Australian NOCTUIDAE

NOCTUIDAE of Australia
Cutworms, Armyworms, Whistling Moths, Underwings
NOCTUOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

NOCTUIDAE

eggs

NOCTUIDAE

caterpillars

NOCTUIDAE

pupae

NOCTUIDAE

moths

NOCTUIDAE

undersides

NOCTUIDAE

forewings

NOCTUIDAE has approximately 500 named Australian species, here listed in the subfamilies of NOCTUIDAE :-

ACONTIINAE
80 species

ACRONICTINAE
143 species

AGARISTINAE
42 species

CUCULLIINAE
1 species

DYOPSINAE
1 species

HADENINAE
62 species

HELIOTHINAE
42 species

NOCTUINAE
33 species

PLUSIINAE
16 species

STIRIINAE
2 species

The NOCTUIDAE include many pests of garden and crop plants. Some, the "Cutworms", have Caterpillars that live in the soil near the soil surface, and they bite off young plants just above ground level at night, pulling them into their burrow. Others climb the plant and pull leaves down into the soil. Some are called "Armyworms" because the Caterpillars eat their way across a paddock like an army on the march. Some species of this family are semi-loopers. They lack ventral prolegs and loop their bodies when moving. In this way they resemble the Caterpillars of the family GEOMETRIDAE.

The Caterpillars of NOCTUIDAE are usually smooth, lacking obvious hairs. Their bodies are often green, brown or yellow, and striped longitudinally.

Most species of NOCTUIDAE pupate in the soil, although a few pupate in a sparse cocoon under a leaf of their foodplant.

The adults mainly fly at night, feeding on nectar from flowers. Their nocturnal habits gave the family its latin name. Some of the adults have metallic-looking markings on their wings. but most have dull coloured wings.

Note that although the Checklist of Australian Lepidoptera includes the subfamilies NOLINAE , CHLOEPHORINAE , and SARROTHRIPINAE in NOCTUIDAE , we are following the more recent book A Guide to Australian Moths so here we list these subfamilies in NOLIDAE.

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(updated 31 May 2014, 4 September 2023)