Noctuidae {family} - Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera;

The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera. Their distribution is worldwide, with about 1,450 species found in Europe. Most have drab forewings, although some have brightly coloured hindwings. Differences between the sexes are usually few. The overwhelming majority of noctuids fly at night and are almost invariably strongly attracted to light. Many are also attracted to sugar and nectar-rich flowers. Some of the family are preyed upon by bats. However, many Noctuidae species have tiny organs in their ears that respond to bat echolocation calls, sending their wing muscles into spasm and causing the moths to dart erratically. This aids the moths in evading the bats. Several species have larvae (caterpillars) that live in the soil and are agricultural or horticultural pests. These are the "cutworms" that eat the bases of young brassicas and lettuces. They form hard, shiny pupae. Most noctuid larvae feed at night, resting in the soil or in a crevice in its food plant during the day. The Noctuidae are also remarkable for containing an extraordinary number of species whose caterpillars are able to feed on certain poisonous plants without harm. These foodplants - namely Solanaceae (e.g., Nicotiana) and Fabaceae (e.g., Sophora) - contain chemicals that would kill most insects trying to feed on them.

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Specimen Records:	181,216	Public Records:	134,335
Specimens with Sequences:	172,779	Public Species:	8,181
Specimens with Barcodes:	164,684	Public BINs:	10,695
Species:	8,923
Species With Barcodes:	8,324
Species List - Progress		Access Published & Released Data

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Collected from 138 countries. Top 20: Show All Countries

United States 28579 France 2551 Peru 1218 Canada 27695 United Kingdom 2259 Ecuador 1162 Costa Rica 19171 Ghana 2219 Norway 1162 Australia 11002 Spain 2128 Mexico 883 Germany 4068 Italy 1965 Argentina 784 South Africa 3491 Austria 1738 Finland 753 China 2740 Pakistan 1334