The following table lists the number of known species in every butterfly family and subfamily found in each of the world’s 5 zoogeographical regions as indicated above.
|
|
World |
Holarctic region |
Neotropical region |
Afrotropical region |
Oriental region |
Australian region |
|
HESPERIIDAE |
4127 |
497 |
2365 |
525 |
570 |
174 |
|
Hesperiinae |
2117 |
275 |
1039 |
321 |
395 |
87 |
|
Heteropterinae |
180 |
9 |
138 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
|
Pyrginae |
1474 |
200 |
992 |
152 |
130 |
14 |
|
Pyrrhopyginae |
164 |
0 |
164 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Trapezitinae |
61 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
61 |
|
Megathyminae |
55 |
12 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Coeliadinae |
76 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
45 |
12 |
|
PAPILIONIDAE |
622 |
97 |
141 |
98 |
170 |
70 |
|
Papilioninae |
547 |
80 |
140 |
98 |
170 |
70 |
|
Parnassiinae |
74 |
74 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Baroniinae |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
PIERIDAE |
1036 |
158 |
339 |
188 |
160 |
191 |
|
Pseudopontinae |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Coliadinae |
226 |
75 |
69 |
13 |
54 |
15 |
|
Pierinae |
753 |
78 |
219 |
174 |
106 |
176 |
|
Dismorphiinae |
56 |
5 |
51 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
LYCAENIDAE |
4507 |
575 |
1182 |
1680 |
586 |
484 |
|
Theclinae |
2295 |
244 |
1061 |
519 |
381 |
90 |
|
Polyommatinae |
1082 |
267 |
7 |
454 |
96 |
258 |
|
Lycaeninae |
291 |
60 |
114 |
4 |
0 |
113 |
|
Poritiinae |
30 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
0 |
|
Miletinae |
159 |
2 |
0 |
73 |
64 |
20 |
|
Curetinae |
17 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
1 |
|
Lipteninae |
599 |
0 |
0 |
599 |
0 |
0 |
|
Liphyrinae |
34 |
0 |
0 |
31 |
1 |
2 |
|
RIODINIDAE |
1428 |
33 |
1324 |
15 |
34 |
23 |
|
Euselasiinae |
172 |
0 |
172 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Riodininae |
1256 |
33 |
1152 |
15 |
34 |
23 |
|
NYMPHALIDAE |
5978 |
864 |
2433 |
1458 |
891 |
332 |
|
Libytheinae |
17 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
|
Nymphalinae |
590 |
172 |
195 |
71 |
93 |
59 |
|
Heliconiinae |
479 |
74 |
147 |
235 |
12 |
11 |
|
Argynnini |
120 |
73 |
18 |
11 |
10 |
8 |
|
Heliconiini |
72 |
0 |
72 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Acraeini |
287 |
1 |
57 |
224 |
2 |
3 |
|
Limenitidinae |
809 |
94 |
89 |
587 |
220 |
24 |
|
Biblidinae |
331 |
2 |
266 |
31 |
25 |
7 |
|
Apaturinae |
87 |
43 |
19 |
3 |
21 |
1 |
|
Charaxinae |
392 |
8 |
110 |
179 |
80 |
15 |
|
Satyrinae |
2279 |
460 |
1099 |
326 |
275 |
119 |
|
Morphinae |
226 |
0 |
136 |
0 |
72 |
18 |
|
Morphini |
42 |
0 |
42 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Brassolini |
94 |
0 |
94 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Amathusiini |
90 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
72 |
18 |
|
Danainae |
563 |
8 |
368 |
23 |
89 |
75 |
|
Danaini |
199 |
8 |
13 |
23 |
89 |
66 |
|
Ithomiini |
355 |
0 |
355 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tellervini |
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
|
TOTAL |
17698 |
2224 |
7784 |
3964 |
2411 |
1274 |
The totals are distorted because taxonomists often disagree about whether any particular taxon is a full species or just a subspecies or form.
Estimates of the total number of known butterfly species therefore vary between 17,000-19,000. The true total will never be known because many will have become extinct even before they are discovered.
Taxonomists however estimate that at least 1100 more species await discovery in the neotropical region alone! It is forecast that another 50 will be discovered in the Holarctic, 150 in the Oriental region, another 50 in Papua New Guinea and West Irian and at least 250 more species in Africa.
If you include moths the total increases tenfold to 174,240 currently known species. The number of undiscovered moths is proportionately much greater than with butterflies however, as a very high percentage of moths are very small with sombre patterns and are extremely difficult to distinguish from each other without the aid of microscopic examination and DNA analysis. The total number of Lepidoptera species probably exceeds 300,000 worldwide.
Data collated by Hoskins from sources including Tolman 1997, Larsen 2005, Lamas 2004, d’Abrera 2001, Scott 1992, Preston-Mafham 1988, McCubbin 1971, Eliot/Corbet & Pendlebury 1992, Shields 1989, Ackery 1995, funet 2014, BoldSystems 2014, LepIndex 2014.