World Butterfly Census
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.
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