Bromus tectorum, known as downy brome, drooping brome or cheatgrass, is a winter annual grass native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa, but has become invasive in many other areas. It now is present in most of Europe, southern Russia, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, North America and western Central Asia. In the eastern US B. tectorum is common along roadsides and as a crop weed, but usually does not dominate an ecosystem. It has become a dominant species in the Intermountain West and parts of Canada, and displays especially invasive behavior in the sagebrush steppe ecosystems where it has been listed as noxious weed. B. tectorum often enters the site in an area that has been disturbed, and then quickly expands into the surrounding area through its rapid growth and prolific seed production.
The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths (Crambidae) are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera. The latest review by Eugene G. Munroe and Maria Alma Solis retain the Crambidae as a full family of Pyraloidea.
Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, especially in the New World.
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 down; hence the name cutworm. Cutworms are not worms, biologically speaking, but caterpillars.
The beet armyworm or small mottled willow moth is one of the best-known agricultural pest insects. It is also known as the asparagus fern caterpillar. It is native to Asia, but has been introduced worldwide and is now found almost anywhere its many host crops are grown. The voracious larvae are the main culprits. In the British Isles, where it is an introduced species and not known to breed, the adult moth is known as the small mottled willow moth.
Agrotis ipsilon, the dark sword-grass, black cutworm, greasy cutworm, floodplain cutworm or ipsilon dart, is a small noctuid moth found worldwide. The moth gets its scientific name from black markings on its forewings shaped like the letter "Y" or the Greek letter upsilon. The larvae are known as "cutworms" because they cut plants and other crops. The larvae are serious agricultural pests and feed on nearly all varieties of vegetables and many important grains.
Peridroma saucia, the pearly underwing or variegated cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1808. It is found in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The variegated cutworm feeds on many plants, especially common fruits and vegetables. The moth undergoes two to four generations per year. The development of the moth slows in colder temperatures, indicative of its migratory nature. All stages of the life cycle have a developmental threshold for temperature. The moth is known to migrate to the northern regions during warmer months, returning to the southern regions when the climate becomes colder.
Euxoa is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae raised to Genus by the German entomologist, Jacob Hübner. The Genus is mostly confined to dry and semi dry areas in the Northern Hemisphere. There 130 species in Eurasia, a few in Africa, and 175 in North America. There are no species in the Genus in South-East Asia or in Australia. In North America, most species are found in Western regions. Of the North American species, 4 are endemic to Mexico. There is one species recorded from Chile, but this may be a mislabeled specimen. In real terms, species numbers do not equal species abundance. Some areas with few species have large numbers of the ones that do live there.
Euxoa messoria, the darksided cutworm or reaper dart, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841. It is found from Newfoundland west to Yukon, south to Virginia and Missouri in the east and New Mexico, Arizona and California in the west.
Actebia fennica, the black army cutworm or Eversmann's rustic, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by August Michael Tauscher in 1806. It has a Holarctic distribution from Newfoundland through western Europe, Siberia, the Far East, Mongolia, northern China to Korea and Japan. In North America it is mainly found in the boreal region, south to New England, southern Montana and northern Oregon.
Amphipoea interoceanica, the interoceanic ear moth, strawberry cutworm moth or strawberry cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Smith in 1899. It is found from coast to coast in the United States. In Canada from Quebec west to Alberta, Nova Scotia.
Euxoa catenula is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1879. It is found in North America from southern Saskatchewan west to southern Vancouver Island, south to Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona and southern California.
Euxoa detersa, the rubbed dart, sandhill cutworm or sand cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1856. It is found in North America from Newfoundland to North Carolina, west to Nebraska, north to Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
Euxoa aurulenta, the dune cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Smith in 1888. It is found in North America from Ontario west to Alberta and Washington, south to Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado and Arizona.
Alsophila pometaria, the fall cankerworm, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described in English by the KJV Bible [Joel 1:4]. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia west to Alberta, south to Colorado and California and zones of Spain
The gypsy moth, also known as the spongy moth, was introduced in 1868 into the United States by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, a French scientist living in Medford, Massachusetts. Because native silk-spinning caterpillars were susceptible to disease, Trouvelot imported the species in order to breed a more resistant hybrid species. Some of the moths escaped, found suitable habitat, and began breeding. The gypsy moth is now a major pest of hardwood trees in the Eastern United States.
Paleacrita vernata, the spring cankerworm, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by William Dandridge Peck in 1795. It is found in North America from the Atlantic Ocean west to Alberta, Texas and California.
Lymantria dispar dispar or LDD moth, commonly known as the gypsy moth, European gypsy moth, North American gypsy moth, or spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae that is of Eurasian origin. It has a range that extends over Europe, Africa, and North America.
Euxoa ceropachoides, commonly known as Fereday's cutworm, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as Not Threatened by the Department of Conservation.
