MOTHS OF BELIZE
SPECIES LISTS BY FAMILY
Noctuidae

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GENERAL FAMILY DESCRIPTION
The Noctuidae are the largest family of moths worldwide, with over 21,000 species described. They vary in size from ten millimetres in wingspan to 20 centimetres or more, although with only a few exceptions they are dull moths with grey, brown or black wings and few obvious markings. Two marks on the forewing - one circular and one kidney-shaped - are often diagnostic. Many noctuids have larvae which are serious agricultural pests.

The family is divided up into numerous subfamilies whose characteristics are at present poorly defined. The major work by Poole (1989) catalogues all of the world's known species of Noctuidae: I follow his nomenclature. I am grateful to M. Bernard Lalanne-Cassou of INRA, Paris, for his help with identification of many of my Noctuids, where noted. (The large number of remaining mistakes are mine and not his!)


SUBFAMILIES present in Belize: (click on link to go to species list for that subfamily)

  • ACONTIINAE
  • AGARISTINAE
  • AMPHIPYRINAE
  • CATOCALINAE
  • EUTELIINAE
  • HADENINAE
  • HELIOTHINAE
  • HERMINIINAE
  • HYPENINAE
  • NOCTUINAE
  • OPHIDERINAE
  • PLUSIINAE
  • SARROTHRIPINAE
  • STICTOPTERINAE

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