Sesioidea is the superfamily currently containing clearwing moths (
Sesiidae
The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are a diurnal moth family in the order Lepidoptera known for their Batesian mimicry in both appearance and behaviour of various Hymenoptera.
The family consists of 165 genera spread over two subfamilies, contai ...
), castniid moths (
Castniidae) and little bear moths (
Brachodidae). There is evidence from head and thoracic morphology that the first two families, internally feeding in plants as caterpillars, are sisters, whilst some brachodids are known to feed on leaf surfaces (Edwards ''et al.'', 1999). Sesioidea are considered to be the sister group of
Cossoidea
which contain the also internal-feeding Goat and Leopard moths.
Sources
*
*
Lepidoptera superfamilies
{{Sesioidea-stub