Noctuidae

Noctuid moths
Noctua pronuba
Panthea coenobita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Latreille, 1809
Type species
Noctua pronuba
Subfamilies
Acontiinae Guenée, 1841
Acronictinae Harris, 1841
Aediinae
Agaristinae Boisduval, 1833
Amphipyrinae Guenée, 1837
Bagisarinae Crumb, 1956
Balsinae Grote, 1896
Bryophilinae Guenée, 1852
Cobubathinae Wagner & Keegan, 2021
Condicinae Poole, 1995
Cropiinae Keegan & Wagner, 2021
Cuculliinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1850
Dilobinae
Dyopsinae
Eriopinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851
Eucocytiinae
Eustrotiinae Grote, 1882
Grotellinae
Heliothinae Boisduval, 1828
Metoponiinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851
Noctuinae Latreille, 1809
Oncocnemidinae Forbes & Franclemont, 1954
Pantheinae Smith, 1898
Plusiinae Boisduval, 1828
Raphiinae Beck, 1996
Stiriinae
Diversity
About 11,772 species

The Noctuidae, commonly known as noctuid moths or owlet moths, and their caterpillars as cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most difficult family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because the classification of many of the clades is constantly changing with new research, along with that of other families of the Noctuoidea. It was considered the largest family in Lepidoptera for a long time, but after regrouping Lymantriinae, Catocalinae and Calpinae within the family Erebidae, the latter holds this title now. Currently, Noctuidae is the second largest family in Noctuoidea, with about 1,089 genera and 11,772 species. This classification is still unsettled, as more changes continue to appear between Noctuidae and Erebidae.