The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths,

cutworm Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it ...

s or armyworms, are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily

Noctuoidea Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of for any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable st ...

because many of the

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

s are constantly changing, along with the other families of the Noctuoidea. It was considered the largest family in Lepidoptera for a long time, but after regrouping

Lymantriinae The Lymantriinae (formerly called the Lymantriidae) are a subfamily of moths of the family Erebidae. The taxon was erected by George Hampson in 1893. Many of its component species are referred to as "tussock moths" of one sort or another. The cat ...

Catocalinae The Catocalinae are a subfamily of noctuoid moths, placed in family Noctuidae. In the alternative arrangement, where the Noctuidae are reduced to the core group around the Noctuinae, the present lineage is abolished, the upranked Catocalini bei ...

and

Calpinae The Calpinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1840. This subfamily includes many species of moths that have a pointed and barbed proboscis adapted to piercing the skins of fruit to feed on ju ...

within the family

Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwings ('' Catocala'') ...

, the latter holds this title now. Currently, Noctuidae is the second largest family in Noctuoidea, with about 1,089 genera and 11,772 species. This classification is still contingent, as more changes continue to appear between Noctuidae and Erebidae.

Description

Adult An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of major ...

: Most noctuid adults have drab wings, but some subfamilies, such as

Acronictinae Acronictinae is a large subfamily of moths in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is t ...

and

Agaristinae Agaristinae is one of the larger subfamilies of moths in the family Noctuidae. The subfamily was erected by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1833. Its internal phylogeny A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004 ...

, are very colorful, especially those from tropical regions (e.g. '' Baorisa hieroglyphica''). They are characterized by a structure in the

metathorax The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. Its principal sclerites ( exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (dorsal), the metasternum (ventral), and the metapleuron (lateral) ...

called the nodular sclerite or epaulette, which separates the tympanum and the conjunctiva in the

tympanal organ A tympanal organ (or tympanic organ) is a hearing organ in insects, consisting of a membrane ( tympanum) stretched across a frame backed by an air sac and associated sensory neurons. Sounds vibrate the membrane, and the vibrations are sensed by ...

. It functions to keep

parasites Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted structurally to this way of lif ...

(

Acari Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

) out of the tympanal cavity. Another characteristic in this group is trifine hindwing venation, by reduction or absence of the second medial vein (M2). Markings present on the wings of noctuid adults can be helpful in distinguishing species. From the basal location to the outer edge (proximal to distal) on the forewing, there is a claviform (club-shaped) stigma, horizontally oriented with the thicker end closer to the wing's outer edge, located posterior to a discal (round) stigma. These are followed distally by a reniform (kidney-shaped) stigma, which is typically oriented with its concave side facing the wing's outer edge. It is often not possible to discern all of the stigmata on all specimens or species. Crossbands or crosslines may be present, oriented longitudinally from the leading to the trailing edge of the wing.

Larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

: Commonly green or brown; some species present bright colors, such as the camphorweed cucullia moth ('' Cucullia alfarata''). Most are pudgy and smooth with rounded short heads and few setae, but there are some exceptions in some subfamilies (e.g.

and

Pantheinae Pantheinae is a small subfamily of moth family Noctuidae. It used to be considered a family, under the name Pantheidae. Genera *'' Anacronicta'' *'' Anepholcia'' *'' Bathyra'' *'' Brandtina'' *'' Charadra'' *''Colocasia'' *'' Disepholcia'' *'' E ...

Pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

: The pupae most often range from shiny brown to dark brown. When they newly pupate they are bright brownish orange, but after a few days start to get darker.

Egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

s: Vary in colors, but all have a spherical shape.

Etymology

The word Noctuidae is derived from the name of the type genus Noctua, which is the Latin name for the

little owl The little owl (''Athene noctua''), also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at ...

, and the patronymic suffix -idae used typically to form taxonomic family names in animals. The common name " owlet" originally means a small or young owl. The names "armyworms" and "cutworms" are based on the behavior of the larvae of this group, which can occur in destructive swarms and cut the stems of plants.

Ecology

Distribution and diversity

This family is cosmopolitan and can be found worldwide except in the

Antarctic region The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

. Some species, such as the setaceous Hebrew character (''

Xestia c-nigrum The setaceous Hebrew character (''Xestia c-nigrum'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in the Palearctic realm. It is a common specie ...

''), can be found in the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

, specifically in the

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

territory of western

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, with an elevation 1,702 m above sea level, where the temperature fluctuates between 23/-25 °C (73/-13 °F). Many species of dart moths have been recorded in elevations as high as 4,000 m above sea level (e.g. '' Xestia elisabetha''). Among the places where the number of species has been counted are North America and northern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, with about 2,522 species. 1,576 species are found in Europe, while the other species are distributed worldwide.

Mutualism

Members of Noctuidae, like other butterflies and moths, perform an important role in plant

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...

. Some species have developed a stronger connection with their host plants. For example, the lychnis moth (''

Hadena bicruris The lychnis (''Hadena bicruris'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in northern and western Europe and Turkey. It has an Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution. In the East Palearctic it is replaced by '' Hadena capsincola''. Descriptio ...

'') has a strange mutualistic relationship with pink plants or carnation plants (

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

), in that larvae feed on the plant while the adults pollinate the flowers. Eight Spotted Forester Moth (3471438093)

Food guilds

Herbivory A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

: Caterpillars of most Noctuidae feed on plants; some feed on poisonous plants and are unaffected by their chemical defences; for example, the splendid brocade moth (''

Lacanobia splendens ''Lacanobia splendens'', the splendid brocade, is a moth of the superfamily Noctuoidea. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1808. It is found in temperate Europe and Asia up to the Pacific coast and Japan. The wingspan is 32– ...

'') feeds on cowbane (''

Cicuta virosa ''Cicuta virosa'', the cowbane or northern water hemlock, is a poisonous species of ''Cicuta'', native to northern and central Europe, northern Asia and northwestern North America. Description It is a perennial herbaceous plant which grows up ...

''), a plant that is notoriously toxic to vertebrates.

Predation Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...

and

cannibalism Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, b ...

: During the larval stage, some cutworms readily feed on other insects. One such species is the shivering pinion ('' Lithophane querquera''), whose larvae commonly feed on other lepidopteran larvae. Moreover, many noctuid larvae, such as those of the fall armyworm (''

Spodoptera frugiperda The fall armyworm (''Spodoptera frugiperda'') is a species in the order Lepidoptera and one of the species of the fall armyworm moths distinguished by their larval life stage. The term "armyworm" can refer to several species, often describing the ...

'') and of genera such as ''

Heliothis ''Heliothis'' is a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae. It was first described by Ferdinand Ochsenheimer in 1816. Some of the species have larvae which are agricultural pests on crop species such as tobacco, cotton, soybean and pigeon pea. So ...

'' and ''

Helicoverpa ''Helicoverpa'' is a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae first described by David F. Hardwick in 1965. Some species are among the worst Lepidopteran agricultural pests in the world, and three species (''H. armigera'', ''H. zea'', and ''H. pu ...

'', aggressively eat their siblings and often other species of caterpillar.

Nectarivory In zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants. Nectar as a food source presents a number of benefits a ...

and

puddling A puddle is a small accumulation of liquid on a surface. Puddle or Puddles may also refer to: * Puddle, Cornwall, hamlet in England * ''Puddle'' (video game) * Puddle (M. C. Escher), a woodcut by M. C. Escher * Weld puddle, a crucial part of the ...

: Like many

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

, many species of adult Noctuidae visit flowers for their nectar. They also seek other liquid food resources such as plant juices, honeydew, dung, urea and mud, among others. As is common in members of the order Lepidoptera, courtship in many Noctuidae includes a set of movements in which the female evaluates the male's reproductive fitness. Most noctuid moths produce pheromones that attract the opposite gender. Female pheromones that attract males occur widely and have long been studied, but the study of male pheromones has further to go.

Reproduction

Noctuid moths commonly begin the reproductive season from spring to fall, and mostly are multivoltine, such as the eastern panthea moth ('' Panthea furcilla''), which reproduces over the year. Nevertheless, some species have just one brood of offspring ( univoltine); among the best known is the lesser yellow underwing (''

Noctua comes The lesser yellow underwing (''Noctua comes'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Distribution It is found in the Palearctic realm (Europe, North Africa, Canary Islands, Middle East, South Russia, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, A ...

'').

Defense

Polytela gloriosae, feeding on amaryllis

This group has a wide range of both chemical and physical defenses. Among the chemical defenses three types stand out. First, the

pyrrolizidine alkaloid sequestration Pyrrolizidine alkaloid sequestration by insects is a strategy to facilitate defense and mating. Various species of insects have been known to use molecular compounds from plants for their own defense and even as their pheromones or precursors to the ...

usually present in Arctiinae is also found in a few species of noctuids, including the Spanish moth ('' Xanthopastis timais''). Another chemical defense is

formic acid Formic acid (), systematically named methanoic acid, is the simplest carboxylic acid, and has the chemical formula HCOOH and structure . It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in some ants. Es ...

production, which was thought to be present only in Notodontidae, but later was found in caterpillars of '' Trachosea champa''. Finally, the last type of chemical defense is regurgitation of plant compounds, often used by many insects, but the cabbage palm caterpillar (''

Litoprosopus futilis ''Litoprosopus futilis'', known generally as the palmetto borer moth or cabbage palm caterpillar, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are ...

'') produces a toxin called toluquinone that deters predators. On the other hand, the main physical defense in caterpillars and adults alike is

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...

. Most owlet moths have drab colors with a variety of patterns suitable to camouflage their bodies. The second physical defense consists in thousands of secondary setae that surround the body. The subfamilies that present this mechanism are

and

. The third is

aposematism Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...

, represented by species of Cucullinae. Finally, all adults have another mechanism for defense: a

available to hear the echolocation spread out by bats, so the moths can avoid them.

Human importance

Agriculture

Many species of owlet moths are considered an agricultural problem around the world. Their larvae are typically known as "cutworms" or "armyworms" due to enormous swarms that destroy crops, orchards and gardens every year. The Old World bollworm (''

Helicoverpa armigera ''Helicoverpa armigera'' is a species of Lepidoptera in the family Noctuidae. It is known as the cotton bollworm, corn earworm, Old World (African) bollworm, or scarce bordered straw (the lattermost in the UK, where it is a migrant). The larvae f ...

'') produces losses in agriculture every year that exceed US$2 billion. Additionally, the variegated cutworm ('' Peridroma saucia'') is described by many as one of the most damaging pests to vegetables. In West Africa, species including ''

Busseola fusca ''Busseola fusca'' is a species of moth that is also known as the maize stalk borer. It is known from Ethiopia. The wingspan is 35–40 mm. Adults are pale brown. The caterpillars are light or dark violet to pinkish white and about 1 to 2 � ...

'', ''

Heliocheilus albipunctella ''Heliocheilus albipunctella'', the millet head miner moth, is a moth in the family Noctuidae. It is found in the Sahelian region of West Africa. Life cycle The flight period of the adult moth coincides with the peak of millet panicle emergen ...

'', ''

Sesamia calamistis ''Sesamia calamistis'', the African pink stem borer, is a moth of the family Noctuidae.Tams, W.H.T. & J. Bowden, 1953: A Revision of the African Species of ''Sesamia'' Guenée and related Genera (Agrotidae-Lepidoptera). ''Bulletin of Entomologica ...

'', ''

'', and ''

Spodoptera exempta The African armyworm (''Spodoptera exempta''), also called ''okalombo'', ''kommandowurm'', or nutgrass armyworm, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. The larvae often exhibit marching behavior when traveling to feeding sites, leading t ...

'' are major pests of staple crops such as

pearl millet Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum''; also known as 'Bajra' in Hindi, 'Sajje' in Kannada, 'Kambu' in Tamil, 'Bajeer' in Kumaoni and 'Maiwa' in Hausa, 'Mexoeira' in Mozambique) is the most w ...

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

, and maize.

Systematics

Since molecular analysis began to play a larger role in

systematics Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tre ...

, the structure of many Lepidoptera groups has been changing and Noctuidae is not an exception. Most recent studies have shown that Noctuidae ''

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'' is a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

group, mainly based on trifine venation. Some clades within Noctuidae '' sensu lato'' have yet to be studied. This taxonomic division represents the subfamilies, tribes and subtribes considered so far. ; Family Noctuidae Latreille, 1809 : Subfamily Acontiinae Guenée, 1841 :: Tribe Acontiini Guenée, 1841 :: Tribe

Armadini The Armadini are a noctuidae, noctuid ("owlet") moth tribe (biology), tribe of the subfamily Catocalinae. As numerous catocaline genera have not yet been assigned to a tribe, the genus list should be considered preliminary. Genera *''Armada (mot ...

:: Tribe

Chamaecleini Chamaecleini is a tribe of bird dropping moths in the family Noctuidae. There are about 9 genera and 14 described species in Chamaecleini. Genera These nine genera belong to the tribe Chamaecleini: * ''Aleptinoides'' Barnes & McDunnough, 1912 * ...

: Subfamily

Harris, 1841 : Subfamily Aediinae : Subfamily

Boisduval, 1833 : Subfamily

Amphipyrinae Amphipyrinae is a subfamily of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are more than 50 genera and 210 described species in Amphipyrinae, although the classifications are likely to change over time. This subfamily has been used as a catchall ...

Guenée, 1837 :: Tribe Amphipyrini Guenée, 1837 :: Tribe

Psaphidini Psaphidini is a tribe of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are at least 40 genera and at least 90 described species in Psaphidini. Genera * ''Acopa'' Harvey, 1875 * '' Airamia'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1926 * '' Aleptina'' Dyar, 1902 * '' ...

Grote, 1896 ::: Subtribe Feraliina Poole, 1995 ::: Subtribe Nocloina Poole, 1995 ::: Subtribe Psaphidina Grote, 1896 ::: Subtribe

Triocnemidina Triocnemidina is a subtribe of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are about 16 genera and at least 30 described species in Triocnemidina. Genera * '' Acopa'' Harvey, 1875 * '' Airamia'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1926 * ''Aleptina'' Dyar, 1902 ...

Poole, 1995 : Subfamily

Bagisarinae ''Bagisara'' is a genus of moths of the monotypic subfamily Bagisarinae of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the ...

Crumb, 1956 : Subfamily Balsinae Grote, 1896 : Subfamily

Bryophilinae Bryophilinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because ma ...

Guenée, 1852 : Subfamily Cobubathinae Wagner & Keegan, 2021 : Subfamily Condicinae Poole, 1995 :: Tribe

Condicini Condicinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Noctuidae. The subfamily was erected by Robert W. Poole in 1995. Tribes and genera *Condicini Poole, 1995 **''Prospalta'' Walker, 858/small> **'' Chytonix'' Grote, 1874 **'' Niphonyx'' Sugi in Ino ...

Poole, 1995 :: Tribe

Leuconyctini Condicinae is a subfamily of moths in the family Noctuidae. The subfamily was erected by Robert W. Poole in 1995. Tribes and genera *Condicini Poole, 1995 **''Prospalta'' Walker, 858/small> **'' Chytonix'' Grote, 1874 **'' Niphonyx'' Sugi in Ino ...

Poole, 1995 : Subfamily Cropiinae Keegan & Wagner, 2021 : Subfamily Cuculliinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1850 : Subfamily

Dilobinae ''Diloba'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of t ...

: Subfamily Dyopsinae : Subfamily Eriopinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851 : Subfamily Eucocytiinae : Subfamily

Eustrotiinae The Eustrotiinae are a subfamily of moths, under family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea becau ...

Grote, 1882 : Subfamily Grotellinae : Subfamily Heliothinae Boisduval, 1828 : Subfamily Metoponiinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851 :: Tribe

Cydosiini The noctuid (owlet) moth genus ''Cydosia'' is the only member of the tribe Cydosiini in the subfamily Acontiinae. The genus was erected by James Duncan with John O. Westwood in 1841. The few species occur from Argentina along the Andes to the Ca ...

Kitching & Rawlins, 1998 : Subfamily Noctuinae Latreille, 1809 :: Tribe Actinotiini Beck, 1996 :: Tribe Apameini Guenée, 1841 :: Tribe Arzamini Grote, 1883 :: Tribe Caradrinini Boisduval, 1840 ::: Subtribe Athetiina Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005 ::: Subtribe Caradrinina Boisduval, 1840 :: Tribe Dypterygiini Forbes, 1954 :: Tribe Elaphriini Beck, 1996 :: Tribe Episemini :: Tribe Eriopygini Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005 :: Tribe Glottulini Guenée, 1852 :: Tribe

Hadenini Hadenini is a tribe of cutworm or dart moths in the family Noctuidae. There are more than 140 genera and 1,000 described species in Hadenini, found worldwide. Hadenini was formerly a tribe of the subfamily Hadeninae, but Hadeninae was moved to ...

Guenée, 1837 :: Tribe Leucaniini Guenée, 1837 :: Tribe Noctuini Latreille, 1809 ::: Subtribe Agrotina Harris, 1841 ::: Subtribe Axyliina ::: Subtribe

Noctuina Noctuina is a subtribe of cutworm or dart moths in the family Noctuidae. There are at least 170 described species in Noctuina. Genera * ''Abagrotis'' Smith, 1890 * '' Adelphagrotis'' Smith, 1890 * '' Agnorisma'' Lafontaine, 1998 * '' Anaplectoi ...

Latreille, 1809 :: Tribe

Orthosiini The Orthosiini are a mid-sized tribe of noctuid moths in the subfamily Hadeninae. The tribe was erected by Achille Guenée in 1837. Genera include: * ''Achatia'' * ''Anorthoa'' * ''Dioszeghyana'' * '' Egira'' * ''Harutaeographa'' * '' Houlbert ...

Guenée, 1837 :: Tribe Phlogophorini Hampson, 1918 :: Tribe Phosphilini Poole, 1995 :: Tribe Prodeniini Forbes, 1954 :: Tribe Pseudeustrotiini Beck, 1996 :: Tribe Tholerini Beck, 1996 :: Tribe

Xylenini The Xylenini are a mid-sized tribe of moths in the Hadeninae subfamily. There is some dispute about this tribe. Some resources have these genera listed under subfamily Cuculliinae instead, or upranked them to a distinct subfamily Xyleninae. Ge ...

Guenée, 1837 ::: Subtribe Antitypina Forbes & Franclemont, 1954 ::: Subtribe Cosmiina Guenée, 1852 ::: Subtribe Ufeina Crumb, 1956 ::: Subtribe Xylenina Guenée, 1837 : Subfamily Oncocnemidinae Forbes & Franclemont, 1954 : Subfamily

Smith, 1898 : Subfamily Plusiinae Boisduval, 1828 :: Tribe

Abrostolini The Abrostolini are a small tribe of moths in the Plusiinae subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nome ...

Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978 :: Tribe

Argyrogrammatini The Argyrogrammatini are a tribe of moths in the subfamily Plusiinae Plusiinae is a smallish (for noctuid standards) subfamily of the moth family Noctuidae. As the Noctuidae appear to be a paraphyletic assemblage, the Plusiinae may eventuall ...

Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978 :: Tribe

Plusiini The Plusiini are the largest tribe of moths in the Plusiinae subfamily. At least one undescribed genus is known to exist. Genera Subtribe Autoplusiina Kitching, 1987 *'' Erythroplusia'' *'' Macdunnoughia'' *'' Sclerogenia'' *'' Antoculeora'' ...

Boisduval, 1828 ::: Subtribe Autoplusiina Kitching, 1987 ::: Subtribe Euchalciina Chou & Lu, 1979 ::: Subtribe Plusiina Boisduval, 1828 : Subfamily Raphiinae : Subfamily Stiriinae :: Tribe Annaphilini :: Tribe Stiriini Grote, 1882 ::: Subtribe Annaphilina Mustelin, 2006 ::: Subtribe

Azeniina Azeniina is a subtribe of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are at least 10 described species in Azeniina. Genera * '' Aleptinoides'' Barnes & McDunnough, 1912 * ''Azenia'' Grote, 1882 * ''Narthecophora ''Narthecophora'' is a monotyp ...

Poole, 1995 ::: Subtribe Grotellina Poole, 1995 ::: Subtribe

Stiriina Stiriina is the name of a former subtribe of moths in the Noctuidae family. It was elevated in rank to the subfamily Stiriinae Stiriinae is a subfamily of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are more than 20 genera and 130 described spe ...

Grote, 1882 Genera with intervening taxonomy not available include: * '' Alastria'' * ''

Epilitha ''Epilitha'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae. ReferencesNatural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database
Cuculliinae {{Cuculliinae-stub ...

'' * '' Fabula'' * ''

Lanatopyga ''Lanatopyga'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because man ...

'' * '' Lenisa'' * '' Neoligia'' * ''

Orohadena ''Orohadena'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many o ...

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Orthomoia ''Orthomoia'' is a genus of moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately ...

'' * '' Protapamea'' * '' Proxenus'' * ''

Pseudluperina ''Pseudluperina'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because m ...

References

External links

*On University of Florida

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a teaching, research and Extension scientific organization focused on agriculture and natural resources. It is a partnership of federal, state, and county governmen ...

Featured Creatures web site: *
''Agrotis ipsilon'', black cutworm
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Images of Noctuidae species in New Zealand
{{Authority control Moth families