Noctuoidea

Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. Since the end of the 20th century, increasing availability of molecular phylogenetic data for this hugely successful radiation has led to several competing proposals for a taxonomic arrangement that correctly represents the relationships between the major lineages.
Briefly, the disputes center on the fact that in old treatments (which were just as unable to reach a general consensus) the distinctness of some groups, such as the Arctiinae or Lymantriidae, was overrated due to their characteristic appearance, while some less-studied lineages conventionally held to be Noctuidae are in fact quite distinct. This requires a rearrangement at least of the latter family (by simply including anything disputed within it). This is quite unwieldy, and various more refined treatments have been proposed in response to it. While there is general agreement on what the basal families of Noctuoidea are, the more diverse advanced group may be treated as one all-encompassing Noctuidae, two huge and two smaller, or even (if Arctiinae or Lymantriidae are kept distinct) more than four families, which are in some cases still quite sizeable.
Recent developments
There are several recent studies suggesting a radical change in the traditional family level classification. Recent works in redefining the families within the Noctuoidea has been carried out by Kitching (1984), Poole (1995), Kitching and Rawlins [1998], Speidel et al. (1996), Mitchell et al. (1997, 2000, 2006), Fibiger and Lafontaine (2005), Lafontaine and Fibiger (2006), Zahiri et al. (2010), Kobayashi & Nonaka (2016), and Zahiri et al. (2023).
The Noctuoidea can be divided into two broad groups, those with a trifid forewing venation (Oenosandridae, and Notodontidae), and those with a quadrifid forewing venation (e.g., Arctiinae, Lymantriidae, Nolidae, Noctuidae). What has emerged from these investigations is that the quadrifid Noctuoidea form a monophyletic group. In 2005, Fibiger and Lafontaine arranged the quadrifid (forewing) group into several families, including the quadrifine (hindwing) Erebidae and trifine (hindwing) Noctuidae, based on evidence that suggested that the trifine noctuid subfamilies were derived from within the quadrifine subfamilies, so the family Erebidae would not be strictly monophyletic.
Lafontaine and Fibiger in 2006 then redefined the Noctuidae to include the entire quadrifid group, believing the Arctiinae, Lymantriidae, and Nolidae to be derived from within this expanded concept of Noctuidae (and closely related to the subfamily Catocalinae). In essence, groups such as the Arctiinae, which had previously been treated as a separate family, were more closely related to groups within the Noctuidae than to non-noctuid families. In order to address this, a revised classification would have meant either recognizing over 20 (often weakly defined) families, or a single well-defined family with numerous subfamilies. The latter was adopted (Lafontaine and Fibiger 2006).
More recent evidence from nuclear genes (Zahiri et al. 2010) confirms that the quadrifid (forewing) noctuoids form a monophyletic group, but also that this group can be further arranged into four monophyletic subgroups: 1) the quadrifine subfamilies; 2) the trifine subfamilies; 3) the Nolinae; and 4) the Euteliinae. Considering the massive size of the family, and the large number of subfamilies, tribes, and subtribes to arrange into a classification, Zahiri et al. (2010) chose the option of recognizing these four groups as families, namely Erebidae, Noctuidae, Nolidae, and Euteliidae, in addition to the basal trifid families.
Subsequent research has largely followed suit, with refinements such as the exclusion of Doidae from the superfamily, and the addition of a new family, Scranciidae.
Systematics
This largely follows Zahiri et al. (2023) and references cited therein, plus Kobayashi & Nonaka (2016) for groupings within Notodontidae. Note that the placement of Arctiinae, Erebidae, Euteliidae, Lymantriinae, and Nolidae as groups within Noctuidae has been largely rejected by recent authors, and that former families such as Dilobidae, Micronoctuidae, and Thyretidae are no longer recognized at ranks above subfamily, while Doidae is placed in the superfamily Drepanoidea.
Family Erebidae Leach, 1815
Subfamily Aganainae Boisduval, 1833
Subfamily Anobinae Holloway, 2005
Subfamily Arctiinae Leach, 1815)
Tribe Arctiini Leach, 1815
Subtribe Arctiina Leach, 1815
Subtribe Callimorphina Walker, 1865 (incl. Nyctemerina)
Subtribe Ctenuchina Kirby, 1837
Subtribe Euchromiina Butler, 1876
Subtribe Pericopina Walker, 1865
Subtribe Phaegopterina Kirby, 1892
Tribe Lithosiini Billberg, 1820
Tribe Syntomini Herrich-Schäffer, 1846 (inc. Thyretidae)
Subfamily Boletobiinae Grote, 1895 (incl. Araeopteroninae, Aventiinae, Eublemminae, Phytometrinae)
Subfamily Calpinae Boisduval, 1840
Tribe Calpini Boisduval, 1840
Tribe Phyllodini Guenée, 1852
Subfamily Erebinae Leach, 1815
Tribe Acantholipini Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005
Tribe Anydrophilini Wiltshire, 1976
Tribe Arytrurini Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005
Tribe Audeini Wiltshire, 1976
Tribe Catephiini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Catocalini Boisduval, 1828
Tribe Cocytiini Boisduval, 1874
Tribe Ctenusini Berio, 1992
Tribe Ercheiini Berio, 1992
Tribe Erebini Leach, 1815
Tribe Euclidiini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Hulodini Guenée, 1852 (= Speiredoniinae Swinhoe, 1900)
Tribe Hypopyrini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Melipotini Grote, 1895
Tribe Ommatophorini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Omopterini Boisduval, 1833
Tribe Ophiusini Guenée, 1837
Tribe Pandesmini Kühne & Speidel, 2004
Tribe Panopodini Forbes, 1954
Tribe Pericymini Wiltshire, 1976
Tribe Poaphilini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Scodionyxini Wiltshire, 1976
Tribe Sypnini Holloway, 2005
Tribe Thermesiini Guenée, 1852
Subfamily Eulepidotinae Grote, 1895
Subfamily Herminiinae Leach, 1815
Subfamily Hypeninae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851
Subfamily Hypenodinae Forbes, 1954 (incl. Micronoctuidae)
Subfamily Hypocalinae Guenée, 1852
Subfamily Lymantriinae Hampson, 1893
Tribe Arctornithini Holloway, 1999
Tribe Leucomini Grote, 1895
Tribe Lymantriini Hampson, 1893
Tribe Nygmiini Holloway, 1999
Tribe Orgyiini Wallengren, 1861
Subfamily Pangraptinae Grote, 1882
Subfamily Rivulinae Grote, 1895
Subfamily Scolecocampinae Grote, 1883
Subfamily Scoliopyteryginae Herrich-Schäffer, 1852
Tribe Anomini Grote, 1882
Tribe Scoliopyterygini Herrich-Schäffer, 1852
Subfamily Tinolinae Moore, 1885
Subfamily Toxocampinae Guenée, 1852
Family Euteliidae Grote, 1882
Subfamily Euteliinae Grote, 1882
Subfamily Stictopterinae Hampson, 1894
Family Noctuidae Latreille, 1809
Subfamily Acontiinae Guenée, 1841
Tribe Acontiini Guenée, 1841
Tribe Aediini Beck, 1960
Tribe Armadini Wiltshire, 1961
Tribe Hypercalymniini Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005
Subfamily Acronictinae Heinemann, 1859 (incl. Lophonyctinae, Sinocharinae)
Subfamily Agaristinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1858
Subfamily Amphipyrinae Guenée, 1837
Subfamily Bagisarinae Crumb, 1956
Tribe Bagisarini Crumb, 1956
Tribe Cydosiini Kitching & Rawlins, 1998
Subfamily Balsinae Grote, 1896
Subfamily Bryophilinae Guenée, 1852
Subfamily Condicinae Poole, 1995
Tribe Condicini Poole, 1995
Tribe Leuconyctini Poole, 1995
Subfamily Cuculliinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1850
Subfamily Dilobinae Aurivillius, 1889
Subfamily Eriopinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851
Subfamily Eucocytiinae Hampson, 1918
Subfamily Eustrotiinae Grote, 1882
Subfamily Hadeninae Guenée, 1837
Tribe Eriopygini Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005
Tribe Glottulini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Hadenini Guenée, 1837
Tribe Leucaniini Guenée, 1837
Tribe Orthosiini Guenée, 1837
Tribe Tholerini Beck, 1996
Subfamily Heliothinae Boisduval, 1828
Subfamily Metoponiinae Herrich-Schäffer, 1851
Subfamily Noctuinae Latreille, 1809
Tribe Agrotini Rambur, 1848
Tribe Noctuini Latreille, 1809
Subfamily Oncocnemidinae Forbes & Franclemont, 1954
Subfamily Pantheinae Smith, 1898
Subfamily Plusiinae Boisduval, 1828
Tribe Abrostolini Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978
Tribe Argyrogrammatini Eichlin & Cunningham, 1978
Tribe Plusiini Boisduval, 1828
Subfamily Psaphidinae Grote, 1896
Tribe Feraliini Poole, 1995
Tribe Nocloini Poole, 1995
Tribe Psaphidini Grote, 1896
Tribe Triocnemidini Poole, 1995
Subfamily Raphiinae Beck, 1996
Subfamily Stiriinae Grote, 1882
Tribe Azenini Poole, 1995
Tribe Grotellini Poole, 1995
Tribe Stiriini Grote, 1882
Subfamily Strepsimaninae Meyrick, 1930
Subfamily Xyleninae Guenée, 1837
Tribe Actinotiini Beck, 1996
Tribe Apameini Guenée, 1841
Tribe Arzamini Grote, 1883
Tribe Caradrinini Boisduval, 1840
Tribe Dypterygiini Forbes, 1954
Tribe Eiaphriini Beck, 1996
Tribe Episemini Guenée, 1852
Tribe Phlogophorini Hampson, 1918
Tribe Phosphilini Poole, 1995
Tribe Prodenilni Forbes, 1954
Tribe Pseudeustrotiini Beck, 1996
Tribe Xylenini Guenée, 1837
Family Nolidae Bruand, 1846
Subfamily Afridinae Kitching & Rawlins, 1998
Subfamily Bleninae Mell, 1943
Subfamily Chloephorinae Stainton, 1859
Tribe Ariolicini Mell, 1943
Tribe Camptolomini Mell, 1943
Tribe Careini Moore, 1883
Tribe Chloephorini Stainton, 1859
Tribe Eariadini Hampson, 1912
Tribe Gelastocerini Zahiri et al., 2013
Tribe Sarrothripini Hampson, 1894
Subfamily Collomeninae Kitching & Rawlins, 1998
Subfamily Diphtherinae Fibiger & Lafontaine, 2005
Subfamily Eligminae Mell, 1943
Subfamily Nolinae Bruand, 1846
Subfamily Risobinae Mell, 1943
Subfamily Westermanniinae Hampson, 1918
Family Notodontidae Stephens, 1829
Subfamily Acrocteninae Kiriakof, 1970
Subfamily Dioptinae Walker, 1862
Subfamily Dudusinae Matsumura, 1925
Subfamily Hemiceratinae Guenée, 1852
Subfamily Heterocampinae Neumogen & Dyar, 1894 (incl. Disphraginae, Fentoniinae, Rifarginae)
Subfamily Notodontinae Stephens, 1829
Tribe Dicranurini Duponchel, 1845 (incl. Cerurini)
Tribe Notodontini Stephens, 1829
Tribe Stauropini Matsumura, 1929
Subfamily Nystaleinae Forbes, 1948
Subfamily Periergosinae Kobayashi, 2016
Subfamily Phalerinae Butler, 1886
Subfamily Platychasmatinae Nakamura, 1956
Subfamily Pygaerinae Duponchel, 1845
Subfamily Roseminae Forbes, 1939
Subfamily Spataliinae Matsumura, 1929 (incl. Biretinae, Ceirinae)
Subfamily Thaumetopoeinae Aurivillius, 1889
Family Oenosandridae Miller, 1991
Family Scranciidae Miller, 1991
References
Sources
Hacker, Hermann H. & Zilli, Alberto (2007). Esperiana Buchreihe zur Entomologie Memoir 3: 179–246.
Kitching, Ian J. & Rawlins, John E. (1999). "The Noctuoidea". In: Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography, ed. N. P.Kristensen, pp. 355–401. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.
Lafontaine, J. Donald & Fibiger, Michael (2006). "Revised higher classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera)". Canadian Entomologist. 138 (5): 610–635
O'Toole, Christopher (ed.) (2002). Firefly Encyclopedia of Insects and Spiders. .
External links
Tree of Life
Noctuoidea (summary of R. Zahiri's ongoing PhD studies)
Lepidoptera superfamilies
Macroheterocera