OWLET MOTH

also called Miller, any of the more than 20,000 species in the cosmopolitan insect family Noctuidae (order Lepidoptera), having powdery, dusky wings. This large group is divided by some authorities into many families. The wingspan of these triangular-shaped, stout-bodied moths ranges from 8 to 305 mm (1/3 to 12 inches). Although most have dull coloration, some tropical species are bright and iridescent. Owlet moths are mainly night fliers, and many are attracted to lights. Hearing organs on the thorax consist of a tightly stretched membrane that is protected by an expanded hood. Most adults, using their well-developed mouthparts, feed on fruits, sap, or sweet fluids. Some species migrate northward after breeding in tropical regions. Many species have protective coloration. The larvae vary from dull to colourful and from smooth to hairy. Many species feed on foliage and seeds, others bore in stems and fruits, and a few prey on scale insects. Larvae of some species known as cutworms attack such plants as corn (maize), grasses, tomatoes, and beans at night, severing roots and stems near ground level. Larvae of other species may eat foliage or fruits; still others (e.g., the glossy cutworm, Crymodes devastator) live underground and feed on plant roots. The larvae of Pseudaletia unipuncta, called armyworms, travel along the ground in large groups, destroying corn, small grains, sugarcane, cotton, and other crops. The name armyworm is also generally applied to caterpillars of several other lepidopteran species that may migrate to new feeding grounds in large groups. The corn earworm, the destructive larval stage of the cosmopolitan moth Heliothis zea, is also known as the cotton bollworm, tomato fruitworm, vetch worm, or tobacco budworm, depending upon its host. Many larvae pupate underground with cocoons; others make strong silken cocoons incorporating wood chips, larval hairs, and other material.