107 



Superfamily NOCTUOIDEA 



This superfamily includes three families, Noctuidae, Liparidae, 

 and Arctiidae. The Syntomidae also belong to this group, but as only 

 one species of this family was examined and this showed no charac- 

 ters to separate it from the Arctiidae, the Syntomidae are not dis- 

 cussed as a separate family. The Noctuoidea and Bombycoidea in- 

 clude all the specialized families which retain labial palpi. The fami- 

 lies of Noctuoidea may be separated thus : 



a. Body seldom with setae arranged around scars of larval verrucae, if 

 present, then the femora of the prothoracic legs exposed, or a long 

 cremaster present bearing hooked setae at the distal end ; prothoracic 

 femora usually visible, if not, then the mesothoracic leg usually ex- 

 tending cephalad to the eye-pieces Noctuidae. 



aa. Body always with setae arranged around the scars of larval verrucae ; 

 femora of the prothoracic legs never visible. 

 b. Maxillae never more than two fifths the length of the wings ; body 



setae conspicuous ; labial palpi usually visible Liparidae. 



bb. Maxillae two thirds the length of the wings, or longer ; body setae 

 inconspicuous ; labial palpi seldom visible Arctiidae. 



Family Noctuidae 



This family (Figs. 101, 102, 103), with a few exceptions, is char- 

 acterized by the presence of labial palpi and of maxillae which extend 

 to the caudal margin of the wing, or very closely approximate this 

 length. Very many of the genera have a large portion of the pro- 

 thoracic femora exposed. Those which do not show any portion of 

 the prothoracic femora have the mesothoracic leg extending cephalad 

 to the eye-pieces, with a few exceptions in the genera Homopyralis, 

 Plusiodonta, and Anomis. Those lacking labial palpi have setae ar- 

 ranged around the scars of larval verrucae, as in the Arctiidae. They 

 differ from the Arctiidae in having hooked setae on the cremaster, 

 and in lacking flanged plates on the abdominal segments. Maxillary 

 palpi are found in some members of the subfamilies Agrotinae, Cucul- 

 lianae, and Hypeninae. Since there was not enough material available 

 for study to furnish a basis for subfamily characters, the genera have 

 been grouped as seemed best for purposes of classification. As far as 

 possible the names of subfamilies as used by Hampson in the "Cata- 

 logue of Lepidoptera Phalaenae" have been adopted. This arrange- 

 ment could not be followed throughout, however, and so it must be re- 

 membered that the subfamily names used here are adopted as a matter 

 of convenience and do not stand for the genera which Hampson 



