Caterpillars are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera.
Lepidoptera is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described species of living organisms. It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world. The Lepidoptera show many variations of the basic body structure that have evolved to gain advantages in lifestyle and distribution. Recent estimates suggest the order may have more species than earlier thought, and is among the four most speciose orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera.
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 the clades 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, Catocalinae and Calpinae within the family Erebidae, the latter holds this title now. Currently, Noctuidae is the second largest family in Noctuoidea, with about 1,089 genera and 11,772 species. However, this classification is still contingent, as more changes continue to appear between Noctuidae and Erebidae.
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.
Pteris vittata, commonly known variously as the Chinese brake, Chinese ladder brake, or simply ladder brake, is a fern species in the Pteridoideae subfamily of the Pteridaceae. It is indigenous to Asia, southern Europe, tropical Africa and Australia. The type specimen was collected in China by Pehr Osbeck.
Pteris tremula, commonly known as Australian brake, tender brake, tender brakefern, shaking brake is a fern species of the family Pteridaceae native to sheltered areas and forests in eastern Australia and New Zealand. It has pale green, lacy fronds of up to 2 meters in length, with an erect, tufted rhizome that is covered with narrow brown scales. It is fast-growing and easy to grow in cultivation, but can become weedy.
Elaphria nucicolora, the sugarcane midget, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found from the south-eastern United States, through Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Puerto Rico to tropical South America. It is also present on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.
The Erebinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae erected by William Elford Leach in 1815. Erebine moths are found on all continents except Antarctica, but reach their greatest diversity in the tropics. While the exact number of species belonging to the Erebinae is not known, the subfamily is estimated to include around 10,000 species. Some well-known Erebinae include underwing moths (Catocala) and witch moths (Thermesiini). Many of the species in the subfamily have medium to large wingspans, up to nearly 30 cm in the white witch moth, which has the widest wingspan of all Lepidoptera. Erebine caterpillars feed on a broad range of plants; many species feed on grasses and legumes, and a few are pests of castor bean, sugarcane, rice, as well as pistachios and blackberries.
Pteris ensiformis, the slender brake, silver lace fern, sword brake fern, or slender brake fern, is a plant species of the genus Pteris in the family Pteridaceae. It is found in Asia and the Pacific.
Spragueia apicalis, the yellow spragueia, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1868. It is also found in North America, Central America, Cuba and Peru.
Elaphria agrotina is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found from North America, through Central America, the Antilles and Cuba to Brazil and Argentina.
Eutelia furcata, the Florida eutelia moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1865. It is found from the southern United States to Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Central America.
Euscirrhopterus poeyi, the pullback moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1866. It is found from southern Florida and Mexico, through Central America to Brazil. It is also found in the Caribbean, including Cuba.
Spragueia perstructana is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Francis Walker in 1865. It is found from the United States, south to the Caribbean and Central America, including Costa Rica.
Orthodes majuscula, the rustic Quaker, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1868. It is widespread throughout the New World, including eastern North America, Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil.
Eublemma recta, the straight-lined seed moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in the United States from South Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. It is also found south to Argentina, on Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
Melipotis januaris, the January melipotis moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species has a wide range in the New World and has been recorded from Saint Kitts, Montserrat, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, the Greater Antilles, Florida and from Mexico to Paraguay.
Melipotis acontioides, the royal poinciana moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is found from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America to Brazil, Argentina and the Galápagos Islands. It is also found in the Caribbean, including Cuba and the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
Callopistria mollissima, the pink-shaded fern moth, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae.
Callopistria cordata, the silver-spotted fern moth, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is found in North America.
