2 



NOCTUID^, 



of cell ; 3, 4 from lower angle, rarely stalked ; 5 obsolescent from 

 middle of discocellulars, or more strongly developed from below 

 middle, or fully developed and more or less approximated to lower 

 angle of cell ; G, 7 from upper angle or shortly stalked ; 8 arising 

 free, then bent down and touching the cell near base, then again 

 diverging from it. In the genus Stilbia of the Acronyctince, in a 

 few genera of JVoctuina; in most SarrotJirijnncv, and in many 

 Erastriame and Hypenina; vein 8 anastomoses with the cell to 

 middle. In many genera of Sarrothripince, Acontiancv, Erastriana^ 

 and Hypenina;, and in the Hyblceince, the subcostal neuration of the 

 fore wing differs in various ways from the normal type. Frenulum 

 always present, in the Euteliancv and Stictopierince simple in the 

 female as well as the m.ale ; retinaculum of male usually consisting 

 of a tuft of hair from subcostal nervure, in the Sarvothriphup and 

 AcontiancB it is formed by a corneous bar ; in the female it consists 

 of a tuft of hair from median nervure. 



The family is of vast extent, the species being mostly of purely 

 nocturnal habit and varying in size from very minute to very large 

 forms. It is divisible into two main groups :— (1) \yith vein 5 of the 

 hind wing obsolescent from the middle of the discocellulars, mostly 

 belonging to the temperate faunas and subdivided into four sub- 

 families : (A) Ayrotino' with the mid and hind tibi«, or the latter 

 only spined, (B) Hadenime with the eyes hairy, (C) C'KculUance with 

 the eyes overhung by cilia, and (D) Acronyciince with the eyes 

 naked and not ciliated. (2) With vein 5 of the hind wing fully or 

 nearly fully developed and more or less approximated to lower 

 angle of cell, subdivided into eleven subfamilies :— (A) with the 

 frenulum simple in female, consisting of the Euteliano' with lateral 

 tufts of hair at anal extremity of abdomen, and the StictopterincB 

 without these tufts : (B) with the retinaculum of male formed by a 

 corneous bar, consisting of the SarrotJinpina' with small tufts of 

 raised scales in cell of fore wing, and the Acontiance with the cell 

 smoothly scaled : (C) the CatocaUncn with the mid tibioB and often the 

 fore and hind tibiie spined ; (D) the Jlomince with the eyes hairy ; 

 (E) the Plusiance with the eyes overhung by cilia ; and four sub- 

 families with the tibiae and eyes normal : (T) Noctuhut; with vein 5 

 fully developed and approximated to lower angle of cell, (G) Eras- 

 triance with it somewhat obsolescent and curved from below angle 

 of discocellulars, (H) Hypenhue with it fully developed from w'ell 

 above angle of cell and parallel to vein 4, finally (I) the very 

 aberrant subfamily HyUanam with the maxillary palpi well deve- 

 loped and all the veins of fore wing from the cell'. 



Egg upright, with the micropyle at the top. 



Larva usually naked, the warts with only one hair, rarely with 

 large hairy warts or spatulate filaments. In the first group of sub- 

 families, and also in the Euteliawe, Stictopterina;, Sarrotliripin<x, 

 Acontiance, and Hyhlcnna;, the larvae have the four pairs of abdominal 

 prolegs fully developed ; but in the Catocalina', Momiaa', Plusiance, 



