Noctuidae

Noctuidae is a large family of moths commonly called noctuid or owlet moths, whose caterpillars are known as cutworms or armyworms for their destructive habit of feeding in groups. The family comprises roughly 11,772 species in about 1,089 genera, making it the second largest family within the superfamily Noctuoidea, though ongoing molecular research continues to reshape its internal classification. Adults typically have wings in shades of brown and grey, though some subfamilies are brightly colored, and a nodular sclerite in the metathorax protects the tympanal hearing organ from parasites; wing markings often include distinctive club-shaped, round and kidney-shaped stigmata used to distinguish species. The family is found worldwide except Antarctica, with species recorded from the Arctic Circle to mountain elevations above 4,000 meters.