An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada
Author
Pohl, Greg
Northern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton ,, Canada
Author
Anweiler, Gary
University of Alberta Strickland Entomology Museum ,, Canada
Author
Schmidt, Christian
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Canada
Author
Kondla, Norbert
Calgary ,, Canada
text
ZooKeys
2010
2010-03-05
38
38
1
549
journal article
10.3897/zookeys.38.383
aa97d560-1969-4b79-93bb-2614b7835c0e
1313–2970
576629
63.
Noctuidae
As currently defined, the
Noctuidae
include only those groups with a trifid hindwing venation (
Lafontaine and Fibiger 2006
), to the exclusion of the
Erebidae
, which were formerly included here. Most Noctuoidea species of economic concern fall in this group, such as the cutworms, armyworms and earworms. Th ere are about 8,000 named species of
Noctuidae
globally, reaching their greatest diversity in temperate regions, particluarly grasslands and steppe habitats. Approximately 2,500 noctuid species occur in North America; 643 are reported herein from AB.
63.1.
Plusiinae
A group of primarily medium-sized (
30–50 mm
wingspan) moths with many colorful and attractive species. Many have metallic marks on the forewings, and some are diurnal flower visitors. Th e subfamily is defined by the quadrifid hindwing venation and lashed eyes. Th e larvae of most species are semi-loopers with a reduced number of prolegs. Th ey feed on the foliage of a wide variety of plants, and several (e.g.,
Trichoplusia
spp.) are important agricultural pests.
There are approximately 400 species of
Plusiinae
in the world, centered in temperate habitats in the northern hemisphere. Approximately 80 species in about 24 genera occur in North America; 41 species are known from AB. Th e North American species have been revised by
McDunnough (1944b)
and more recently by
Lafontaine and
Poole
(1991)
.