Butterflies are a natural monophyletic group . They are often placed in the suborder Rhopalocera , which includes Papilionoidea ( true butterflies ) , Hesperiidae ( skippers ) , and Hedylidae ( butterfly moths ) . Butterflies are a natural monophyletic group , often given the sub-order Rhopalocera , which includes Papilionoidea ( true butterflies ) , Hesperiidae ( skippers ) , and Hedylidae ( butterfly moths ) .