Lycaenidae
| Lycaenidae | |
|---|---|
| The large blue, a lycaenid butterfly | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Lycaenidae Leach, 1815 |
| Subfamilies | |
and see text or List of lycaenid genera | |
Lycaenidae is a family of butterflies with over 6,000 species worldwide; its members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. It is the second-largest butterfly family (behind Nymphalidae, the brush-footed butterflies), constituting about 30% of the known butterfly species.
The family comprises seven subfamilies, including the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae), and the harvesters (Miletinae).