Hadeninae

walwyn Tue, 04/15/2025 - 22:31
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Lychnis Moth
The Lychnis (Hadena bicruris)

 

The Hadeninae is a subfamily of Noctuidae moths that consists of the Brocades, Quakers, and leaf-eating wainscots. This is a a large and diverse subfamily of moths in the family Noctuidae (owlet moths). They include many of the familiar “cutworms,” “darts,” and “rustics,” and are especially abundant in temperate regions. Typically medium-sized moths (wingspan ~25–45 mm), the forewings are usually mottled in shades of brown, gray, reddish, or olive-green, with wavy crosslines and spots (orbicular and reniform stigmata) often distinct. This gives them a cryptic, bark- or leaf-like appearance. The hindwings are usually pale (whitish or gray) with darker veins and a terminal band. When resting they hold wings roof-like over the body, often blending into their substrate. The caterpillars are plump, smooth-bodied, and often drab-coloured (brown, gray, or green) with faint striping. Many are cutworms, which feed at night and hide in soil or litter by day. The feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants, grasses, shrubs, and trees, and several species are significant agricultural pests, attacking cereals, root crops, and garden plants.

 

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