Macromoths
Guides
Erebidae
Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths
Erebidae is among the largest families of moths by species count, encompassing diverse macromoth groups formerly classified across multiple families. The family includes underwings (Catocala), tiger moths and wasp moths (Arctiinae), tussock moths (Lymantriinae), litter moths (Herminiinae), fruit-piercing moths (Calpinae), and snout moths (Hypeninae). Adults range dramatically in size from 6 mm to over 300 mm wingspan. Coloration spans from cryptic browns and grays to vivid aposematic patterns. The family was reconstituted in 2010 through phylogenetic studies that revealed the former Noctuidae to be paraphyletic, with Arctiinae, Lymantriinae, and related lineages more closely related to each other than to core noctuids.