Noctuid Moths (Noctuidae) | Species |
Most British noctuids are medium-sized, stout-bodied moths, whose forewings are often substantially longer than they are deep. Most are powerful fliers, and fly mainly at night. They require energy for this behavior, and feed at flowers, tree sap runs, aphid honeydew and sugary baits. Most noctuids rest with the trailing edges of the forewings brought together or slightly overlapping. There is usually a conspicuous kidney mark and an adjacent oval on the central area of the forewing. The size, colour and configuration of these often provide useful recognition features. However, many are very similar to one another, as well as being variable, so misidentification is easy.
Following the taxanomic revision in 2013, 45 species from eight sub-families in the Noctuidae were transferred to the Eribidae. Two further sub-families were moved to the Nolidae. However, there are still some 370 noctuid moths in the British Isles. The main sub-families are:
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