Underwings
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.
Erebinae
erebine moths
Erebinae is a large subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae, comprising approximately 10,000 species distributed across all continents except Antarctica, with highest diversity in tropical regions. The subfamily includes well-known groups such as underwing moths (Catocala) and witch moths (Thermesiini). Members range from medium-sized to exceptionally large, with the white witch moth (Thysania agrippina) holding the record for widest wingspan among all Lepidoptera. The subfamily was reinstated and redefined based on molecular phylogenetic studies, with several morphological synapomorphies now recognized.