Tyta

A genus of moths in the Noctuidae family. The genus contains just a single recognized species, Tyta luctuosa. The adults are relatively small moths with a wingspan of about 22–27 mm. The forewings are dark brown to purplish with a distinct white patch in the middle, and the hindwings are dark with pale fringes. This contrasting wing pattern makes them fairly distinctive. The caterpillars are specialist feeders on bindweeds (Convolvulus species), which is why the moth has been considered useful for weed control. It has been introduced as a biological control agent in North America and parts of Australia here bindweed is a problematic invasive plant. This makes it one of the few noctuid moths deliberately used in biological control programs.