Owlet Moths and Allies

Noctuoidea is the superfamily of noctuid (Latin "night owl") or "owlet" moths, and has more than 70,000 described species, the largest number of any Lepidopteran superfamily. Its classification has not yet reached a satisfactory or stable state. Since the end of the 20th century, increasing availability of molecular phylogenetic data for this hugely successful radiation has led to several competing proposals for a taxonomic arrangement that correctly represents the relationships between the major lineages.

The taxonomic disputes about the classification of the noctuoidea are related to the fact that in old classification attempts (just as unable to reach a general consensus) the distinctness of some groups (such as the Arctiinae or Lymantriidae) was based on an over-emphasis on their characteristic appearances, while some less-studied lineages conventionally held to be Noctuidae are in fact quite distinct. This requires a rearrangement of the classication structure of at least the latter family (by simply including anything disputed within it). This is quite difficult to do, and various other approaches have been proposed in response to it. While there is general agreement on what the basal families of Noctuoidea are, the more diverse advanced group may be treated as one all-encompassing Noctuidae, two huge and two smaller families, or even more than four families (if Arctiinae or Lymantriidae are kept distinct); even then, these taxonomic groups would be still quite sizeable and difficult to refine.