Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect

Insect

Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

 order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...

. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths

Moths

Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...

 as opposed to the "Microlepidoptera

Microlepidoptera

Microlepidoptera is an artificial grouping of moth families, commonly known as the 'smaller moths' . These generally have a wingspan of under 20 mm, and are thus harder to identify by external phenotypic markings than macrolepidoptera...

", this group is unnatural. However, it seems that by moving some taxa about, a monophyletic Macrolepidoptera can be easily achieved. The two superfamilies Geometroidea

Geometroidea

Geometroidea is the superfamily of geometrid moths in the Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, and Sematuridae...

 and Noctuoidea

Noctuoidea

Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid or "owlet" moths, and has the largest number of species described for any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. The most recent classifications include only four families in the superfamily;...

 account for roughly one-quarter of all known Lepidoptera.

In the reformed Macrolepidoptera, the following superfamilies are included:

• Mimallonoidea
  Mimallonoidea
  Mimallonoidea is the superfamily of sack bearer moths, containing the single family Mimallonidae.-Genera:*Aceclostria*Adalgisa*Aleyda*Alheita*Bedosia*Biterolfa*Cicinnus*Druentica*Eadmuna*Euphaneta...
  
   - sack bearers
• Lasiocampoidea
  Lasiocampoidea
  Lasiocampoidea is the superfamily of "lappet moths", containing two families of small to very large moths. Lasiocampidae have a global distribution, whilst Anthelidae are found only in Australia and New Zealand. There are about 158 genera...
  
   - lappet moths
• Bombycoidea
  Bombycoidea
  Bombycoidea is a superfamily of moths. It contains the silk moths, emperor moths, sphinx moths and relatives. The Lasiocampoidea are close relatives and sometimes merged in the present group. Their larvae exhibit horns.-Sources:...
  
   - bombycoid moths
• Noctuoidea
  Noctuoidea
  Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid or "owlet" moths, and has the largest number of species described for any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. The most recent classifications include only four families in the superfamily;...
  
   - owlet moths
• Drepanoidea
  Drepanoidea
  Drepanoidea is the superfamily of "hook tip moths". See Minet and Scoble for a comprehensive overview.-References:*Minet, J and Scoble, M.J. . The Drepanoid/Geometroid Assemblage. Ch. 17 in Kristensen, N.P. . Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography....
  
   - drepanids
• Geometroidea
  Geometroidea
  Geometroidea is the superfamily of geometrid moths in the Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, and Sematuridae...
  
   - inchworms
• Axioidea - European gold moths
• Calliduloidea - Old World butterfly-moths
• Hedyloidea - New World butterfly-moths (or moth-butterflies)
• Hesperioidea - skippers
• Papilionoidea
  Papilionoidea
  The superfamily Papilionoidea contains all the butterflies except for the skippers, which are classified in superfamily Hesperioidea, and the moth-like Hedyloidea....
  
   - true butterflies

The last three make up the Rhopalocera, or butterflies.

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