79 families which include more than 5,900 species of moths, and 6 families which include about 250 species of butterflies
are recorded in Japanese islands, including Ryukyu Is. and Ogasawara(Bonin) Is. Every year not a few new or unrecorded moth species, especially microlepidoptera, are constantly discovered in Japan.
| No. | Family Name | species |
| 1. | Micropterigidae | 17 |
| 2. | Eriocraniidae | 4 |
| 3. | Hepialidae | 9 |
| 4. | Nepticulidae | 64 |
| 5. | Opostegidae | 8 |
| 6. | Incurvariidae | 18 |
| 7. | Adelidae | 33 |
| 8. | Prodoxidae | 8 |
| 9. | Heliozelidae | 20 |
| 10. | Tischeriidae | 8 |
| 11. | Cossidae | 7 |
| 12. | Tortricidae | 807 |
| 13. | Psychidae | 34 |
| 14. | Tineidae | 56 |
| 15. | Bucculatricidae | 7 |
| 16. | Lyonetiidae | 22 |
| 17. | Gracillariidae | 223 |
| 18. | Phyllocnistidae | 8 |
| 19. | Acrolepiidae | 16 |
| 20. | Amphitheridae | 4 |
| 21. | Yponomeutidae | 97 |
| 22. | Argyresthiidae | 29 |
| 23. | Glyphipterigidae | 25 |
| 24. | Epermeniidae | 14 |
| 25. | Heliodinidae | 2 |
| 26. | Schreckensteiniidae | 1 |
| 27. | Brachodidae | 2 |
| 28. | Sesiidae | 39 |
| 29. | Choreutidae | 38 |
| 30. | Galacticidae | 1 |
| 31. | Immidae | 1 |
| 32. | Oecophoridae | 111 |
| 33. | Ethmiidae | 9 |
| 34. | Stathmopodidae | 22 |
| 35. | Xyloryctidae | 2 |
| 36. | Elachistidae | 45 |
| 37. | Batrachedridae | 7 |
| 38. | Coleophoridae | 73 |
| 39. | Parametriotidae | 4 |
| 40. | Momphidae | 4 |
| 41. | Blastobasidae | 9 |
| 42. | Scythrididae | 3 |
| 43. | Cosmopterigidae | 38 |
| 44. | Lecithoceridae | 19 |
| 45. | Gelechiidae | 241 |
| 46. | Symnocidae | 1 |
| 47. | Alucitidae | 5 |
| 48. | Carposinidae | 16 |
| 49. | Copromorphidae | 1 |
| 50. | Zygaenidae | 30 |
| 51. | Epipyropidae | 2 |
| 52. | Limacodidae | 35 |
| 53. | Hyblaeidae | 3 |
| 54. | Thyrididae | 25 |
| 55. | Crambidae | 511 |
| 56. | Pyralidae | 267 |
| 57. | Pterophoridae | 62 |
| 58. | Macropiratidae | 1 |
| 59. | Drepanidae | 30 |
| 60. | Cyclidiidae | 2 |
| 61. | Thyatiridae | 38 |
| 62. | Geometridae | 855 |
| 63. | Uraniidae | 24 |
| 64. | Epicopeiidae | 4 |
| 65. | Callidulidae | 2 |
| 66. | Lasiocampidae | 21 |
| 67. | Eupterotidae | 1 |
| 68. | Bombycidae | 7 |
| 69. | Brahmaeidae | 1 |
| 70. | Saturniidae | 12 |
| 71. | Sphingidae | 76 |
| 72. | Notodontidae | 122 |
| 73. | Lymantriidae | 53 |
| 74. | Arctiidae | 112 |
| 75. | Ctenuchidae | 4 |
| 76. | Aganaidae | 6 |
| 77. | Nolidae | 52 |
| 78. | Noctuidae | 1323 |
| 79. | Agaristidae | 7 |
| total | 5921 |
* The following domesticated species are excluded:
Bombycidae : Bombyx mori
Saturniidae : Samia cynthia ricini
Saturniidae : Antheraea pernyi
Notes: The taxonomic system is followed "Moths of Japan (1982)" and modified by some changes adapted in "Post-MJ" Edition 2 (2000) and supplement 1 (2004), but the family Pyralidae (sensu lato) is separated into Crambidae and Pyralidae (sensu stricto).
The numbers of species include some unidentified species that were recorded in publications.
This table was compiled by JINBO Utsugi, (2005. IV). A full species list of Japanese moths is available from List-MJ website managed by him.