmocinae | |||
| Batrachedridae (Batrachedrid Moths) | 99 | 0.17 | |
| Batrachedrinae | |||
| Epimarptiinae | |||
| Bedelliidae | 16 | 0.03 | |
| Blastobasidae (Scavenger Moths) | 377 | 0.66 | |
| Bucculatricidae (Bucculatricid Moths) | 297 | 0.52 | |
| Carposinidae (Fruitworm Moths) | 283 | 0.50 | |
| Cecidosidae | 16 | 0.03 | |
| Chimabachidae | 6 | 0.01 | |
| Choreutidae (Choreuitid Moths) | 406 | 0.71 | |
| Brenthiinae | |||
| Choreutinae | |||
| Millieriinae | |||
| Coelopoetidae | 3 | 0.01 | |
| Coleophoridae (Casebearer Moths) | 1,386 | 2.43 | |
| Copromorphidae (Tropical Fruitworm Moths) | 43 | 0.08 | |
| Cosmopterigidae (Cosmet Moths) | 1,792 | 3.14 | |
| Antequerinae | |||
| Chrysopeleiinae | |||
| Cosmopteriginae | |||
| Scaeosophinae | |||
| Crambidae (Grass Moths) | 9,655 | 16.93 | |
| Acentropinae | |||
| Crambinae | |||
| Cybalomiinae | |||
| Evergestinae | |||
| Glaphyriinae | |||
| Heliothelinae | |||
| Linostinae | |||
| Midilinae | |||
| Musotiminae | |||
| Noordinae | |||
| Odontiinae | |||
| Pyraustinae | |||
| Schoenobiinae | |||
| Scopariinae | |||
| Spilomelinae | |||
| Wurthiinae | |||
| Douglasiidae | 29 | 0.05 | |
| Elachistidae (Grass Miner Moths) | 3,201 | 5.61 | |
| Aeolanthinae | |||
| Agonoxeninae | |||
| Drepressariinae | |||
| Elachistinae | |||
| Ethmiinae | |||
| Hypertrophinae | |||
| Parametriotinae | |||
| Stenomatinae | |||
| Epermeniidae | 126 | 0.22 | |
| Epimarptidae | 4 | 0.01 | |
| Eriocottidae | 80 | 0.14 | |
| Eriocraniidae | 29 | 0.05 | |
| Galacticidae | 19 | 0.03 | |
| Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths) | 4,700 | 8.24 | |
| Anancampsinae | |||
| Anomologinae | |||
| Apatetrinae | |||
| Aristotelinae | |||
| Dichromeridinae | |||
| Gelechiinae | |||
| Pexicopiinae | |||
| Physoptilinae | |||
| Glyphipterigidae (Sedge Moths) | 535 | 0.94 | |
| Gracillariidae (Leaf Blotch Miner Moths) | 1,866 | 3.27 | |
| Acrocercopinae | |||
| Gracillariinae | |||
| Lithocolletinae | |||
| Marmarinae | |||
| Oecophyllembiinae | |||
| Ornixolinae | |||
| Parornichinae | |||
| Phyllocnistinae | |||
| Heliodinidae (Sun Moths) | 69 | 0.12 | |
| Heliozelidae (Shield-bearing Moths) | 123 | 0.22 | |
| Heterobathmiidae | 3 | 0.01 | |
| Immidae | 245 | 0.43 | |
| Incurvariidae (Leafcutter Moths) | 51 | 0.09 | |
| Lecithoceridae | 1,200 | 2.10 | |
| Ceuthomadarinae | |||
| Lecithocerinae | |||
| Oditinae | |||
| Torodorinae | |||
| Lophocoronidae | 6 | 0.01 | |
| Lyonetiidae (Lyonetiid Moths) | 204 | 0.36 | |
| Lypusidae | 21 | 0.04 | |
| Micropterigidae (Mandibulate Moths) | 160 | 0.28 | |
| Millieriidae | 4 | 0.01 | |
| Mnesarchaeidae | 7 | 0.01 | |
| Momphidae (Momphid Moths) | 115 | 0.20 | |
| Neopseutidae | 14 | 0.02 | |
| Nepticulidae (Minute Leaf Miner Moths) | 819 | 1.49 | |
| Nepticulinae | |||
| Pectinivalvinae | |||
| Oecophoridae (Concealer Moths) | 3,308 | 5.80 | |
| Deuterogoniinae | |||
| Oecophorinae | |||
| Opostegidae (White Eye-capped Moths) | 192 | 0.34 | |
| Palaephatidae (Gondwanaland Moths) | 57 | 0.10 | |
| Peleopodidae (Peleopodid Moths) | 28 | 0.05 | |
| Plutellidae (Diamondback Moths) | 150 | 0.26 | |
| Praydidae | 47 | 0.08 | |
| Prodidactidae | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Prodoxidae (Yucca Moths) | 98 | 0.17 | |
| Psychidae (Bagworm Moths) | 1,350 | 2.37 | |
| Arrhenophaninae | |||
| Epichnopteriginae | |||
| Metisinae | |||
| Naryciinae | |||
| Oiketicinae | |||
| Placodominae | |||
| Pseudarbelinae | |||
| Psychinae | |||
| Scoriodytinae | |||
| Taleporiinae | |||
| Typhoniinae | |||
| Pterolonchidae | 8 | 0.01 | |
| Pterophoridae (Plume Moths) | 1,318 | 2.31 | |
| Agdistinae | |||
| Deuterocopinae | |||
| Macropiratinae | |||
| Platyptiliinae | |||
| Pterophorinae | |||
| Pyralidae (Snout Moths) | 5,921 | 10.38 | |
| Chrysauginae | |||
| Epipaschiinae | |||
| Galleriinae | |||
| Odontinae | |||
| Phycitinae | |||
| Pyralinae | |||
| Roeslerstammiidae | 53 | 0.09 | |
| Schistonoidae | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Schreckensteiniidae (Bristle-legged Moths) | 8 | 0.01 | |
| Scythrididae (Flower Moths) | 669 | 1.17 | |
| Simaethistidae | 4 | 0.01 | |
| Stathmopodidae (Stathmopodid Moths) | 408 | 0.72 | |
| Syringopaidae | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Tineidae (Clothes Moths) | 2,393 | 4.20 | |
| Erechthiinae | |||
| Euplocaminae | |||
| Hapsiferinae | |||
| Harmacloninae | |||
| Hieroxestinae | |||
| Myrmecozelinae | |||
| Nemapogoninae | |||
| Perissomasticinae | |||
| Scardiinae | |||
| Setomorphinae | |||
| Siloscinae | |||
| Teichobiinae | |||
| Tineinae | |||
| Tineodidae (False Plume Moths) | 19 | 0.03 | |
| Tischeriidae (Tischeriid Moths) | 110 | 0.19 | |
| Tortricidae (Leafrollers) | 10,387 | 18.22 | |
| Chlidanotinae | |||
| Cnephasiinae | |||
| Olethreutinae | |||
| Sparganothinae | |||
| Tortricinae | |||
| Urodidae (False Burnet Moths) | 66 | 0.12 | |
| Xyloryctidae (Timber Moths) | 524 | 0.92 | |
| Yponomeutidae (Ermine Moths) | 363 | 0.64 | |
| Saridoscelinae | |||
| Yponomeutinae | |||
| Ypsolophidae (Ypsolophid Moths) | 163 | 0.29 | |
| Totaal | 57,023 | 100.00 | |
The families and subfamilies are described per category. The link refers to the related page for each (sub)family where a species was spotted and described.
