Lycaenidae

Lycaenidae
	The large blue, a lycaenid butterfly
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Papilionoidea
Family:	Lycaenidae; Leach, 1815
Subfamilies
	Aphnaeinae; Curetinae – sunbeams; Lycaeninae – coppers; Miletinae – harvesters; Polyommatinae – blues; Poritiinae; Theclinae – hairstreaks, elfins; and see text or List of lycaenid genera

Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide,^[1] whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute 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).

^ Pierce, Naomi E.; Braby, Michael F.; Heath, Alan; Lohman, David J.; Mathew, John; Rand, Douglas B.; Travassos, Mark A. (January 2002). "The Ecology and Evolution of Ant Association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera)". Annual Review of Entomology. 47 (1): 733–771. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145257. PMID 11729090.

[1] Pierce, Naomi E.; Braby, Michael F.; Heath, Alan; Lohman, David J.; Mathew, John; Rand, Douglas B.; Travassos, Mark A. (January 2002). "The Ecology and Evolution of Ant Association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera)". Annual Review of Entomology. 47 (1): 733–771. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145257. PMID 11729090.

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