Lepidopterans (scale-winged insects) comprise the butterflies and moths. They are believed to have first appeared during the Cretaceous. They feed on nectar through a sucking proboscis. Some 95 % of all the Lepidoptera are moths. The most salient difference is that butterflies are active during the day and moths during the night.

Moth in Colombian amber	Lepidoptera (with wingspan of more than two inches) Lower Cretaceous Liaoning, China	Moth in Colombian amber
Moth in Colombian amber	Moth in Amber Oligocene - Miocene Dominican Republic	14 mm moth Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation, Brazil