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. This classification is still contingent, as more changes continue to appear between Noctuidae and Erebidae.
Helicoverpa zea, commonly known as the corn earworm, is a species in the family Noctuidae. The larva of the moth Helicoverpa zea is a major agricultural pest. Since it is polyphagous during the larval stage, the species has been given many different common names, including the cotton bollworm and the tomato fruitworm. It also consumes a wide variety of other crops.
The cabbage moth is primarily known as a pest that is responsible for severe crop damage of a wide variety of plant species. The common name, cabbage moth, is a misnomer as the species feeds on many fruits, vegetables, and crops in the genus Brassica. Other notable host plants include tobacco, sunflower, and tomato, making this pest species particularly economically damaging.
The cabbage looper is a medium-sized moth in the family Noctuidae, a family commonly referred to as owlet moths. Its common name comes from its preferred host plants and distinctive crawling behavior. Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, bok choy, and broccoli, are its main host plant; hence, the reference to cabbage in its common name. The larva is called a looper because it arches its back into a loop when it crawls.
Plusiinae is a smallish subfamily of the moth family Noctuidae. As the Noctuidae appear to be a paraphyletic assemblage, the Plusiinae may eventually be raised to family status.
Chrysodeixis eriosoma, the green garden looper, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Mostly cosmopolitan in distribution, it is a pest in Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka, the Malay Peninsula and Australasia. It is present in Hawaii and recorded as an incursion in mainland North America and Russia. It is morphologically identical to Chrysodeixis chalcites and the two may be sibling species.
Glyptapanteles is a genus of endoparasitoid wasps found in Central and North America and New Zealand. The larvae of the members of Glyptapanteles sp. are distinguished by their ability to manipulate their hosts into serving as bodyguards.
Acronicta rumicis, the knot grass moth, is a species of moth which is part of the genus Acronicta and family Noctuidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in the Palearctic region. A. rumicis lives and feeds on plants located in wide-open areas. At its larval stage, as a caterpillar, it causes such a large impact as a crop pest that it has received much attention and research. A. rumicis feeds on maize, strawberries and other herbaceous plants.
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.
Thysanoplusia orichalcea, the slender burnished brass, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is a polyphagous pest of vegetable crops that originated in Indonesia, from where it spread to Europe, South Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In northern Europe it is a migrant species.
Chrysodeixis is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae described by Jacob Hübner in 1821.
Spodoptera eridania is a moth that is known to be a pest. They are one of the most important defoliators in the tropical and subtropical regions of the western hemisphere that feed heavily on plants while they are young, often resulting in skeleton leaves on their food plants. They are also heavy feeders on tomato in Florida. There is a lot of development in producing pesticides against the S. eridania, specifically a neem-based pesticide that can result in smaller and prolonged development. The wingspan is 33–38 mm. Adults are on wing year-round. The larvae feed on various weeds but prefer Amaranthus species and Phytolacca americana.
Anadevidia peponis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in south-east Asia, including Japan, India. Taiwan and New South Wales in Australia. It is a minor pest on many cucurbits.
Abagrotis orbis, the well-marked cutworm or Barnes' climbing cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1876. It is in southwestern North America, extending eastward across the plains and with a large disjunct population in dune habitats in the southern Great Lakes area. It extends into western Canada only in the southern interior of British Columbia and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Apamea apamiformis, known by the common names rice worm moth, riceworm, and wild rice worm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in North America, including Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota and eastern Canada, with imperiled or critically imperiled populations in Maryland and Indiana, respectively, and a vulnerable population in New Jersey.
Autographa precationis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in eastern and central North America.
Rachiplusia ou, the gray looper moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in the southern and eastern parts of the United States, Montana, Nova Scotia, from Mexico to Venezuela to Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.
Stephens' gem or the bilobed looper is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is widely distributed from the southern parts of the United States, south through Central America and South America to Argentina. As a seasonal migrant it occurs even farther north into the northern parts of the United States and southern Canada. Here it usually produces one or two generations each summer, but rarely survives the winter this far north. It also occurs in the Hawaiian Islands but it is unknown if the species occurs there naturally or was introduced. It has also been recorded in Great Britain, where it is either a rare migrant or introduced by travel on ships crossing the Atlantic.
Trigonospila brevifacies is a species of true fly in the family Tachinidae native to eastern Australia. This species is also found in New Zealand. Like the vast majority of tachinid flies, T. brevifacies is a parasitoid of other insects, specifically late larval stages of a number of species of Lepidoptera. It is also known as the Australian Leaf-Roller Fly or Leafroller Fly.
Ctenochares bicolorus, the black-tipped orange ichneumon is a wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. Originally from Africa, this species has spread and is considered invasive in many other parts of the world. It is a pupal parasitoid of Chrysodeixis chalcites.
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