Lepidoptera is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing ten percent of the total described species of living organisms, and placed in 126 families and 46 superfamilies. 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 species-rich orders, along with the Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera.
The Arctiinae are a large and diverse subfamily of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This subfamily includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths, which usually have bright colours, footmen, which are usually much drabber, lichen moths, and wasp moths. Many species have "hairy" caterpillars that are popularly known as woolly bears or woolly worms. The scientific name Arctiinae refers to this hairiness. Some species within the Arctiinae have the word "tussock"' in their common names because they have been misidentified as members of the Lymantriinae subfamily based on the characteristics of the larvae.
The pasture day moth is a species in the moth family Noctuidae which is active during the day, as its common name implies, making it unlike most other noctuid species. It is found in most southern areas of Australia, ranging from lower Queensland to Tasmania. The species was first described by George French Angas in 1847. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Apina, erected by Francis Walker in 1855.
Orgyia leucostigma, the white-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, extending as far west as Texas, California, and Alberta.
Anthela varia, the variable anthelid, is a moth of the family Anthelidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855. It is found in the coastal areas of southern Western Australia, southern Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
Nigetia is a monotypic moth genus in the family Erebidae. Its only species, Nigetia formosalis, the thin-winged algibelle or thin-winged owlet moth, has a scattered distribution in eastern North America from Ontario to Connecticut, south to Florida and Texas. Both the genus and the species were first described by Francis Walker in 1866.
Iropoca is a monotypic moth genus in the subfamily Lymantriinae erected by Alfred Jefferis Turner in 1904. Its only species, Iropoca rotundata, the iropoca moth, was first described by Francis Walker in 1855. It is found in the Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Hypena bijugalis, the dimorphic bomolocha, dimorphic hypena or toothed snout-moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia across southern Canada to Vancouver Island, south over the whole United States to Florida.
Hypena edictalis, the large bomolocha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in North America from Quebec and Maine south to Virginia and Kentucky, west to the foothills of Alberta and the Peace River area of British Columbia.
Hypena palparia, the variegated snout-moth or mottled bomolocha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1861. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia west across southern Canada to British Columbia, and south to Alabama and Texas.
Syngrapha selecta, the chosen looper moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1858. It is found in North America from the Northwest Territories to Newfoundland south to northern Michigan.
Lophocampa maculata, the Yellow-spotted tussock moth, mottled tiger or spotted halisidota, is a moth of the family Erebidae and the tribe Arctiini, the tiger moths. The species was first described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841. It is found across Canada, the western parts of the United States, south in the Appalachians to South Carolina and Kentucky. They are also found in Southeastern Alaska.
Phalaenophana pyramusalis, the dark-banded owlet, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in North America from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia, south to North Carolina and Texas.
Phalaenostola metonalis, the pale phalaenostola, tufted snout or pale epidelta, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in North America from British Columbia to Newfoundland, south to North Carolina, west to Missouri.
Hypena deceptalis, the deceptive hypena or deceptive bomolocha moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in North America from Manitoba to Quebec, south to Florida and Texas. It is absent from much of Gulf Coastal Plain though.
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
Batrachedra arenosella, the armoured scale eating caterpillar or the coconut moth, is a species of moth of the family Batrachedridae. It was first described by Francis Walker using specimens collected in Auckland, New Zealand. It has been hypothesised that the New Zealand moth may contain two distinct species. As well as the moth species in New Zealand, this name has been applied, perhaps incorrectly, to moths found in India, Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula, and Réunion, as well as in Australia, from the Northern Territory and northern Queensland to New South Wales and South Australia.
Archips cerasivorana, the ugly-nest caterpillar moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. The caterpillars of this species are known to create nests by tying the leaves of their host plant together. Within the nests, they live and feed off the leaves that have been tied together. The larvae are brownish or greenish yellow with a shiny dark brown head. Larvae can be found from May to July. The species overwinters as an egg, and pupation takes place within the nest. Caterpillars are seen to follow one another in trails, a behavior prompted by the release of signaling pheromones from their spinnerets.
Drepana is a genus of moths belonging to the subfamily Drepaninae. The genus was erected by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802.
