Owlet moths

Definition

A common name for the moth family Noctuidae, comprising approximately 11,772 described species in roughly 1,089 genera; adults are typically stout-bodied with cryptic, dull coloration and nocturnal flight habits, while larvae are familiar agricultural pests known as cutworms or armyworms.

Etymology

From 'owlet,' diminutive of owl, alluding to the moths' nocturnal activity and perhaps their rounded, somewhat owlish appearance at rest.

Example

The black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), an owlet moth, is a major pest of corn and turfgrass whose larvae sever seedlings at the soil surface.

Synonyms

• noctuid moths

Related Terms

• Noctuidae
• Noctuoidea
• Cutworm
• Armyworm
• Erebidae
• Lepidoptera
• Moth

Usage Notes

Historically treated as the largest family in Lepidoptera, but following taxonomic revision that moved subfamilies Lymantriinae, Catocalinae, and Calpinae to Erebidae, Noctuidae is now the second-largest family in Noctuoidea. Classification remains unstable; specialists may use 'Noctuidae' in either a restricted (current) or broader historical sense. The larval names 'cutworm' (soil-dwelling stem cutters) and 'armyworm' (gregarious marching larvae) are applied ecologically rather than taxonomically across Noctuidae.