Lepidoptera fossil record

The Lepidoptera fossil record encompasses all butterflies and moths that lived before recorded history. The fossil record for Lepidoptera is lacking in comparison to other winged species, and tending not to be as common as some other insects in the habitats that are most conducive to fossilization, such as lakes and ponds, and their juvenile stage has only the head capsule as a hard part that might be preserved. Yet there are fossils, some preserved in amber and some in very fine sediments. Leaf mines are also seen in fossil leaves, although the interpretation of them is tricky. Putative fossil stem group representatives of Amphiesmenoptera are known from the Triassic.
Previously, the earliest known lepidopteran fossils were three wings of Archaeolepis mane, a primitive moth-like species from the Jurassic, about, found in Dorset, UK, which show scales with parallel grooves under a scanning electron microscope and a characteristic wing venation pattern shared with Trichoptera. In 2018, the discovery of exquisite fossilised scales from the Triassic-Jurassic boundary were reported in the journal Science Advances. They were found as rare palynological elements in the sediments of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary from the cored Schandelah-1 well, drilled near Braunschweig in northern Germany. This pushes back the fossil record and origin of glossatan lepidopterans by about 70 million years, supporting molecular estimates of a Norian divergence of glossatan and non-glossatan lepidopterans. The authors of the study proposed that lepidopterans evolved a proboscis as an adaptation to drink
from droplets and thin films of water for maintaining fluid balance in the hot and arid climate of the Triassic.
Only two more sets of Jurassic lepidopteran fossils have been found, as well as 13 sets from the Cretaceous, which all belong to primitive moth-like families. Many more fossils are found from the Cenozoic, and particularly the Eocene Baltic amber. The oldest genuine butterflies of the superfamily Papilionoidea have been found in the Early Eocene MoClay or Fur Formation of Denmark. The best preserved fossil lepidopteran is considered to be the Eocene Prodryas persephone from the Florissant Fossil Beds.

Phylogeny

Lepidoptera and Trichoptera are more closely related to one another than to any other taxa, sharing many similarities that are lacking in other insect orders; for example the females of both orders are heterogametic, meaning they have two different sex chromosomes, whereas in most species the males are heterogametic and the females have two identical sex chromosomes. The adults in both orders display a particular wing venation pattern on their forewings. The larvae of both orders have mouth structures and a gland with which they make and manipulate silk. Willi Hennig grouped the two orders into the Amphiesmenoptera superorder; they are sisters, and together are sister to the extinct order Tarachoptera.
Micropterigidae, Agathiphagidae and Heterobathmiidae are the oldest and most basal lineages of Lepidoptera. The adults of these families do not have the curled tongue or proboscis, that are found in most members order, but instead have chewing mandibles adapted for a special diet. Micropterigidae larvae feed on leaves, fungi, or liverworts. Adult Micropterigidae chew the pollen or spores of ferns. In the Agathiphagidae, larvae live inside kauri pines and feed on seeds. In Heterobathmiidae the larvae feed on the leaves of Nothofagus, the southern beech tree. These families also have mandibles in the pupal stage, which help the pupa emerge from the seed or cocoon after metamorphosis.
The Eriocraniidae have a short coiled proboscis in the adult stage, and though they retain their pupal mandibles with which they escaped the cocoon, their mandibles are non-functional thereafter. Most of these non-ditrysian families, are primarily leaf miners in the larval stage. In addition to the proboscis, there is a change in the scales among these basal lineages, with later lineages showing more complex perforated scales.
With the evolution of the Ditrysia in the mid-Cretaceous, there was a major reproductive change. The Ditrysia, which comprise 98% of the Lepidoptera, have two separate openings for reproduction in the females, one for mating, and one for laying eggs. The two are linked internally by a seminal duct. Of the early lineages of Ditrysia, Gracillarioidea and Gelechioidea are mostly leaf miners, but more recent lineages feed externally. In the Tineoidea, most species feed on plant and animal detritus and fungi, and build shelters in the larval stage.
The Yponomeutoidea is the first group to have significant numbers of species whose larvae feed on herbaceous plants, as opposed to woody plants. They evolved about the time that flowering plants underwent an expansive adaptive radiation in the mid-Cretaceous, and the Gelechioidea that evolved at this time also have great diversity. Whether the processes involved co-evolution or sequential evolution, the diversity of the Lepidoptera and the angiosperms increased together.
In the so-called "macrolepidoptera", which constitutes about 60% of lepidopteran species, there was a general increase in size, better flying ability, reduction in the adult mandibles, and a change in the arrangement of the crochets on the larval prolegs, perhaps to improve the grip on the host plant. Many also have tympanal organs, that allow them to hear. These organs evolved eight times, at least, because they occur on different body parts and have structural differences.
The main lineages in the macrolepidoptera are the Noctuoidea, Bombycoidea, Lasiocampidae, Mimallonoidea, Geometroidea and Rhopalocera. Bombycoidea plus Lasiocampidae plus Mimallonoidea may be a monophyletic group. The Rhopalocera, comprising the Papilionoidea, Hesperioidea, and the Hedyloidea, are the most recently evolved. There is quite a good fossil record for this group, with the oldest skipper dating from.

Fossil Lepidoptera taxa

This is a list of all described fossil Lepidoptera species. Taxa marked with are extinct.

Superfamily Bombycoidea

Family Saturniidae

Rothschildia
*''Rothschildia fossilis''

Family Sphingidae

Superfamily Copromorphoidea

Family Copromorphidae

Copromorpha
*†''Copromorpha fossilis''

Superfamily Cossoidea

Family Cossidae

†Adelopsyche
*†Adelopsyche frustrans
†Gurnetia
*†''Gurnetia durranti''

Superfamily Eolepidopterigoidea

Family Eolepidopterigidae

Family Eriocraniidae

†Eriocranites
*†''Eriocranites hercynicus''

Superfamily Gelechioidea

Family Autostichidae

†Symmocites
*†''Symmocites rohdendorfi''

Family Elachistidae

Family Ethmiidae

Ethmia
*†''Ethmia mortuella''

Family Oecophoridae

†Borkhausenites
*†Borkhausenites angustipenella
*†Borkhausenites bachofeni
*†Borkhausenites crassella
*†Borkhausenites implicatella
*†Borkhausenites incolumella
*†Borkhausenites ingentella
*†Borkhausenites vulneratella
†Depressarites
*†Depressarites blastuliferella
*†Depressarites levipalpella
†Epiborkhausenites
*†Epiborkhausenites obscurotrimaculatus
†Glesseumeyrickia
*†Glesseumeyrickia henrikseni
†Hexerites
*†Hexerites primalis
†Microsymmocites
*†Microsymmocites
†Neoborkhausenites
*†Neoborkhausenites incertella
†Palaeodepressaria
*†Palaeodepressaria hannemanni
*†Paraborkhausenites
*†Paraborkhausenites innominatus
*†''Paraborkhausenites vicinella''

Family Symmocidae

†Oegoconiites
*†''Oegoconiites borisjaki''

Superfamily Geometroidea

Family Geometridae

†Geometridites
*†Geometridites jordani
*†Geometridites larentiiformis
*†Geometridites repens
Hydriomena
*†''Hydriomena? protrita''

Superfamily Gracillarioidea

Family Bucculatricidae

Bucculatrix
*†''Bucculatrix platani''

Family Gracillariidae

†Gracillariites
*†Gracillariites lithuanicus
*†Gracillariites mixtus
Two undescribed Phyllocnistis species
One undescribed Lithocolletis species

Superfamily Hepialoidea

Family Hepialidae

Superfamily Adeloidea

Family Adelidae

Adela
*†Adela kuznetzovi
*†Adela similis
†Adelites
*†Adelites electrella
*†Adelites purpurascens
*†Adelites serraticornella
*An undescribed †Adelites species

Family Incurvariidae

†Incurvarites
*†Incurvarites alienella
†Prophalonia
*†Prophalonia gigas
*†''Prophalonia scutitarsella''

Superfamily Micropterigoidea

Family Micropterigidae

Superfamily Nepticuloidea

Family Nepticulidae

Superfamily Noctuoidea

Family Arctiidae

Family Lymantriidae

One undescribed Euproctis species

Family Noctuidae

†Noctuites
*†Noctuites haidingeri
†Xyleutites
*†''Xyleutites miocenicus''

Family Notodontidae

†Cerurites
*†''Cerurites wagneri''

Superfamily Papilionoidea

Basal or ''incertae sedis''

†Lithodryas - Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae?
*†Lithodryas styx
†Lithopsyche - Lycaenidae, Riodinidae?
*†Lithopsyche antiqua
†Riodinella
*†Riodinella nympha - Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Riodinidae?

Family Hesperiidae

†Pamphilites
*†Pamphilites abdita
†Thanatites
*†''Thanatites vetula''

Family Lycaenidae

†Aquisextana
*†''Aquisextana irenaei''

Family Nymphalidae

†Apanthesis
*†Apanthesis leuce
†Barbarothea
*†Barbarothea florissanti
Doxocopa
*†Doxocopa wilmattae
Hestina
*Hestina japonica
†Jupitellia
*†Jupitellia charon
†Lethites
*†Lethites reynesii
Undescribed Limenitis species
†Mylothrites
*†Mylothrites pluto
†Neorinella
*†Neorinella garciae
†Neorinopis
*†Neorinopis sepulta
†Nymphalites
*†Nymphalites obscurum
*†Nymphalites scudderi
*†Nymphalites zeuneri
†Prodryas
*†Prodryas persephone
†Prolibythea
*†Prolibythea vagabunda
Vanessa
*†''Vanessa amerindica''

Family Papilionidae

Family Pieridae

†Coliates
*†Coliates proserpina
†Oligodonta
*†Oligodonta florissantensis
Pontia
*†Pontia freyeri
†Stolopsyche
*†''Stolopsyche libytheoides''

Family Riodinidae

Voltinia
*†''Voltinia dramba''

Superfamily Pterophoroidea

Family Pterophoridae

Merrifieldia
*†Merrifieldia oligocenicus

Superfamily Pyraloidea

Family Pyralidae

†Gallerites
*†Gallerites keleri
†Glendotricha
*†Glendotricha olgae
†Pyralites
*†Pyralites obscures
*†''Pyralites preecei''

Superfamily Sesioidea

Family Castniidae

†Dominickus
*†''Dominickus castinodes''

Superfamily Tineoidea

Family Psychidae

Dahlica
*Dahlica triquetrella
†Palaeopsyche
*†Palaeopsyche secundum
*†Palaeopsyche transversum
†Psychites
*†Psychites pristinella
Siederia
*Siederia pineti
Sterrhopterix
*†Sterrhopteryx pristinella
Taleporia
*Taleporia tubulosa
Bacotia
*''Bacotia claustrella''

Family Tineidae

†Architinea
*†Architinea balticella
*†Architinea sepositella
†Dysmasiites
*†Dysmasiites carpenteri
†Electromeessia
*†Electromeessia zagulijaevi
†Glessoscardia
*†Glessoscardia gerasimovi
†Martynea
*†Martynea rebeli
†Monopibaltia
*†Monopibaltia ignitella
†Palaeoinfurcitinea
*†Palaeoinfurcitinea rohdendorfi
†Palaeoscardiites
*†Palaeoscardiites mordvilkoi
†Palaeotinea
*†Palaeotinea rasnitsyni
†Paratriaxomasia
*†Paratriaxomasia solentensis
†Proscardiites
*†Proscardiites martynovi
†Pseudocephitinea
*†Pseudocephitinea svetlanae
†Scardiites
*†Scardiites meyricki
†Simulotenia
*†Simulotenia intermedia
†Tillyardinea
*†Tillyardinea eocaenica
Tinea
*†Tinea antique
†Tineitella
*†Tineitella crystalli
*†Tineitella sucinacius
†Tineolamima
*†Tineolamima aurella
†Tineosemopsis
*†''Tineosemopsis decurtatus''

Superfamily Tortricoidea

Family Tortricidae

†Antiquatortia
*†Antiquatortia histuroides
†Electresia
*†Electresia zalesskii
†Tortricibaltia
*†Tortricibaltia diakonoffi
†Tortricidrosis
*†''Tortricidrosis inclusa''

Superfamily Yponomeutoidea

Family Heliodinidae

†Baltonides
*†''Baltonides roeselliformis''

Family Lyonetiidae

†Prolyonetia
*†''Prolyonetia cockerelli''

Family Yponomeutidae

†Epinomeuta
*†''Epinomeuta truncatipennella''

Superfamily Zygaenoidea

Family Zygaenidae

Neurosymploca
*†Neurosymploca? oligocenica
Zygaena
*†"Zygaena" miocaenica
*†"Zygaena" turolensis
†Zygaenites
*†''Zygaenites controversus''

Superfamily unassigned

Family †Archaeolepidae

†Archaeolepis
*†''Archaeolepis mane''

Family †Curvicubitidae

†Curvicubitus
*†''Curvicubitus triassicus''

Family †Mesokristenseniidae

Superfamily unassigned

Excluded from Lepidoptera

Several fossils originally described as lepidopterans have subsequently been assigned to other groups, some as basal Amphiesmenoptera, others into other entirely distinct insect orders.

Superorder Amphiesmenoptera

Family Eocoronidae

†Eocorona
*†''Eocorona iani''

Order Hemiptera

Family Palaeontinidae (?)

Order Mecoptera (?)

Family Permochoristidae

†Eoses
*†Eoses triassica, disputed to be a synonym of †Mesochorista proavita in the Mecoptera

Family Choristopsychidae

From the late middle Jurassic from the Daohugou fossil beds of Inner Mongolia.

†Choristopsyche
*†Choristopsyche tenuinervis
*†Choristopsyche perfecta
*†Choristopsyche asticta
†Paristopsyche
*†''Paristopsyche angelineae''